10-6-21

The Pitt News

T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | october 6, 2021 ­| Volume 112 | Issue 28

EMPLOYMENT GUIDE

News

Cover by Pamela Smith | Visual Editor

Student ambassadors represent variety of brands on campus

Donata Massimiani Staff Writer

​​While some students hold part-time jobs at coffee shops or restaurants to make extra money, some students, like Gabriella Policella, are able to learn career-specific skills as ambassadors for well known brands.

“Being a part of the PINK campus team helped me narrow down my career path and realize what my job could look like. Social media marketing is such a new and developing field, so it’s hard to grasp where that job market is going,” Policella said. “Since working with PINK, I’ve learned a lot more about digital marketing logistics such as search engine optimization and brand strategy.”

Student brand ambassadors are college stu-

dents hired to represent specific businesses on campus. Payment, perks and responsibilities vary from company to company. Brands will provide money, store credit or merchandise to ambassadors for their time promoting the brand.

Policella, a junior marketing major, was on the 2020-21 PINK campus team at Pitt. PINK’s ambassador program has two levels — campus representatives and members on each campus team. There are two campus representatives and

place at the time. She said the brand representatives made the experience “really conversational and fun.”

“I answered a series of behavioral interview questions, but they were also really interested in what PINK meant to me and my personal style,” Policella said. “I helped them style a couple of pieces during the interview, and it got me excited to work on that further once I was accepted.”

PINK’s campus team assigns different roles

Gabriella Policella, a junior marketing major, was on the 2020-21 Pitt PINK campus team. Image courtesy of Gabriella Policella

four campus team members at Pitt. The campus representatives get paid “above minimum wage,” according to Policella, and members of the campus team receive free merchandise from the company.

Policella heard about PINK's ambassador program through members of her sorority, Delta Zeta. She also saw the position advertised on social media and decided to apply. After applying, Policella completed an interview and was accepted for the position on the campus team.

PINK conducted Policella’s interview via Zoom because of COVID-19 restrictions in

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for each student within the team. Policella’s role was “social guru,” which means she was responsible for staying up to date on social media trends, creating content, posting schedules and coming up with captions for posts.

Policella said she thought this ambassadorship was a great way to build her resumé. She was excited to work with a company she already knew.

“The social media exposure was nice and a great way to build my portfolio as a marketing major,” Policella said. “It was a fun way to meet people and learn more about the industry.”

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Policella helped unveil PINK’s "I am Enough” campaign that focused on mental health. Policella said the Victoria’s Secret brand is undergoing a lot of changes, and she was happy to be a part of it.

“The industry is changing and I’m glad PINK is helping lead those efforts. Seeing representation of all kinds of people in their branding made me feel good about working for the company,” Policella said.

Mollie McFarland, a junior biological sciences major, began an ambassadorship with Saxbys Coffee this semester when they opened their campus locations.

“I have fun making the content and it’s a good way for me to take a break from things academic,” McFarland said. “I get something out of it but it’s also a way I can focus my creativity and take a break from my studies.”

A representative from Saxbys reached out to McFarland in August on Instagram and recommended she apply for an ambassador position. She filled out an application the company emailed her and began working with the company in September.

Saxbys’ ambassadorship is social mediabased. Ambassadors have to make four posts on their Instagram stories and one picture on their Instagram feed about the brand each month.

Saxbys also asks the ambassadors to post one or two TikToks each month promoting the brand.

Saxbys ambassadors receive $40 in Saxbys store credit monthly for completing all requirements by their deadline. McFarland said she liked the incentives and felt it was worth putting effort into the social media posts.

“It’s pretty relaxed. If you don’t meet all the things they want you to do, they still give you credit for the things you do complete. I think it definitely is worth it,” McFarland said.

Olivia Wagner, a junior marketing and supply chain management major, has been a Gopuff ambassador since May. Wagner said

Find the full story online at

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2

Student concierges enforce rules, with some backlash

Brandon Raglow Staff Writer

For Carley Clark, working as a building concierge can be difficult, even though many Pitt students, faculty and staff are familiar with the process of scanning into buildings.

“Some people are just like, ‘It’s ridiculous that we have to do this,’ but it’s not my rules, it's the University’s,” Clark, a sophomore pre-medicine major, said.

“People sometimes give backlash to us when we’re not really the bad guys here, we’re just doing our jobs.”

Pitt employs about 260 students as building safety concierges, according to Laura Zullo, the director of administration for David DeJong, Pitt’s senior vice chancellor for business and operations. Building safety concierges sit by the entrances to on-campus buildings and ensure students sign in and follow proper safety procedures, such as wearing masks. Building safety concierges earn $12.50 an hour.

Zullo said when the University decided to allow students to stay on campus for the 2020-21 academic year, despite nearly all online classes, they decided to institute new safety measures when people entered campus buildings. She said she helped organize the program, which launched last fall.

“Last year we decided that we needed to have this program. It was something that came down from the administration,” Zullo said. “I had just mentioned to my boss, ‘Hey, you know, if there's anything I can do, let me know.’ And it was, I think the next day, he said, ‘Do you mean what you said? Because we need some help here.’”

Zullo said giving students the opportunity to fill these positions partially came from necessity.

“We knew we were going to need a whole lot of people to manage this program and we thought, hey, our students, why not give them the opportunity? We knew that employment for our students was pretty limited last fall, especially with all the COVID things that were go-

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ing on,” Zullo said. “We posted the position, not knowing what we would get in response. And we really had an overwhelming response from our students.

They wanted these jobs and they were eager to help. So we were really excited that we could give them the opportunity.”

Now that classes are fully in person, and traffic in and out of campus buildings has expanded significantly, building safety concierges are still working to keep Pitt students safe and signing in.

Noor El-Dehaibi, a senior urban studies major, said she finds that most students sign in without a hassle.

“I think most people understand that it’s just easier for everyone if they swipe in,” El-Dehaibi said. “In the beginning there were some people who I had to, frankly, chase down in the building, but I feel like people after a certain point understand that it’s not easier for anyone for me to run after someone.”

El-Dehaibi said she thinks building safety concierges’ real value is when they tell students to follow COVID-19 safety protocols.

“Just having some vague semblance of authority means that I can get people to pull their masks up, I can tell them to wear a mask, I can do things like that,” El-Dehaibi said. “I think that’s the primary service of this job.”

Candace Sinclair, a junior Africana studies and English literature double major, said she’s generally had positive interactions with students.

“I mostly focus [on the job]. If there’s downtime I’ll do work, but I like the opportunity for meeting new people and getting familiar with faces,” Sinclair said.

But she added that not all of these interactions end in a civil manner.

“A student was walking by, and he didn't have his ID, and when I called him, he called me a b----,” Sinclair said.

Alexa Almodovar, a senior communication science and disorders major, said she also deals with difficult students “almost on a daily basis.”

See Concierge on page 5

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3

Student health care workers discuss job joys, difficulties amid pandemic Alexandra Ross Staff Writer

Caring for ventilated COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit on Christmas was one of the hardest moments of Gracelyn Mauro’s job as a patient care technician at UPMC Presybterian.

“That was probably the most difficult, especially during the holidays — it was really emotional,” Mauro, a sophomore psychology major, said. “I feel like it really put in perspective that even if someone doesn't have [pre-existing] health conditions, it can still land you in the ICU on a vent.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the stakes of working in health care have increased, and student workers often feel a greater responsibility in these roles. Mauro said the importance of her work is clear. With the lives of patients in her hands, Mauro said the job has to be taken seriously.

“You can go to a job and work in retail and you can bulls--- it,” Mauro said. “But if you try to work as a patient care tech, you can't bulls--- that — because if you do, most of the time it’s like, someone will die, or someone is going to get hurt, and that falls on you.”

Mauro said she has many tasks at the hospital, but overall, her job is making sure that patients are safe and everyone is being tended to.

“The basic work of a PCT is taking vitals, checking glucose levels, bed changing, bathing, walking people to the bathroom, making sure that people are getting out to their tests,” Mauro said. “Sometimes, depending on who your nurse is, you can also help with general wound care, and other things.”

Mauro said compared with other health care workers, patient care technicians often spend the most time with patients, which means they often catch crucial moments before doctors or nurses.

“A lot of the times it's usually the techs that find people who are [coding], ‘cause you're in there the most,” Mauro

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said.

Kathy Escobar Martinez, a first-year pharmacy student who works at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, said the education student health care workers get on the job applies not just to their future careers, but also to their studies.

“Now that I'm in pharmacy school, it's actually helping a lot because a lot of the medications that we've talked about in class have come up at work,” Escobar

each week can also affect their ability to take part in extracurriculars. In order to stay on top of her schoolwork, Mauro said she had to give up on club sports.

“I really did want to try to join the field hockey team here on campus, but honestly I don't have all the time to commit to work, school and a sport,” Mauro said.

Escobar Martinez said besides the job impacting her time and energy, working in health care can have a less vis-

Gracelyn Mauro is a sophomore psychology major and a patient care technician at UPMC Presbyterian. Romita Das senior staff photographer

Martinez said.

Despite these educational benefits, Olivia Shenk, a sophomore biological sciences major who volunteers at UPMC Montefiore, said student health care workers still give up valuable time that could be used to complete homework or review materials from class.

“It's taking away time that I could be studying,” Shenk said. “I only volunteer for three hours, but getting ready and going there and then coming home — it takes more than three hours when it's all said and done.”

Mauro said the hours that student health care workers spend at hospitals

dures, but said there is always a risk of contracting COVID-19.

“When I'm in the hospital, I always wear my mask, I really don't take it down because that's for my patients’ safety and my safety,” Mauro said. “I can honestly equate working in patient care [to] roulette, because you never know who you're going to have, you never know who's going to have what, especially with COVID.” Shenk said she doesn’t deal with this same uncertainty on the rehab floor of UPMC Montefiore, since these patients are recovering over a longer period of time through physical therapy, from issues such as surgeries, strokes and amputations.

“Most of the patients have been in the hospital for a decent amount of time, and it's not a super fast turnaround on my floor,” Shenk said. “It's not like an ER or something, where it would be a lot more worrisome.”

Despite lost time and risks related to COVID-19, Escobar Martinez said she truly enjoys working at the hospital — and not just because it gives her work experience.

“It's a really fun time,” Escobar Martinez said. “A lot of the times I don't even mind that we're short-staffed, because we make it work and we have fun.”

ible emotional impact, especially when working in an intensive care unit.

“A lot of the times I personally am scheduled to watch the pediatric ICU or the cardiac ICU on the fourth floor,” Escobar Martinez said. “You see what's going on in those rooms, and it's really hard and heartbreaking sometimes to be a witness to that.”

According to Mauro, the work’s emotional toll has only worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mauro said she feels even more personally impacted by this risk because a relative is immunocompromised. She added that she follows all of the hospital’s mandated precautions, such as proper masking and PPE proce-

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4

Concierge, pg. 3

A student scans into the William Pitt Union. Pamela Smith visual editor

“I’m usually in David Lawrence and it's a lot of freshmen who obviously haven't been here. Even sophomores, they don't really understand why they have to tap in,” Almodovar said.

Almodovar described a particularly “dramatic” example when a student who forgot his ID was asked to leave.

“The security guard told him that he needed his ID, the student said he didn't have it, that he had a class,” Almodovar said. “The guard said ‘I can’t let you in.’

The student started cursing and saying that he didn’t like the school and then he stormed out. That was probably the most difficult just because it was dramatic.”

According to Sydney Hawk, a sophomore accounting major, students aren’t the only issue. Hawk said she had an encounter with a professor who forgot their ID before a class.

“A certain professor came in, didn't have her ID and one of the police officers came in and told her she had to go get an ID at Panther Central. But instead of wanting to take the time to do that, she reached out to the department head

to try to get them to fill out a University guest pass,” Hawk said. “She had to end up cancelling class because she couldn't get the guest pass and she couldn't get her ID in time so she had to cancel a 100 person lecture.”

However, not every building safety concierge has a horror story. Dom Gallo, a junior in the athletic training program, said he got the concierge job through work study.

“Last year, at the beginning of my sophomore year was when they introduced it, and I had a work study so I was just on the website applying to jobs and this one offered me the job,” he said.

Gallo said, overall, he thinks the job isn't very difficult.

“Everyone always swipes in. I mean, people come in a lot without a mask on or they just walk by and I have to tell them but everyone usually just comes back,” Gallo said. “It’s not too difficult.

Just watching people coming in and out, making sure they’re swiping IDs and wearing masks.”

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October 6, 2021

5

MUSA works to provide safe space for multiracial students

Donata Massimiani Staff Writer

When Jasmine Al Rasheed joined the Multiracial Student Association, she knew she found her home on campus.

Al Rasheed, MUSA’s social media chair, grew up near Greensburg, Pa., an area she said had little diversity. Wanting to connect with other multiracial people, she looked for an organization that represented her identity.

“I am a mixed person, but I grew up in a very white area. I never really knew a lot of mixed people growing up,” Al Rasheed, a junior sociology and international and area studies major, said. “I found the club and realized this is where I belong.”

The Multiracial Student Association, founded in 2017, is a student organization that aims to “offer a safe space for mixed people on campus,” according to

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Olivia Jenkins, the club’s former president and current business manager.

“Our main goal is to offer a safe space for mixed people on campus. It can be really confusing being mixed. Especially when you are put in a new area, and especially for freshman,” Jenkins, a senior geology major, said. “Monoracial people don’t have the same experiences that we do. It is nice to have a space on campus that is available for us to be ourselves.”

MUSA holds general body meetings every other week focused on a specific topic related to diversity — such as how mixed race people are represented in the media — where members of the club’s executive board give a presentation, and the group discusses thoughts and questions that arise during the presentation.

Aside from general body meetings, the club plans leisure activities so members can bond with one another. Previous trips include going to dinner, thrifting

and visiting art galleries that highlight multiracial artists.

MUSA held all of its meetings and events virtually last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which Al Rasheed said created an environment that was unfortunately “very stale.” Al Rasheed said the group is “great” in person now that the social aspect is reignited.

“It was definitely difficult. We were pretty much all on Zoom last year, so we didn’t get as many numbers as we wanted to. We are also a club that focuses on the social aspect of being with people who are like you. So, we couldn’t get that fun environment. It was very stale,” Al Rasheed said. “Now that we’re in person that has changed a lot, in a great way.”

According to Jenkins, MUSA is not exclusive to multiracial individuals, despite its name. Monoracial people who were adopted and “lived in a home that was ethnic in some way” can also find a spot in the club, she said.

Michelle Evans, MUSA’s current president, said people of all races are welcome to join the club and educate themselves on the issues multiracial people face.

“If you're not mixed, definitely come out. We love to meet people, we love to educate people, this year I think there are a few members who joined who actually aren’t mixed. They've so far learned a lot. If you want to learn, definitely join,” Evans, a junior biology major, said.

Executive board members all agree education is an important aspect of MUSA. The club educates members on many aspects of having a multiracial identity, Al Rasheed said.

“I’ve learned a lot about mixed identity,” Al Rasheed said. “It’s been a very educational experience.”

Evans said MUSA gives students an opportunity to make friends who understand struggles that multiracial people may face. Evans recalled constantly having her identity invalidated by her peers while she was growing up.

“My parents are not from the same culture and not the same race,” Evans

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said. “Even in high school people would say things like, ‘You can’t be mixed’ or, ‘That’s not a thing.’”

Jenkins said it has been “amazing” having people around who she can relate to and rely on.

“Even if you just have something to rant about, something weird happens, and to you, if that is related to being mixed somehow, you have a group of people who are going to understand and have similar experiences,” Jenkins said. “It’s been amazing to have people around that I know I can relate to and are all there for each other.”

According to Al Rasheed, MUSA hopes to create a space where multiracial students can connect and feel comfortable on campus. She said members have a strong bond with each other and love to meet new people interested in the club.

“A lot of mixed students don't really feel like they have a place at home. You are feeling like you are divided between two worlds,” Al Rasheed said. “We want to make at least a once a week place where you can feel you are meeting people like yourself. We understand the struggle.”

6

Opinions Work-study is unrealistic

for busy students with bills to pay

Jessica Snyder For The Pitt News

My journey as a first generation college student at Pitt started almost three years ago. After going to my middle school’s administrative office to get a work permit and square away the legal logistics, I started my first job at 14 years old. I started volunteering two years before that, and since then I have rarely been without a job.

In order to cover the costs of college, I knew that it was practically mandatory for me to have a job. So, when the federal government offered me the chance to work in order to pay off my college tuition, it looked like an opportunity that I couldn’t refuse.

While the maximum amount of money awarded by the Federal Work-Study Program can vary, I could earn $3,000 a year through the program. This measly amount accounts for less than 16% of Pitt’s total tuition for the year, and even then, not all students are eligible to receive work-study aid. In order to qualify for FWS, a student must display financial need.

College isn’t free, and I’m not expecting it to be, but the FWS Program is simply not worth it in the long run if students want to make actual money. Classes are a student’s main priority, so sometimes there might not even be time to participate in the program. Even when there is time to participate in work study, students are met with shallow awards earned through low wages.

In general, work-study program earnings rarely exceed $5,000 in an academic year at any institution. Once again, this covers less than a quarter of most universities’ annual tuition costs. FWS awards are low in comparison to tuition and even lower when compared to housing costs.

Personally, the rent for my apartment is

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$735 a month and on-campus housing options don’t deviate much from this.

FWS award amounts are extremely low and consequently look easy to achieve, but in my time as a student worker from November 2019 to April 2020, I did not earn all of the $3,000 the program allotted me. For context, I worked for eight dollars an hour and

through Pitt’s Talent Center, but this repetitive application process is unpaid and has little payoff since most entry-level wages rarely top double digits. If you come to Pitt undecided on your major there are even fewer options available to you, as most employers want students in related majors. Performing a job search is rigorous, FWS related or not. To engage

Thalia Sifnakis staff illustrator

about 15 hours a week. This is not out of the ordinary though, as most FWS jobs are entry level and don’t allow students to work more than 20 hours a week.

FWS funds come in the form of a regular paycheck, so technically you can do whatever you want with them. But on a financial aid award worksheet, the entire amount of the FWS award is counted as aid but not credited to your bill, as you haven’t earned totality of your given wages yet. In this way, the University does a good job of strongly encouraging student workers to put all of their meager wages towards tuition.

Students can apply for many FWS jobs

in such a search for very little reward barely seems worth the trouble.

The FWS Program is specifically designed so that college students don’t feel stressed out by having a job, but sometimes this just isn’t enough. In fact, only 43% of full-time undergraduate students in the United States were employed in 2018. In a way, being a full-time college student is a job in and of itself. Many of my friends don’t work during school because of this fact and, to be completely honest, I don’t blame them.

The FWS Program provides an unmatched opportunity to receive work experience within your field — I’ll give it

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that. Students are compensated for their time, so it beats an unpaid internship. For all other purposes though, I don’t think that the FWS Program is worth the time and effort that students must put into it.

The FWS Program puts a limit on how much money a student worker can make, strengthening the case for just getting a regular job. In fact, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are offering bonuses in order to mitigate the effects of the nationwide labor shortage.

In short, the FWS Program needs reform. Student workers are essential on any and all university campuses, whether working in bookstores or recreation centers. It would be foolish to throw out the entire system, but as of right now it isn’t benefiting the students that most need it. If students who want a job can get one that pays more and doesn’t limit how much you can earn practically anywhere in Pittsburgh, the FWS program won’t be able to thrive. This goes for all universities as well, considering this is a federal program.

Pitt administrators should be looking into keeping tuition costs from rising, as well as raising the wages of student workers. I also don’t think it would hurt to make the FWS Program available to everyone, those with greater financial need taking priority, of course. Furthermore, the concept of maximum earnings in the FWS Program should be abolished completely, as it encourages students to look for employment elsewhere where maximum earnings won’t be an issue.

Currently, the FWS Program is unproductive for students and the University alike. With reform, work-study jobs will be able to bring the Pitt community together.

Jessica Snyder primarily writes about controversy in art and politics. Write to her at jes341@pitt.edu.

7

Working at Starbucks was the best thing that ever happened to me Dalia Maeroff Opinions Editor

The COVID-19 pandemic took my favorite job away. Working as a Starbucks barista was my first job at a large company, and while that may sound trivial, it prepared me for the harsh realities of the adult work environment.

Working at Starbucks seems like the best job for a teenager or college student, and it’s true. I was lucky — most people my age were waitressing or working elsewhere in the food industry for below minimum wage, and in most cases, their bosses kept the tips. Despite my long commute and early shift hours, Starbucks was flexible with school, and I got paid the correct amount on time. I learned the ups and downs of the corporate world. This environment was much different from working at a small busi-

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ness — like the small businesses that many of my peers worked at.

That isn’t to say that working at a small business is bad. My experience working at a small business was excellent. However, I didn’t gain as much knowledge compared to what I might have working at a large company.

People gain a lot of skills and know-how working in a corporate setting. There is almost always a strict set of rules concerning how things are run, and Starbucks is no exception. I still have my guidebooks that detail how the store works — all the little moving parts of the coffee shop and how to ensure these parts keep moving.

The first and most notable rule at Starbucks was customer service. I feel like working at Starbucks comes with a sort of stigma — that the people who go

there are rich, stuck up and tend to step all over customer service workers.

I don’t go to Starbucks to get coffee.

I’m too broke to afford it, and I can’t count the amount of times I was yelled at by a 13-year-old that their ridiculously complicated frappuccino “didn’t taste right.” I don’t know about you, but smiling through eight hours of that kind of treatment is hard. It only gets worse if you have a bad relationship with your boss and coworkers. I was lucky enough to love mine like a family.

There will always be people that treat you horribly. Learning how to deal with them is part of the job — whether it’s just brushing off their rude behavior or deferring to your manager, also known as your sworn protector. But most of the customer service work isn’t bad. There’s always people that leave a $100 bill in the tip jar for Christmas.

Instead of being miserable throughout the day because of one bad interaction, Starbucks taught me ways to be genuinely happy during work. It changed my outlook on handling interpersonal relations at jobs going forward.

The protocol was simple — genuinely take an interest. There’s not much else to think about but coffee for the whole shift, so you might as well learn more about the people you make coffee for. Make a game of remembering their drink orders or ask how their day is going. After all, what is the point of seeing a person every day and not knowing a thing about them?

Some people talked more than others. But regardless, when one regular customer — an old man that always used to stick around to talk to me about when he was young and traveled the world — brought me a chocolate cake when I graduated high school, it meant something. I formed a real connection with my customers — making both of us feel good.

When working in a corporate setting like Starbucks, I learned to manage

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many moving parts at once and balance them effectively. You learn that you need to juggle several things at all times, which carries into the rest of your life, too. You know what needs to be done, how to do it and when it needs to be done. Efficiency is a skill that can be applied to everything in life.

Starbucks has many areas of operation — way more than in your local coffee shop. Many large companies try to make sure their employees are knowledgeable about how things work at every level of the company, not just the one they work at.

For example, I know way too much about where Starbucks beans come from and how they’re processed. I also know about the different resources available to me as an employee — available benefits or how to go to human resources when I need it. I know that large companies are held to certain standards for how their employees are treated.

Working at a small business often doesn’t have all of those different areas, and sadly, they often aren’t held to the same standards. It can be difficult for people who have never worked at a large corporation to know when they need to reach out and ask for help, or what resources are available.

I am happy that I can look back on my time working at Starbucks and remember all the fun times I had with my coworkers. I fondly recall spilling a giant vat of coffee on the floor and jokingly telling my manager that “it wasn’t me” before rushing to mop it all up. But I can also look back and say I gained valuable knowledge that I’ll take with me to every future job.

Dalia Maeroff writes primarily about issues of psychology, education, culture and environmentalism. Write to her at DAM291@pitt.edu.

8

Working as a camp counselor helped me grow as a person

Rachel Soloff

Senior Staff Columnist Last year was difficult. I struggled immensely with my mental health as the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, and I felt like I had lost myself. As an extroverted person, the isolation I felt sent me to one of the lowest points in my life.

After this difficult year of isolation, I decided to go to a place that was almost the exact opposite of my sad and lonely apartment — summer camp. And no, not as a camper, but as a counselor.

Working as a camp counselor pushes you out of your comfort zone, and there is no job on earth like it. Being a counselor last summer allowed me to be a mentor — something that is definitely not what I’m used to — and helped me be a more confident person even outside of the camp bubble.

I went to overnight camp in the Poconos every summer from age eight to 15, and it completely changed my life. I experienced immense growth, largely because of the mentoring of my counselors who always encouraged us to push through challenges and be our true selves. So as soon as I was able to, I applied to be a counselor at the camp I grew up with. My first year on staff, the summer before my first year at Pitt, I was super nervous. The camp placed me with a younger group of kids than I wanted and struggled with finding the balance between being the authority figure and being the fun counselor.

Last summer was different. After a full two years without camp in my life — it closed due to the pandemic in summer 2020 — I was ready to get back into it. My campers this summer were going into ninth grade and, based on my previous experience, I finally felt confident enough to mentor these kids just like my counselors had seven years prior. I also felt like I had the opportunity to be a great mentor to these kids as they entered a pivotal time in their lives.

Similar to me, these kids had just done two years of online school. Now, they were going from the complete isolation of their homes to being in a bunk with 40 other

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people. For some, this was difficult. At the beginning of camp, I frequently found myself sitting with campers who felt overwhelmed and overstimulated.

During lunch on the first day of the second session of camp, I caught the eye of a camper who I could just tell was on the verge of tears. I went outside with her and we chatted for a long time. She confided in me that she was extremely nervous for

avoid the negative emotions I struggled with, I confided in her. As I spoke with her, I could see the worry ease and, although she did have an adjustment period, by the end of the summer she had the time of her life.

Camp not only mentally pushed me out of my comfort zone, it also did so physically.

Every summer the campers who are going into eighth grade go on a 10-mile hike along the Appalachian Trail. When I was a camp-

A hiker enjoys the view at Mount Rainier.

Image via Ivie Metzen, Wikimedia Commons camp, even though she had gone for many years. She told me that after a full two years away from camp and mostly being with her family, she struggled to transition back.

As I sat there listening to her, I was immediately brought back to my own experience, five weeks prior when I arrived at camp for staff week. I totally felt the overwhelming feeling she talked about. I also got thrown into the mix of camp, training with people I hadn’t seen in two years and interacting with the most amount of people I had in 18 months.

Instead of instinctually putting on a front and telling her that everything was going to be okay, I was honest. I told her about my struggles at the beginning of camp and how I adjusted. This was my first real feeling of growth. After 18 months where I felt like I had to keep my guard up and try to

er, I had the most miserable time on this hike and was so glad that I never had to do it again. Unfortunately for my campers and myself, because my campers had missed this hike the previous year, we had to go on it this summer. As soon as I heard this, my stomach dropped. I dreaded this hike, but I couldn’t wuss out because I was the one in charge this time.

This hike ended up being the highlight of my summer. I hiked along with some campers from the other bunk who I hadn’t talked to much that summer. We talked about music, movies and everything under the sun. Those 10 miles flew by with ease, and I couldn’t believe it. When we got back from the trail, my co-counselor, who had also been a camper with me during my hike from hell eight years ago, told me how proud she was of me of how I handled my-

October 6, 2021

self on the hike. We both couldn’t believe that the girl who cried the entire 10 miles eight years prior was smiling and enjoying herself.

Being a camp counselor may seem daunting because you often have to think on your feet and react quickly when things don’t go according to plan, but this kind of thinking leads to great opportunities. As a counselor, I wrote the evening programs.

We could get as creative and out there as possible, just as long as the campers had fun.

One of the evening programs I wrote this summer was a slam poetry night. Typically, two or more counselors write the programs but for this one I was on my own. I was extremely nervous about this program — I am not really one to stand in front of a crowd.

Immediately, something went wrong. I tried to show my campers an example of a poem and my speaker wouldn’t connect. I went instantly into panic mode and tried to pivot the program. The pivot did not work so I had to adapt a third time. This time, however, I took a step back, realized that in the grand scheme of things, it really wasn’t a big deal and moved on. Once I did, the program ended up being one of the campers’ favorite evening programs we did all summer, and I once again surprised myself with how I handled the situation.

Being a camp counselor is not a typical job — you wear funny outfits, sing songs and plan slam poetry nights for a bunch of 14-year-olds. The skills I learned from doing this silly and unconventional job, though, are ones that are applicable everywhere, especially in regards to mentorship.

By helping these campers have their best summer ever and being a mentor for them just as my counselors were for me, I truly felt myself grow in ways in which I hadn’t before. Camp is a magical place and its magic made me become a better version of myself.

Keep an eye out for your own magical place. Sometimes, finding a job that allows you to grow within it is more important than finding one that you think you need to get for the sake of your resume.

Rachel Soloff writes primarily about the entertainment industry and social justice.

Write to her at RJS191@pitt.edu.

9

Now more than ever, it’s important to follow state government Talia Spillerman

have passed bills that promote their Unlike Pennsylvania, some of these moral agenda, such as banning critical abortion-limiting bills have turned into race theory, limiting abortion access and laws in other states. The Supreme Court Until this past summer, I didn’t know increasing voting requirements, just to upheld Texas’ new law that bans aborthere was a difference between Pennname a few. Many of these proposals fun- tions after the first six weeks of pregnansylvania Senate districts and House disdamentally endanger the quality of life of cy on Sept. 1. Texas is not alone in this tricts. In fact, I didn’t even know my state women and people of color. endeavor to restrict women’s access to senator’s name.

Pennsylvania, which currently has a abortion. State legislatures enacted more But while interning for Pennsylvania State Sen. Judy Schwank, a Democrat who represents Reading and part of Berks County, I learned that state senators are responsible for sponsoring, supporting and voting on legislation that directly impacts constituents’ livelihoods and quality of life.

I learned that when you have a senator who’s conscientious of their constituents’ needs, they will promote economic opportunities, social programs and statesponsored grants to help the community flourish. They will listen to and think of their constituents’ concerns — which may even inspire a sponsorship of a bill on the Senate floor.

Because state senators can be extremely influential, it is always important to voice your concerns and praises about your community. But now, in an era where Republicans are champion- The Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. Image via Vicki Vellios Briner, ing restrictive laws, it’s essential to keep Pennlive.com, TNS For The Pitt News

your state senator accountable for making decisions that align with your values.

Currently, on the federal level, House Democrats outnumber Republicans by 10 seats. Democrats’ control of the Senate is even slimmer — 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats and two independents that caucus with the Democrats. If each representative’s vote aligns with their caucus, every Senate vote will end in a tie — broken by a vote from Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat.

While this almost-even divide can elicit compromise, it’s also a recipe for a deadlock that can prevent any law from passing. So far, the latter has held true.

However, a much different story has unfolded in state governments. While federal legislators are still deliberating contentious issues, right-leaning states

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Republican-majority legislature, is no exception.

The Pennsylvania House passed a bill at the end of September that would prevent mothers from having an abortion if a prenatal scan shows Down syndrome — prohibiting the mother’s right to choose. Doctors could face charges or lose their medical license if they don’t comply.

Luckily, Pennsylvania Democrat Governor Tom Wolf vowed to veto any bill limiting abortion access for women and vetoed the version of this bill that passed both the Senate and House. However, if the next Pennsylvania governor is a Republican who supports the bill, or twothirds of the legislature supports it, it could turn into a law.

abortion restrictions in 2021 than in any other year.

State Republican lawmakers have similarly responded to banning critical race theory. Republican lawmakers in around 20 states introduced bills to limit or ban critical race theory and eight states passed laws as of August. Critical race theory involves learning about historical and current manifestations of white privilege and racial injustice.

Two Republican Pennsylvania state representatives — Reps. Diamond and Gleim — proposed a bill that would punish schools that teach critical race theory. While this bill has not yet left committee, this could change in the near future.

These are only some of the examples

October 6, 2021

of the more controversial bills legislators are deliberating in Pennsylvania. There are other vital measures that we need trustworthy and reliable lawmakers to discuss, such as tax bills, public safety and budget allocations — which help fund preschools, schools as well as the maintenance and building of safe roads and bridges.

How can you hold your senator or representative accountable? The most impactful action you can take is voting.

State elections are just as important, if not more important, than federal elections. Make sure that who you are voting for aligns with your interests and values because they will directly impact your day-to-day life.

If your senator is not up for re-election soon, write to or call them. Even if their platform and voting records support your values, remind them that they are promoting your interests. State senators represent fewer people than federal senators, so there is a greater chance that you will receive a genuine response.

Pay attention to your state’s news.

Read local papers about issues that impact your community, and check the voting records of your senators and representatives. Informed and active constituents are the antidote for incompetent legislators.

Here, where you can find your state lawmakers, is an excellent place to start.

Talia Spillerman writes about anything and everything. Write to her at tns26@ pitt.edu.

10

Culture Soergel’s Orchards offers

seasonal events, year-round products

Grace Hemcher Staff Writer

Soergel’s Orchards — a family-run farm and country store — lies about 30 minutes northwest of Oakland. Its classic red barn, as well as the rows of pumpkins and apple trees waiting to be picked, transport visitors to the countryside and away from the hustle of city life.

Soergel’s has sold apples for decades — remaining a popular destination for fall essentials. After a year of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they're offering an array of events and products that change with the seasons once again.

Amy Soergel, one of nine family members working at Soergel's Orchards, grew up in Pittsburgh’s North Hills and helped out with her family’s business since she was a child. After studying public health at Johns Hopkins University and getting her master’s in public health at Pitt, she returned home to the business.

Soergel started an organic, gluten-free and allergen-free store on the property 11 years ago. Managing Naturally Soergel’s is just one of her many roles in the family business. She also manages weekend festivals, helps with staffing and handles marketing and advertising for the orchard.

Soergel’s is open year-round, but its Fall Fest occurs every weekend in October starting at 10 a.m. It features vendors such as Boyd and Blair Vodka and Arsenal Cider, as well as tractor rides, apple picking, pumpkin picking and painting and sand art for kids.

With the exception of apple and pumpkin picking, Soergel said these vendors and events have made their return this year after being put on hold because of the pandemic.

“We were very, very limited on what we offered,” Soergel said. “We still wanted to have some kind of fall experience, but we didn’t feel comfortable providing it like we are this year.”

Erin Brennan, a junior rehabilitation sci-

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ence major, took a trip to Soergel's Fall Fest on a whim with a group of friends after discovering the orchard online. Brennan said there was friendly staff and ample things to do.

“We wanted to do something cute and fall-like, just something wholesome. So I think someone just Googled pumpkin patches nearby,” Brennan said. “The people were also really nice, and there was a lot to do over there.”

Brennan said leaving campus and enjoying the activities at Soergel’s was a refreshing escape from the demands of school.

“It’s just being at school, everything kind of gets stressful and stuff on campus,” Brennan said. “Sometimes just doing little wholesome things like that is a relaxing way to, in a sense, be a kid again.”

But work at Soergel’s doesn’t stop after the fall season. They continue to bring in customers with different holiday-inspired events.

Soergel said festivals and events happen year-round at the orchard, such as the Bunny Festival in April, Mother’s Day breakfast and brunches in May, the Strawberry Festival and Firefly Festival in June and Peach Festival in August.

Besides the events, products in the bakery also change seasonally. Soergel said as holidays change, the store will swap out many of its desserts, while keeping produce items generally the same.

Pumpkin-flavored muffins, rolls and cookies line the shelves in the fall months, but according to Soergel, these seasonal desserts get swapped for Christmas candies and cookies come November. Store staples such as produce, jellies and Soergel’s personal favorite, apple butter, stay the same year-round.

“I love our apple butter,” Soergel said. “No sugar, no spice additives, it is my favorite. It's sweet and it’s just one of the unsung heroes.”

Kim Gary, the orchard’s produce manager for the past 22 years, said the changes in day-to-day work after the peak season are different for Soergel’s compared to other retail

stores.

“Unlike other retail stores, winter is not our busy season,” Gary said. ”Right now we’re in our busiest season, and then after October we slow way down with the exception of the bakery. The bakery, of course, gets very busy selling pies and different products for Thanksgiving.”

As business begins to slow down, the amount of staff must be cut down as well. Gary said the fluctuating seasonal staff consists mostly of young students.

“There are people that are seasonal. A lot of the young students that do Fall Festival are very seasonal,” Gary said. “I do have some adults in the market that are seasonal too, and once the busy time is over, they take time off or cut back a couple of days.”

October 6, 2021

Soergel said the large number of young employees are generally for the fall, but they continue to recruit for the winter holiday season as well.

“We are able to hire, this year, about 50 some students. The winter gets quiet, but at least through the fall season, considering that we hire for six weeks, it’s a nice holiday gig,” Soergel said. “If you need a little extra cash, or if you want to work weekends, we’re always interested in students.”

For Soergel, this ever-changing dynamic of seasonal work is what makes working at the orchard so enjoyable.

“I think the other part about loving my work is that seasonally, it’s always different,” Soergel said. “Every season has its own fun perks.”

11

aspiring pitt film students seize opportunities to work on local productions

Mera D’Aquila For The Pitt News

Many people tend to conjure up fantastical images of Hollywood Boulevard, or perhaps New York City’s quaint Greenwich Village when thinking of movie productions. But they often neglect to recognize Pittsburgh’s bustling film scene. And Pitt students are an integral part of it.

Pittsburgh has recently become the backdrop for several movie sets, creating many film industry positions in the heart of the City. Several of Pitt’s undergraduates, who are passionately working to advance in the business, have claimed these sought-after opportunities. Students often work behind the scenes as production assistants — helping bring various projects to the big screen.

According to Kevin Smith, director of undergraduate studies in broadcast and an adviser for the film program, there are currently seven different productions currently filming in the City. He said these are great

opportunities for Pitt students who are interested in the film and television industry.

The Netflix biopic “Rustin,” produced by former President Barack Obama’s production company, began shooting in September, and the Amazon Studios series “A League of Their Own” — about a professional women’s baseball league in the 1940s — filmed on East Carson Street in early July, and in Greensburg on Tuesday.

Smith, who made a name for himself in Hollywood’s film industry, said working in Pittsburgh can be the gateway to a career in Los Angeles. He also said the City is filled with opportunities for aspiring film students, especially compared to other locations.

“Here in Pittsburgh, our students can get on a 71 bus, ride for free and get on a set and work in downtown Pittsburgh,” Smith said.

“That’s the difference, is that our setting is not only a campus, it’s the versatility of the City. People in other cities send their resumes to Pittsburgh and try to get jobs here.”

According to Smith, the education that students gain in Pitt’s film and media studies department prepares them for these early experiences working on a set. He mentioned the skilled professors within the program, who ensure students are well-equipped to make a lasting impression at their first positions in film production.

“Our catchphrase is ‘a critical education with a professional outcome,’” Smith said.

“We’re able to show them the techniques and how to do it. The most important thing in our business is if you don’t have a professional reel when you come out, you’re going to have trouble getting a job.”

Sara Sirignano, a film production and public and professional writing major, understood the importance of starting out in the industry in any way possible. A recent hire in the health and safety department on the set of Amazon Studios’ “Sprung,” she said this new opportunity was a valuable first experience in the business.

“We do [COVID-19] testing every single day,” Sirignano said. “That’s super important that we do, just because exposing someone who’s a principal person to the crew or the cast could shut the entire production down for two weeks. Not the most sought-after position, but definitely an important one.

It’s a gateway into the industry.”

While an important stepping stone to a career in the business, the job does not come without its challenges. Sirignano addressed the long hours her position requires.

“The film industry is really demanding,” Sirignano said. “You don’t make plans on a Friday night because you know you’re going to be at the set until 6 a.m.”

Despite the position’s difficult schedule, Sirignano said she is still able to balance her academics and work, thanks to the flexibility of her employers.

“They’ve been really good about working with my school schedule,” Sirignano said.

“When I was building my schedule I built it around the job.”

Smith described the lengthy 14 to 16 hours on a set as a “very normal day” on the job, but said the students’ affinity for their work makes it feel like a passion project rather than an arduous task.

“They are so passionate about what they do, the time is irrelevant,” Smith said.

“They’re all in. It’s not a matter of trying to convince them. I love the fact that they’re all show-offs. That’s part of our business, where

Find the full story online at

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Behind the scenes on the set of “Thanks to Her,” an indie film produced in Pittsburgh. Image courtesy of Aditi Sridhar

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October 6, 2021

12

divvy coffee & buns brings flavors from around the world to oakland

Kaitlyn Nuebel Staff Writer

Joelle Sakr knew it was time to open a coffee shop when a sign came — a big explosion in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.

Weeks before the Aug. 4, 2020, explosion, when 2,750 tons of abandoned ammonium nitrate exploded in the city’s port, Sakr walked down Forbes Avenue with her family and noticed a “for lease” sign in the window of the former Bruegger’s Bagels store. She and her brother, Elie, spent their free time during the COVID-19 pandemic honing their idea to open a coffee shop, so Joelle Sakr decided to call about the vacant storefront.

But then the blast came — killing 200 people, wounding 6,000 and, in the process, destroying her sister’s house. Joelle Sakr packed up her belongings in Cranberry Township, located about 30 minutes north of Oakland, and flew to Lebanon to visit her family. When she returned to Pittsburgh in September, she had a decision to make.

“I saw that everything was shattered in a fraction of a second and how people lost their lives and their houses, their businesses, everything,” Joelle Sakr said. “I'm like, ‘I cannot wait for the right time, there's no right moment. Either you do it or you don't do it.’”

Sitting in a fuchsia chair inside Divvy Coffee & Buns, which she opened with her brother

seven weeks earlier, Joelle Sakr said she wanted to create an alternative to the commercial coffee shops typically found in the City.

“Whatever coffee shop you walk to, especially around Pittsburgh, for me, they all look sorta alike,” Joelle Sakr said. “I was trying to bring something new that people would stop and say, ‘This is a little different.’”

Sakr said she designed Divvy, decorated with a pink flower wall and framed maps, to have a European influence and emphasis on travel.

Having dreamt about opening a coffee shop for the past 10 years, Joelle Sakr put thought into each decision. She sat on the velvet couch — where she’s seen students doze off — to make sure it felt comfortable, and picked black tables and shimmering gold chairs to resemble what she described as “Pittsburgh, but trendier.”

Now Joelle Sakr spends her time at Divvy making coffee, chatting with customers and placing fresh flowers at the coffee station. She said she wants people who enter the shop to feel at home — a desire that comes from moving to Pittsburgh as a teenager and feeling welcomed.

“Even though maybe for a couple of months I had that cultural shock, later on, I found everybody's super supportive and everybody's very welcoming and very nice to you,” Joelle Sakr said.

Raised in a family with a love for coffee and traveling — their first job after arriving in a new city is looking for a coffee shop — Joelle Sakr

noticed Pittsburgh lacked the coffee shops she saw in other cities which give off an international vibe.

“We have the diverse population but we don’t have a place to gather the diverse population,” Joelle Sakr said.

What makes Divvy diverse is less about what’s hanging on the walls and more about what’s on the menu.

In the kitchen, Elie Sakr and his wife Leila bake brioche using a Sakr family recipe that’s been passed down for generations. It serves as the bun for sandwiches on the “Destination Savory Heavens” menu, but when stuffed with butter and topped with a coffee crust, becomes the base for the coffee buns served on the “Destination Sweet Paradise” menu.

Each sandwich and coffee bun — inspired by cities where the Sakrs have traveled, want to visit or know people — combines their Lebanese brioche recipe with ingredients typically found in other cities around the world.

The “Sweet Paris” offers customers a taste of France, with a coffee bun topped with Nutella,

strawberries, bananas, hazelnuts and whipped cream. Go with the “Evening in Roma,” on the other hand, and they’ll get a coffee bun with sweet cream, drizzled with dulce de leche syrup and topped with a biscotti.

Sandwiches, like the “Habibi Beirut,” offer customers something not as sweet but — with mozzarella cheese, fresh mint and tomatoes — something they still can’t find anywhere else in Pittsburgh. Those who don’t like bread can get a salad or acai bowl, and those there for the drinks have choices ranging from lattes and frappuccinos to flavored teas and Turkish coffee.

Coffee buns and sandwiches, which cost $6.99, can be paired with a suggested drink for a total price starting at $7.50.

“It's a tradition in our family just because we love coffee that we always had the coffee bun with everything,” Joelle Sakr said.

This is where the name Divvy — referring to coffee divvied with a bun — comes from. But

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Joelle Sakr and her brother Elie Sakr are the owners of Divvy Coffee and Buns, a new coffee shop on Forbes Avenue. Kaitlyn Nuebel Name staff writer

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October 6, 2021

13

Pitt dance minor faces uncertain future Jessica McKenzie Senior Staff Writer

Kelsey Halloran, a senior rehabilitation sciences and pathokinesiology major, has used dancing as a form of creative expression for most of her life.

She joined the Pitt Dance Ensemble, a student organization open to all interested in practicing dance, during her first year of college. She said she found a close-knit community that shared her passion for dance.

“I feel like I might have transferred my freshman year if it wasn’t for the dance program,” Halloran, PDE’s president, said. “Dancing was the one thing that I could look forward to every week because it was where I found a community before I was able to make friends.”

In an email sent this summer to current dance minors, associate professor Elizabeth Nagle said the Health, Physical Activity and Exercise department may no longer offer dance courses after the 2021-22 academic year. As a result, the dance minor might be terminated, leading to concerns from students who are committed to the program.

The dance minor is an 18-credit program

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that provides classes in dance choreography, history, production, pedagogy and more. Currently, there are more than 100 active members in PDE, many who are also enrolled in these courses.

There are around 30 students with dance minors, and most of them are PDE members.

“Due to budget and administrative issues, it is possible that dance courses will no longer be offered by the HPA department after this school year, and current and future applications for the dance minor have been suspended,” Nagle said in the email. “Therefore, it is important to do your best to enroll in your remaining dance courses for this upcoming 2021/2022 academic year.”

University spokesperson David Seldin said the School of Education has made no official decision on the fate of the dance minor.

“We value the input we have received from students and appreciate the passion they have for the dance minor, and the School of Education is evaluating the best way to move forward,” Seldin said.

Seldin added that current dance minors may still have time to earn the degree by the end of this year.

“There will be 12 courses offered in fall 2021

and 10 more in spring 2022,” Seldin said. “Current students were assigned a new dance minor faculty advisor and were provided a plan of study on what classes they still need to complete the minor.”

Halloran said the program is a creative outlet for many students, and it is crucial to a healthy social life.

“There are people at Pitt who are very passionate about dance — it’s a huge aspect of our lives and we don’t want it to be taken away,” Halloran said. “I know so many people who applied to Pitt just because of the uniqueness of the dance program and if you take that away, you’re losing students.”

The dance program’s founding faculty adviser, Susan Gillis Kruman, built the minor from the ground up. She retired last spring after 43 years at the University. Halloran and other PDE members recently posted a petition and open letter to Pitt asking it to keep the minor despite Kruman’s retirement. As of Monday evening, the petition collected more than 1,460 signatures.

Kruman said department chair Thomas Farmer told her about the minor’s possible removal during her June exit interview and that Pitt was not currently searching for her replace-

October 6, 2021

ment.

Seldin did not directly respond to a question about whether Pitt is looking for additional faculty for the minor.

Kruman wrote a letter over the summer to Kenyon Bonner, vice provost of student affairs, requesting to meet about the fate of the dance minor. She said she either wanted her adjuncts to replace her or the theater program to take over the dance minor, but she received no response from Bonner.

Seldin said the University had no comment regarding Kruman’s letter.

Kruman began her time at Pitt in 1978 as a professional dancer and choreographer teaching introductory classes. Kruman said the large turnout in the classes inspired her to create the dance minor. She said students showed an immense passion for the many aspects of dance.

“When we first started with the dance classes, we had over 100 kids. I couldn't even see the floor in the dance studio,” Kruman said. “I wanted to continue their dance education as an outlet for physical activity, creative expression, art, and so

Find the full story online at

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14

Sports

Pitt alumni impacting NFL football beyond the gridiron

Jermaine Sykes For The Pitt News

Pitt has an extensive list of alumni active in professional sports. As a prominent Division I school, former Panthers often make headlines due to their successful careers on the field, court and pitch. Players such as Steven Adams, Larry Fitzgerald and Dan Marino enjoyed long careers in pro sports.

Pitt is also the alma mater for numerous successful coaches, front office executives and media personalities in the sports industry.

Louis Riddick Louis Riddick had a standout career, not only as a student but also as an athlete at Pitt. As a defensive back on the football team, Riddick was a team captain during his senior campaign and finished his time in Oakland as a two-time academic AllAmerican and a four-year letterman. He graduated in 1991 with a degree in economics.

After San Francisco picked him in the ninth round of the 1991 draft, he had a relatively successful career in the NFL — playing 10 years for various teams. Riddick stuck around football even after his playing career. He began as a scout for Washington’s football team, where he evaluated other professional players and gave intel to the team’s head scout.

After a few years of scouting, Washington promoted him to director of professional personnel. After his tenure with Washington, the Philadelphia Eagles offered him a position in the same role. In the four seasons Riddick was on the staff, the Eagles made playoff runs twice.

Riddick has since switched career paths again and is currently a TV analyst.

Working with ESPN, he was a recurring guest on NFL pregame shows such as Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. Because of his knowledge and analysis, teams interviewed him for vacant general manager positions in the

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NFL. Riddick is currently a full-time color commentator on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

Art Rooney II As the owners and founders of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Rooney family are almost synonymous with western Pennsylvania’s NFL team. Under the guidance of the Rooneys, the Steelers have been one

president. Their first championship during his reign came in 2006, and it was their first since Rooney II’s grandfather Art had sole control of the franchise.

During Rooney II’s reign, the Steelers drafted some of the NFL’s greatest players, such as Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu and Antonio Brown. Rooney II is also responsible for hiring current head coach

Mike Ditka played as tight end for the Pitt Panthers from 1958 to 1960.

Chuck Kennedy mct, tns

of the most successful teams in the NFL — winning six Super Bowl championships, tied for the most of any NFL franchise.

After graduating from Pitt in 1978 with a degree in political science, future Steelers president and owner Art Rooney II continued his education at Duquesne University’s law school — graduating in 1982.

Rooney II became Steelers team president in 2003 and made an immediate impact. The Steelers won two of their six Super Bowls in his first seven years as

Mike Tomlin, a pioneer in the NFL for his success as a Black head coach. Tomlin is one of just two Black head coaches to ever win a Super Bowl, and he has the eighth most wins among NFL coaches who have won at least 100 games.

Rooney II is also a member of the NFL’s workplace diversity committee, a program created in part by his father Dan Rooney. Dan Rooney is the creator of the “Rooney Rule,” which requires every NFL franchise with front office and coach openings to interview at least one

October 6, 2021

minority candidate for each open position. The “Rooney Rule” has increased opportunities for minorities in the NFL, and Rooney II helped expand the range of the policy.

Rooney II also chairs the NFL’s stadium committee and often announces plans for teams to renovate or rebuild their stadiums.

Mike Ditka Former Panthers tight end Mike Ditka is a man of many talents. Ditka was a three sport athlete during his time at Pitt — playing on the football, baseball and basketball teams. On the football field, Ditka was a unanimous All-American during his senior season — part of a career that led to him becoming a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

After graduating from Pitt, Ditka went on to the NFL and joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame — where he could have been enshrined as both a player and coach. His coaching career is arguably one of the best in football history. He began coaching under legendary coach Tom Landry in 1973 for the Dallas Cowboys. Ditka was an assistant with Dallas for eight years, helping the team capture its second Super Bowl championship in 1978.

The Chicago Bears — the team that drafted him during his playing career — then hired Ditka in 1981. Ditka saw instant success during his stint with the Bears, leading them to the NFC Championship in 1984. During his next season, he was at the helm of one of the best teams in NFL history. The 1985 Bears went 15-1 and defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 in the Super Bowl.

Ditka won that season’s Coach of the Year award. During his time in Chicago, Ditka won two Coach of the Year awards, one Super Bowl championship and the NFC Central Division title for five consecutive years. You can see Ditka today analyzing NFL games on various ESPN programs.

15

Agencies aim to help athletes capitalize on NIL laws

Dalton Coppola and Kyle Saxon The Pitt News Staff

When Jeff Ermann founded his company, Campus Mogul, his vision was simple –– help college athletes capitalize on their name, image and likeness. Ermann said the idea to launch the company came soon after the NCAA put new rules in place allowing athletes to benefit from their NIL passed in early July.

“We wanted a brand that would resonate with ambitious college athletes,” Ermann said. “The idea came after the legislation that allowed athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness.”

The NCAA’s new policy allowing college athletes to profit off of their NIL has already dramatically altered the landscape of collegiate athletics. For Pitt athletes and college athletes in general, the rules opened a vast window of opportunity.

Ermann set out to find athletes who had

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a proactive mindset similar to his own. Campus Mogul’s mission is clear from the definition of what a “Campus Mogul” really is, according to the company.

“A Campus Mogul is an athlete who knows his or her worth, who wants to take control of and begin to monetize his or her personal brand,” the company’s website reads.

Campus Mogul provides athletes with a platform to build their personal brands and profit financially. Ermann explained that the primary role of the athletes themselves is to simply promote the products his company produces for the players on their personal social media pages.

“The athletes receive exactly 50% of their net profits, which is a great offer for them when you consider that we design, print, market and handle billing and fulfillment for every product,” Ermann said. “All they have to do is promote them on social media and they can make significant income.”

Campus Mogul has attracted dozens of NCAA athletes as partners, including five

players from Pitt football. Redshirt junior defensive end John Morgan III was the first Panther to become a Campus Mogul on Sept.

6, with four of his teammates following shortly after.

“We have great partners at Pitt,” Ermann said. “Jordan Addison, John Morgan, Johnny Petrishen, Judson Tallandier and A.J. Woods are all Campus Moguls.”

Ermann wasn’t the only one with hopes to help college athletes navigate the uncharted NIL waters. Rakeem Vick, the vice president of R3V Sports and Entertainment, said his company aims to help college athletes profit off of NIL. “Once we got wind that NIL was real and it was happening, it made us shift gears in our business plan,” Vick said. “[Our business plan went] to make sure student-athletes benefit.”

Even though the company has partnered with several athletes, Morgan III signed the company’s first “representative marketing agreement.” Vick said this means R3V will represent and advise Morgan III in marketing deals and other endeavors going forward.

“We have other guys in our NIL shop, but they have all signed licensing agreements,” Vick said. “He is our first [to sign a representation marketing agreement]. We’re super excited to have John Morgan III as the face of R3V.” R3V plans to expand into other sports as well, including both men’s and women’s sports, according to Vick.

Some in college sports expressed concern when the new NIL rules took effect, including Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi.

“What’s going to happen of college football?” Narduzzi said in an interview on 93.7 The Fan in early August. “There’s pretty much legalized cheating out there now going on with this name, image and likeness. I think it’s great for our kids, but I wonder where it takes college football.”

R3V and Vick look to dispel potential worries regarding NIL deals. While profitability remains a goal for R3V, he and his partners want to make sure athletes are making the best choices. Vick said the company emphasizes the importance of educating not just the athletes but also their families.

“For a lot of parents, this is their first time being involved,” Vick said. “We’re in the posi-

October 6, 2021

tion to have these kids set up Zoom calls — invite your mom, invite your dad, invite the decision maker in your life to this call so we can educate and you can make the best decision.”

Companies such as Campus Mogul and R3V are helping fans along with players. For decades, the only way to wear an active Pitt player’s jersey was to hope the team store offered a generic jersey with a specific number on it. R3V and Campus Mogul set out to change this.

“Our staple product is the jersey-shirt, which is a standard design for every athlete but with the color scheme and font of his or her school,” Ermann said.

Fans now have the opportunity to sport the merchandise of specific players at their favorite school. But the Campus Moguls themselves also have the ability to express their creativity in some cases. Several athletes have custom products available for purchase.

“We do create custom designs for a lot of them, and we value their feedback in the creative process on those,” Ermann said. “Addison and Petrishen each have custom designs, for example.”

These designs often feature nicknames and elements of the athlete’s home, providing another opportunity for Campus Moguls to build their personal brand.

R3V runs a similar operation through their “NIL Shop,” which sells licensed T-shirt jerseys and player-specific merchandise. The company also helps athletes make logos for themselves.

“We understand the importance of athletes having a brand and having a platform to sell our merchandise,” Vick said. “That’s why we created the official NIL shop.”

For the athletes that desire to profit from their dedication to their respective schools and sports, Campus Mogul and R3V presents an accessible avenue for them to do so. And it doesn’t seem these companies are done growing just yet.

“We're expanding rapidly every day,” Ermann said. “There is what seems like a limitless supply of college athletes, and very few of them have quality opportunities to monetize their NIL and build their brands … But we do have a lot of plans to offer other products and new lines of merchandise.”

16

pitt Women’s soccer dips into WPIAL to find homegrown talent

Griffin Floyd Staff Writer

First year Ellie Coffield threaded a pass through a crowd of three Towson defenders, finding the foot of junior Anna Bout against all odds. Bout lofted the ball toward the goal and first year Sarah Schupansky found the back of the net, heading Bout’s pass past the goalkeeper.

With the goal, the pair of first years gave Panther fans a glimpse of what could be a staple in the starting lineup for years to come. With 12 of the 34 players on the 2021 roster hailing from western Pennsylvania, including Coffield and Schupansky, the Pitt women’s soccer team has deep ties to the area.

Coffield went to Mars Area High School, located about 35 minutes north of Oakland. In each of her last two years at Mars, she was named the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year — an award that recognizes the nation’s most outstanding high school athletes.

Coffield’s parents both played for the Panthers — volleyball for her mother, football for her father. But she said her staying in Pittsburgh was never a priority for them.

“It was certainly always in the back of their minds for sure, but they were never really pushing me to go here,” Coffield said. “They wanted me to go wherever I wanted to go. Pitt checked off all the boxes for me, and it’s really cool to keep the family tradition going.”

Schupansky attended and played for North Allegheny High School — located just outside the Pittsburgh city limits — along with another first year, goalkeeper Madison Vukas. The pair also won a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League title in 2019.

They also represented Pittsburgh as members of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy, a training program for young players that partners with the professional team. Now playing for one of Pitt’s sports programs, Vukas said that she’s always rooted for the City’s athletic success.

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“I definitely bleed black and gold,” Vukas said. “I wore that for the Riverhounds, at North Allegheny, to just being in Pittsburgh, those are my colors. Every single team in Pittsburgh, I’ve always watched and still root for.”

Although their Pittsburgh connection brings players from the area together, they haven’t always been friendly. Schupansky said she’s faced off against many

feeder into a future powerhouse. Coffield said despite the program’s tenuous past, the current coaching staff helped to sell her on a bright future.

“The coaches, Randy Waldrum along with Ben [Waldrum] and Dustin [Stein], they’re really who won me over,” Coffield said. “As soon as they came in they wanted to turn the program around, and everything they’ve said and promised is

Ellie Coffield is a first-year midfielder on the Pitt women’s soccer team.

Image courtesy of Matt Hawley, Pitt Athletics

of her current teammates at some point in her high school career — sometimes in high-stakes games.

“When we were [first years] we played against Emily Harrigan in the state playoffs,” Schupansky said. “We played against Eva Frankovic, Katelyn Kauffman and Lacey Bernick in the WPIAL final. We were all pretty much committed, playing against each other, and being on the same field with them was a really cool feeling because I knew I’d be with them in a few short years.”

Growing up near Pittsburgh meant that Coffield, Vukas and Schupansky had a front-row seat to see the Panthers’ progression — evolving from a bottom

true.”

Waldrum led the Notre Dame women’s soccer team to two national championships, and also currently coaches the Nigerian national women’s team. Coffield emphasized the impact that playing for Waldrum has had on her as a player.

“I feel like a sponge trying to soak every ounce of what Randy says in, because it’s pure gold,” Coffield said. “He’s one of the most well-respected coaches in the game, and I’m just blessed to get the chance to train with and play for such a legendary person.”

Despite Waldrum’s lengthy resumé, Vukas said that she was unsure about committing to a program with an inaus-

October 6, 2021

picious history. After seeing Waldrum’s early success, though, she was sold.

“When I was committing, I was talking to Randy like, ‘What’s the plan on changing the program?’ because I’ve seen how things were before,” Vukas said.

“Now being here for nine months and being a part of it, everything is taking a step up, we just keep taking steps forward from where I saw it years ago.”

Playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, one of the most competitive conferences in collegiate women’s soccer, is another opportunity for the trio to grow as players. Vukas said she watched film on many of her new teammates and opponents from afar as a younger player.

“Growing up, I used to look up to some of the girls I’m now playing against, which is mind-blowing,” Vukas said.

“Now we’re on the same field, at the same level. I got to watch my team play against Clemson’s goalkeeper Hensley Hancuff, who I have watched for a very long time.

Her demeanor, her presence, her confidence has grown throughout the years and she’s someone I look up to.”

Schupansky said playing in the ACC gives her a chance to improve her game, no matter what happens on the field.

“It’s an incredible feeling to be able to play against some of the best players in the country,” Schupansky said. “Even though we’re not going to walk away from every game with a win, we’re still becoming better going against these incredible players and teams.”

Schupansky said she is just thankful for the opportunity to represent the City she grew up in.

“It’s great to be able to represent my hometown and step on the field everyday knowing that I’m representing Pittsburgh and playing for everyone here,” Schupansky said. “I have absolutely no regrets staying close to home, it’s great to be able to play in front of friends and family. It’s an awesome environment. I love Pittsburgh and am proud to represent.”

17

column

PITT’S OFFENSIVE LINE IS UNSUNG HERO IN 52-21 WIN Frankie Richetti Staff Writer

The Panthers opened their ACC schedule on the road in what many expected to be a tough matchup against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Jackets entered the game on the heels of a 23-point victory over North Carolina — shutting down Tar Heel quarterback Sam Howell, one of the premier quarterbacks in the conference.

But the Panthers were clearly the better team Saturday, routing the Jackets 52-21. Pitt went up early and led for the entirety of the statement win.

That victory put the Panthers out in front in the race for the wide open ACC Coastal Division.

Pass protection was excellent Pitt’s super senior quarterback Kenny Pickett has dominated headlines in recent weeks — throwing for 1,731 yards and 19 touchdowns through five games, but he hasn’t done it by himself.

Pickett threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns Saturday, continuing his dominant season. Protection from his offensive line led to much of Pickett’s success. Pickett sat back, pro-

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gressed through his reads and picked apart a stout Georgia Tech defense thanks to the play of his line.

The Panthers’ experience at the position has paid dividends, and it was on full display during Saturday’s game. Every starter at the position is an upperclassmen, including the four seniors that headline the group — Owen Drexel, Marcus Minor, Gabe Houy and Carter Warren.

The Panthers already have arguably the best quarterback in the conference, surrounded by a plethora of weapons. If the offensive line continues to protect Pickett in similar fashion, it will be very hard to slow down their offense — which leads the nation in scoring at 52.4 points per game.

The majority of the discourse surrounding this game will likely be about Pickett, his receivers and even the running game breaking out — rightfully so. Pitt’s duo of wide receivers — senior Taysir Mack and sophomore Jordan Addison — both went over 100 yards Saturday and sophomore running back Israel Abanikanda rushed for two scores.

But that does not happen without the protection the unit provided Pickett, and for that, they

deserve a lot of praise.

Splash plays on defense The rollercoaster ride that is watching Pitt’s defense threw fans for a loop against Georgia Tech. Despite giving up 432 yards of offense to the Yellow Jackets, and allowing quarterback Jeff Sims to have the Jackets’ first 300-yard passing game since Oct, 16, 2007 — the Panthers’ defense left their mark on the game.

The Yellow Jackets first two possessions of the game ended in interceptions, and super senior linebacker John Petrishen returned the second for a touchdown. The defensive line helped force both turnovers by hurrying the quarterback. Senior defensive lineman Deslin Alexandre deflected Sims’ first interception, and senior linebacker Cam Bright finished off the play by hauling in the tipped pass.

These turnovers set the tone for the game and gave Pitt an early two-possession lead. Plays such as these were a direct result of what Narduzzi’s scheme is intended to do. Cornerbacks are left in single coverage while the Panthers send more pressure at the quarterback, which forces the opposing passers to make deep, low-percentage throws down the sideline.

In these instances, the pressure got to Sims and created turnovers. There are pros and cons to every scheme, as there are certain calls to combat different defenses — such as Western Michigan’s run-pass option oriented offense which gave Pitt fits in week 3 — but football is all about adjusting.

Georgia Tech didn’t run much RPO, which was a shock considering how successful WMU was with it against the Panthers. But deeper into ACC play it will be pivotal to see how Pitt adjusts, because they’ll surely see it again.

Some of the issues that plagued the Panther defense in recent weeks were still there. They gave up more chunk plays than they’d like and missed tackles in space, but they registered 10 tackles for a loss and two sacks on top of the two turnovers. Pitt also held Georgia Tech to two for 11 on third down and one for four on fourth down, in what should be a major confidence booster moving forward.

Efficiency in the run game The Panthers rushed the ball 41 times for 181 yards and two scores in their win over Georgia Tech. Most notably, Israel Abanikanda received the most carries among any Pitt running back and did not disappoint.

On the Panthers’ first scoring drive, Abanikanda picked up a third down and followed it up three plays later with a nine-yard touchdown. This was the first score of the game for the Brooklyn native, who scored again in the second quarter. He finished the day with 60 yards on 15 carries, totaling a respectable four yards per carry.

Junior running back Vincent Davis proved a nice change of pace, rushing 13 times for 50

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Pitt linebackers Chase Pine and P.J. O’Brien walked into the game against New Hampshire on Sept. 25 at Heinz Field.

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All of Thiel College’s graduate programs have pathways for students who did not get their Bachelor’s degree at the College. The Management M.B.A. and Communication and Leadership programs have been designed to continue the momentum of recently graduated Bachelor’s degree students. The year-long programs Greenville, Pennsylvania have an accelerated, cohort-based, experiential and residential learning environ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ment. Specific experiential learning experiences will be required of all students in settings that extend the learning environment beyond the classroom.

Now is an Exciting Time at THIEL “The thing that really appealed to me was the community feel of the campus. It’s a COLLEGE in Greenville, Pa. productive program, and it’s everything I thought it would be and more. When I saw how it was going to be a dynamic work environment, and the wide range of

The College has five new and innovative graduate degree programs. Class- students they were pulling in, it interested me,” said Alex Hudson G’21, an M.B.A. es in the new physician assistant studies program and communication and leadergraduate from Hermitage, Pa. “We have students from completely different indusship began this summer, while the M.B.A. and speech-language pathology programs tries and markets, and we all have different experiences. We have students who’ve celebrated their inaugural classes in 2021. The College is enrolling students in its come straight out of undergrad into the graduate program. So it’s a nice mix of new Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program which will begin knowledge which leads to good discussions. There’s a lot of real experiences we talk this summer. about. It’s a great program.”

“In the last five years, we’ve moved into graduate education. We offer graduate degrees that are in high demand,” President Susan Traverso, Ph.D. said.

New Facilities Support New Programs “We were very intentional in developing our graduate programs in partnership with future employers so that we are fostering relationships and nurturing the workforce A recently completed $3.5 million project on campus created a floor of that is needed in all of western Pennsylvania.” dedicated lab, office and classroom space for the College’s physician assistant and

Thiel College

Thiel College graduate programs: • Business Administration • Clinical Mental Health Counseling • Communication and Leadership • Physician Assistant Studies • Speech-Language Pathology Personalized Attention

If you are looking for personalized attention, flexibility and a head start in your field or professional career, then you should consider a Thiel College graduate degree. Accelerated degree programs in business and speech-language pathology make it possible to earn a degree in about a year. The Thiel College community provides the support of academic, career and financial aid counseling to help you reach your goal.

“Coming from a big university, I did not experience the closeness with my teachers and was overwhelmed with the size. As such, I believe attending a smaller college like Thiel College would allow me to integrate with the program and build relationships with my peers and staff,” said Gemima Muteba G’22, a University of Maryland graduate and physician assistant studies student. “That’s why I chose Thiel.

I’m thrilled by the staff who are passionate about their students and the amount of professional support we’re able to get here at Thiel. I feel like I can reach out for help whenever I need something and know that someone will be there to lend their support.” pittnews.com

speech-language pathology students. It was the first phase of a $16 million project that is going to include more class and lab space as well as major improvements to the College’s Academic Center and athletic and health and wellness facilities.

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program students work and study in state-of-the-art facilities.

Speech language students gain clinical hours in the Thiel College Center for SpeechLanguage Services and while physician assistant students are working in the brand new Human Anatomy (cadaver) lab. The students will study in a patient-centered environment that promotes critical thinking and medical problem-solving skills.

Founded in 1866 as a coeducational institution in western Pennsylvania, Thiel College is home to a diverse student population, small class sizes and committed faculty. The campus is near bike and hiking trails, state and local parks, and outdoor amenities.

Contact an admissions counselor today at admissions@thiel.edu.

Thiel College, Office of Admissions, 75 College Avenue, Greenville, Pa., 16125; www.thiel.edu; 800-248-4435.

October 6, 2021

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Sponsored Content Student Research Opportunities

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Nearly every graduate student at Duquesne becomes engaged in research and academic discovery, with important research and scholarship taking place in all of our schools. All students are invited to participate in the annual Graduate Research Symposium. Nationwide, Duquesne is one of the 35 universities classified as a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania doctoral university/higher research activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Duquesne is #16 among the nation’s top small ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// doctoral universities and one of only seven private Pennsylvania universities in the “higher” or “highest” research category. And because Duquesne is among the top research institutions in Pittsburgh, our graduate students contribute to and benefit It’s Time for Bigger Goals. from a critical mass of knowledge, discoveries that are being actively shared among public and private universities as well as corporate and community partners, from

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Day, evening, and online courses are available, depending on the program.

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At Duquesne, you will obtain a first-rate education, an experience that ployment, outside scholarships and payment plans. For additional information on cultivates close relationships with professors and allows you to participate in vital the financial aid programs and services offered, visit duq.edu/graduate-financing research projects and career-enhancing internships. You’ll learn from – and network or the department of intended study. with – a group of highly motivated peers, approximately 3,300 graduate students from around the world. When you graduate, you will become one of our more than Contact Info: Duquesne University Office of Graduate Enrollment Services: 100,000 alumni who are making their mark in every field across the country and gradadmissions@duq.edu around the world.

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U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review have consistently ranked Duquesne among the top national universities. In addition, U.S. News, Washington Monthly and others include us on their lists of the top schools in the Application Deadline: Varies by program of study. country for providing value and return on investment in higher education. IndiStudent to Faculty Ratio: Varies by program of study. vidual graduate programs have also earned top national rankings in the latest U.S. Tuition: Varies by program of study; special tuition for select program News surveys, including programs in the schools of Law, Nursing, Education and Business. Visit duq.edu/rankings for more information.

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