Katie Cassidy Senior Staff Writer
Students like Kaed Rende, a member of Pitt Votes, use both in-person meth ods and social media to connect with students and get them to register to vote in time for the upcoming midterm elec tions.
“We are doing tabling as often as we can,” Rende, an education graduate stu dent, said. “We also had an event for na tional voter registration day and we use our social media a lot, with resources pointing directly to specific bills that will be relevant to the election.”
As the voter registration deadline for Pennsylvania approaches on Oct. 24, many Pennsylvania organizations are working to get as many young voters reg istered as possible. At Pitt, many student organizations are also working to in crease civic engagement among students, including Pitt Votes, the American Civil Liberties Union club and RISE at Pitt.
Rende works as the graduate student assistant for Pitt Votes and said they wanted to become involved with the or ganization because they have always val ued the democratic process.
“There are obviously a lot of issues with access to the democratic process, especially with young people,” Rende said. “I think it is a great initiative to get as many students to register as possible, and we want to provide as much infor mation as possible so that all students know what their rights are.”
Ben Wainwright, a sophomore po litical science major, said voting is one of the most important aspects of civil engagement, which is why he became involved with both the ACLU club and RISE at Pitt. He said he wants to take part in nonpartisan efforts that educates people about their voter rights
“Voting is a right, and that should be ensured to our peers,” Wainwright, a fellow at RISE and vice president of the ACLU club, said. “I want to make sure people have access to the information they need in order to go out and vote, essentially just making sure they are as educated as they can be going into it.”
According to Wainwright, RISE at Pitt focuses on voter planning, which specifi cally involves election day, making sure individuals know where their polling places are and understand all of their rights.
“If people don’t know the location of their polling place, when it is open or who and what is on the ballot, they don’t have the information they need to feel empowered on election day and that
an intern. Kang said the center works to engage Korean and Asian Americans and get them more involved in the political atmosphere.
“When I worked with them in high school, we would go to different places and engage with mainly immigrants, try ing to get them civically engaged,” Kang said. “And while talking to them and telling them about their rights, it made me realize how important this process of
graphic because it is a minority, which means our voices are not heard as often and we do not have as many people rep resenting us,” Kang said. “We are citizens of America, but still so many of us do not know about politics or become involved in it.”
According to Rende, the nature of current events in the United States and globally, especially regarding reproduc tive rights and climate change, have incited more student interest in the up coming elections. They said students see these issues impacting them in their lives, and want to have a say in how these issues impact their future.
“A lot of people want to vote, espe cially with Pennsylvania being a swing state, because they see their vote as hav ing more power and they want to have a say,” Rende said. “Some people are just really excited and see voting as really im portant.”
When it comes to getting students in terested in registering, Wainwright said he tries to find an issue they are passion ate about and use that as a way to pivot the conversation to certain candidates and the election. He said, in his experi ence, most students do care and are pas sionate about social and political issues, they are just unsure about how to get more involved or do not think their vote really matters.
“It’s not always that people just don’t care about politics, because they do,” Wainwright said. “They just don’t always think that they can be involved in poli tics because it’s far off, a source of par tisanship or polarizing, when in reality they are involved in it every single day.”
registration may be superfluous,” Wain wright said.
Hannah Kang, a first-year molecular biology major, said she became involved with voter registration and civic engage ment prior to coming to Pitt when she joined the Woori Center — a Philadel phia-based grassroots organization — as
Kang said she sees a need for all col lege students to become engaged in poli tics and knowledgeable about elections, but is specifically interested in helping the demographic her organization focus es on — Korean and Asian Americans.
“My organization targets that demo
According to Rende, young people have an important place in the political scene because they shape the future, but they still remain the group with the low est engagement in elections.
“Young people are always going to have new information to offer and they absolutely deserve to have a say in what is going on in their future,” Rende said. “This is real life, engaging with voting and any other forms of democracy.”
From Spongebob’s Dirty Bubble to “the girl reading this ,” the selections for the viral ‘he/they of the day’ Twitter meme are often met with re plies that say “so true.”
Norman, a senior English major, is the cre ator of the on-going meme. What started off as a few ironic tweets about “he/theys in general” ended up receiving so much attention that it now takes form as the famous ‘he/they of the day’ for mat. Norman asked that their real first and last name not be used in The Pitt News for privacy concerns. He is referred to as Norman, his social media alias.
“I figured I’d get a good week of laughs with it — truly I never imagined my dumb joke would take off like it has,” they said.
That is the whole point of assigning a car toon character as “he/ they of the day” — accord ing to Norman, the posts intentionally go against the grain of gender binary and how society holds nonbinary people to a standard of expression. They said it’s to chal lenge the notions of being cis and that gender is more than outward appearance.
Norman’s approach to the process of gender identification is more laid-back — have fun and embrace the fact that this process should be in tentionally “silly, weird and uncouth.”
“Maybe [my gender]’s the Epcot ball,” Nor man said. “Maybe I do feel gender envy from like every ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ character. That’s the opposite of a problem in my opinion!”
Norman’s friend and twitter mutual, Eric Oli ver, discussed how these characters and objects have always promoted gender flexibility and they feel people are just not used to understanding them in this way. The people who made these fictional characters intended to defy the bound aries society has placed on individuals in order to achieve pure creative expression. According to the World Health Organization, gender refers to the human characteristics that are socially con structed. Fictional characters and objects exist
outside of this construct, and Oliver said it makes them the perfect role models for free gender ex pression.
“I think it brings attention to the fact that a lot of culturally familiar characters and objects already exhibit flexibility in gender,” Oliver said. “We are just not used to associating them with gender. I also think it’s very yass and slay.”
Ezra Blank, another friend and twitter mutual of Norman’s, said these memes are a fun way to get people to think about what they perceive as gender non-conforming behavior, style and vi sual language. They said they’re not afraid to be a “rotten little freak.” Norman promotes this be havior because it's what makes people different.
“A point of the ‘he/they of the day’ format was to chal lenge the idea that there’s only one way of ‘appear ing’ he/they or ‘appearing’ cis for that matter.” Nor man said.
Norman said one day they may shave their whole body and wear a skirt to a queer event, the next day they may dress like a frat boy, and that both make them feel “hot!” They said doing things out of one’s comfort zone that “make you feel like a baddie” is the most powerful way to play with gender.
Aside from embracing gender identity and expression, Norman said their tweets also aim to push back against societal opinions on queerness and gender.
“The whole thing is kind of a fuck you to transphobes who try to paint non-cis people as delusional or unrealistic for essentially not being cis,” Norman said. “This is a response to that, in a way. Like, hell yeah I’m delusional. Maybe my gender is a helicopter!”
Norman said gender and the way it materially affects people is not a “joke,” but using the terms “delusional” and “unrealistic” to instead further fuel creative identity expression is a great example of returning the power back to oneself.
senior English major,
of the Cathedral of Learning.
Movies
FRI, oct. 14-THURS, oct. 20
Black Adam (PG-13)
No passes through 11/6/22
Thu: 4:35, 7:05, 9:35
Halloween Ends (R)
Fri: 2:55, 5:15, 7:30, 9:50
Sat & Sun: 12:35, 2:55, 5:15, 7:30, 9:50
Mon & Tue: 2:55, 5:15, 7:30, 9:50
Wed: 2:55, 5:15, 7:30, 9:50
Thu: 2:55, 5:15, 7:30, 9:50
Amsterdam (R)
No passes through 10/23/22
Fri: 4:20, 7:00, 9:40
Sat & Sun: 1:40, 4:20, 7:00, 9:40
Mon & Tue: 4:20, 7:00, 9:40
Wed: 4:20, 7:00, 9:40
Thu: 4:20, 7:00, 9:40
Bros (R)
Fri: 2:20 PM
Sat - Tue: 2:20, 7:10
Wed: 2:20, 7:10
InHospitable
Fri: 5:10 PM
*Sat: 6:30 PM
Sun - Thu: 5:10 PM
*30 minute Q & A after the show!
Don't Worry Darling (R)
- Wed: 4:40,
See How They Run (PG-13)
Sun: 12:20
Clerks III (R)
Fri: 3:00, 7:20, 9:25
Sat: 12:15, 2:20, 4:25, 9:15
Sun: 12:55, 3:00, 7:20, 9:25
Mon & Tue: 3:00, 7:20, 9:25
Wed: 3:00, 7:20, 9:25
3:00, 7:20,
manorpgh.com
The lavishly adorned Regent Theater charmed Pittsburghers strolling along a prosperous stretch of Penn Avenue in East Liberty a century ago. For a few pennies, cus tomers could enjoy a motion pic ture, a novel art form at the time. Art has progressed since then, and East Liberty has changed with it — the building is now the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, and the community around it looks nearly unrecognizable.
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The theater, named after Pitt alumnus Gene Kelly and Pittsburgh jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, serves as a perform ing space to celebrate creativity and diversity. The season premiere in September featured an immersive performance from composer Ev erett Saunders and choreographer Marjani Forté-Saunders exploring the role of the emcee within the ethos of hip-hop culture. Throughout the season, audiences will witness stories told through dance, music and other mediums.
Details on the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty. Image via Cbaile19, Wikimedia Commons
The neighborhood of East Liberty, north of Oakland, has undergone drastic change in re cent decades. Once a predominantly Black com munity and a center of Pittsburgh’s commerce and culture, East Liberty experienced redlin ing and urban renewal throughout the past century. In recent years, new development has forced residents to confront the threat of gentri fication.
Performances at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater often push artistic boundaries. An experimental play by Alyssa Velasquez debuted last Friday, juxtaposing mangos and the Latinx experience and featuring a cast composed of people drawn from the audience. Velasquez said performing brings her closer to her cultural identity.
“Performance for me is a repatriation of rep resentation,” Velasquez said.
Joseph Hall, executive director of the KellyStrayhorn Theater, said the theater aims to create an inclusive forum centered on social justice and artistic innovation in East Liberty.
“The Kelly-Strayhorn Theater is a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people,” Hall said. “It extends well beyond people who identify as that. Our freedoms are entwined, are entangled together. I am not free unless you are free… that’s how I see Kelly-Strayhorn’s mission living — we welcome everyone to the theater who believes in that mis sion, who will uphold that inside of our doors.”
Hall said many low-income people face the prospect of displacement, and the Kelly-Stray horn Theater acts as an ambassador for a con cerned community.
“We welcome development that centers the people … where there are people, there is value, no matter what,” Hall said. “What folks should critique is the depletion of resources through government programs, through development, through gentrification — that is where value has been lost, because the culture was extracted… As a microcosm, we are a reflection of the larger systemic displacement and disinvestment that has happened.”
To fight back against gentrification, Hall said, the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater harnesses cre ativity as a form of resistance.
“Culture is the soul of a community and art is the expression of that soul,” Hall said. “Art gives us a pause, in a way, when we are sitting in a theater with each other, or experiencing an immersive project, or in a museum staring at a painting, we get to jump out of ourselves …
that’s what art can do for communi ties, and when we think about social justice, so much of that is actually imagining a new world for ourselves.”
Simon Phillips, education co ordinator for the theater, said the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater’s mission lives within the intersection of art and inclusivity.
“Performance is the expression of an idea within a moment. Theater of fers an exploration of ideas while cre ating the atmosphere to experience sensations collectively,” Phillips said.
“As East Liberty changes, [the theater] continues to be a home for marginalized folks seeking a taste of such liberation through radical authentic expression.”
However, like many East Liberty institutions over the years, the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater is facing displacement. The building’s lease will expire in 2029, and without concrete assurances that the theater will survive, Hall said the future is rife with uncertainty.
“We are working hard to secure our space, secure our future – our vision and our strate gic plan is owning our future, thriving where we live, and we see that through the lens of our building, our home,” Hall said. “Kelly-Strayhorn is a direct reflection of the residents’ battle to own their future … I can talk about brick and mortar, but for me it goes well beyond that. It’s about owning our existence while we’re here.”
Many Pitt students’ sole impressions of East Liberty come from bus trips to Target and Whole Foods. Hall said that needs to change, and the theater is a megaphone for East Liberty to tell Pittsburgh its story.
“There were homes in the spots that we frequent… there was a whole existence before we were here,” Hall said. “I would want [Pitt students] to know about Kelly-Strayhorn’s role as a cultural center, as a community hub, as a place that helps bring an identity to a neigh borhood, as a place that values folks of various backgrounds and identities, of a place that values all of our liberation — and that gets sticky, and challenging, and twisted, but we’ll figure it out together.”
Friday, Oct. 7th @ 9pm on Bigelow Blvd.
Tuesday, Oct. 11th @ 8pm in the WPU Lower Lounge
Friday, Oct. 21st @ 6pm in the WPU Ballroom
Sign-ups start on Monday, Oct. 3rd in M-30 in the WPU
A Trip to Hundred Acres Haunted Manor
Saturday, Oct. 22nd @ 7:15pm at Hundred Acres Haunted Manor
Sign-ups start on Thursday, Oct. 6th in M-30 in the WPU
Sunday, Oct. 23rd @ 9:30, 10:30am at Rolling Hills Ranch
Sign-ups start on Wednesday, Oct. 5th in M-30 in the WPU
Exploring Mental Health with Victoria Garrick Browne
Monday, Oct. 24th @ 8:30pm in the WPU Ballroom
Ticket sales start on Wednesday, Oct. 5th in M-30 in the WPU
Don’t Break It! Glass Sculpting
Sunday, Nov. 6th @ 3:45pm at Pittsburgh Glass Center
Sign-ups start on Tuesday, Oct. 4th in M-30 in the WPU
Terrarium Plant Potting!
Monday, Nov. 14th @ 7:30pm in the WPU Ballroom
Sign-ups start on Monday, Oct. 31st in M-30 in the WPU
A Trip to New York City!
Saturday, Jan. 14th-Monday, Jan. 16th 2023
Sign-ups start on Monday, Oct. 3rd in M-30 in WPU
Pitt junior running back Israel Abanikan da commanded the attention of Pittsburgh, the ACC and national media after a domi nant performance against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday. After gashing the Hok ies’ top 25 rushing defense for 320 yards and six touchdowns, Abanikanda won the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week Award. The foundation gives out the award weekly to the top-performing offensive play er in the nation.
His performance against the Hokies was a record-breaking one. Abanikanda shattered Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett’s Pitt single-game rushing record of 304 yards. He also tied Norman Budd’s record of six rush ing touchdowns in a single game — a mark set in 1910 against Ohio.
Not only did the junior break Pitt records, he became just the third Power Five run ning back in the last 25 years to run for 300
yards and six touchdowns in a single game. He joins the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher and NFL Hall of Famer Ricky Williams and
NFL Hall of Famer Ladanian Tomlinson as the only running backs to achieve the feat. After the game, Abanikanda said the record-
breaking performance was a team effort and thanked his teammates for giving him the opportunity.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God and my family,” Abanikanda said. “My OLine, my whole team, running backs, quar terbacks, defense… thank everybody. I’m just thankful.”
On top of the national recognition, Aban ikanda won the ACC Running Back of the Week award for the third time this season. The second-year starter comfortably leads the conference in rushing yards and touch downs this year, with 830 and 12, respec tively. Senior guard Marcus Minor garnered ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors for blocking for Abanikanda as well.
After serving as the workhorse for the Panthers’ offense, Abanikanda will get a much-needed break this week. Pitt has its bye week this weekend, giving the Panthers time to get healthy before taking on Louis ville on Oct. 22.
I am so sick and tired of people debating about the body positivity movement. I am tired of discussing whether or not plus-sized people are deserving of love and acceptance as equal mem bers of society. And most of all, I’m sick of people becoming figureheads of a movement that is not for them to take over.
So, here I am, talking about the body positiv ity movement just a little bit more.
Plus-sized people started the body positivity movement in the 1960s to advocate for fat accep tance in society. Their mantra “Change society, not ourselves” is still echoed by activists today. While the body positivity movement is represen tative of all shapes and sizes, there is not a single reason for skinny people to lead this movement.
It’s a trend I’ve begun to see across social me dia the last couple months that feels more damag ing than good. Not that long ago, plus-sized peo ple across a whole range of sizes made a place for themselves on the timelines and “For You” pages discussing acceptance of plus-sized individuals.
Now I see little representation and the same two or three “large” sizes with flat stomachs talking about the same acceptance. It’s a good thing that all sizes are advocates, don’t get me wrong, but what happened to everyone else? What happened to the wide range of sizes advocating for one an other and for the acceptance of fat people?
Body positivity is meant for everyone regard less of size, but the simple truth is that the lived experiences of fat people do not compare to those of skinny people. And nobody other than fat or previously fat people will understand the reality of living with a bigger body. Consistently, fat people are called disgusting, compared to pigs and cows, discriminated against in the workplace and even have their lives debated as if they are not worthy of the same things as thin people.
There’s no one better to speak about body positivity and acceptance than fat people, because at the end of the day, they are who the movement is fighting for. I do feel for anybody who’s ever been made fun of for what they look like. Getting called “a stick” or told to “eat a hamburger” isn’t okay in any way. And I also understand strug gling with body dysmorphia and “feeling fat,” as so many people like to say.
Here’s a hot take that shouldn’t be as steamy
as it is — the personal feelings of skinny people should never trump the lived experiences of fat people. Someone telling you to eat will never be the same as someone telling you to starve. At the end of the day, skinny people are the standard in society. It doesn’t matter what you feel about yourself or the rude jokes people make at your expense — you have the ideal body type. Nothing will change that.
That is why skinny people should never take the helm when it comes to body positivity. While the movement includes you, this fight is not for you. Your clothes will always be in stock, your doctor won’t brush aside any health issues and you won’t have to experience discrimination in the workplace due to your size. You are not dis criminated against, fat people are. While there is power in being privileged enough to help lift people’s voices up, you should never be the main voice. Ever. A skinny person should uplift fat peo ple’s voices, not take over. It’s not too difficult of a concept to grasp.
When skinny people take the helm of the body positivity movement, they are silencing the voices of fat people — the voices that need to be uplifted the most. The movement is taken less seriously and is skewed to only represent smaller people. While those in the smaller sizes on the plus-sized scale may reap the benefits, they are far more advanced than those in the higher sizes who deserve the same equality as others as well.
The average sized woman in America is around a size 16 or 18 — she’s plus sized. Despite being the norm, she is consistently discriminated against. And now, in a movement meant to uplift her, the voices of smaller individuals are over shadowing hers. It’s a fantastic thing to advocate for those who are discriminated against when you yourself don’t face discrimination, but when you begin to control the narrative it becomes danger ous for the movement’s success.
If skinny people become the face of the move ment, its whole purpose falls apart. The body positivity movement is yours to be a part of — skinny-shaming is a real thing — but it is far less integrated and normalized than fat-phobia. The body positivity movement was started to uplift the voices of fat people, not yours.
Livia LaMarca mostly writes about American political discourse and pop culture. Write to her at lll60@pitt.edu.
RSVP to this event by Thursday, October 13, 2022 at: tinyurl.com/ThornburghPR2
Registration is required. Seating is limited.
Program 1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Reception immediately following
On
The Honorable Andrew H. Card, Jr. knew and worked with Dick Thornburgh for over 20 years. Card served as Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006, which marked the second-longest tenure for a White House Chief of Staff. Card also served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and U.S. Secretary of Transportation to President George H. W. Bush. Under President Ronald Reagan, Card served as Special Assistant, and later, Deputy Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs from 1993 to 1997.
Promoting Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania as Models of Democracy
Advancing the Rule of Law
Chuck Rosenberg, Former U.S. Attorney, senior FBI
Acting Administrator of the
National Legal Commentator
Instilling Integrity and Fiscal Discipline in Government
Scheppach, former Executive Director of the National Governors
Professor of Public Policy,
Innovation and Economic
Lunak, CEO of
Ben Franklin
Forging a Future for our Nation and its Citizens
Leading in Crisis
Baer,
Securing the Rights of
Three Mile
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By Hoang-Kim Vu & Jessica Zetzman