The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | October 12, 2016 | Volume 107 | Issue 55
FRONTIERS EVENT OPEN TO PUBLIC Emily Brindley
Assistant News Editor
Resident Assistants of Sutherland hall pour mock mojitos at the Non-Alcoholic Mix Off in the Quad Tuesday evening. Meghan Sunners SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PITT GROUP COUNTERS LIBERALISM
Tristan Dietrick For The Pitt News
Junior Ashley Butcher can frequently be found behind tables around campus –– usually in Towers Lobby or in front of the William Pitt Union –– proclaiming the same mantra prominently displayed on her organization’s signs, pamphlets and social media pages. “Big Government Sucks!” Butcher, a film studies and communications major, is the president of Pitt’s chapter of Turning Point USA, a national, nonpartisan organization that advocates for smaller
government, fiscal responsibility and free markets. Students may have noticed Butcher or other members of the group around campus lately –– sometimes toting a large beach ball –– but unlike other political groups tabling for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, Turning Point isn’t based on a person or a campaign. Instead, the recently-formed club focuses on lively discussion between students of varied political backgrounds, trying to stay out of the venomous mudslinging that has defined the 2016 election.
Which isn’t to say the group doesn’t have any ideological sway. Butcher founded the club at Pitt because she said most of her professors and classmates tended to have liberal ideologies, making her feel alienated for having more conservative beliefs. “It’s isolating when you hear your professors talk about how awful capitalism is when it’s something that you believe in,” Butcher said. “They had me digging deeper into my beliefs. It made me want to be really active because I figured other students on campus were See Turning Points on page 3
Although President Barack Obama will be visiting Pittsburgh to speak at the White House Frontiers Conference, most Pittsburghers won’t be able to see him. There is, though, one Frontiers exhibit open to the public with no registration needed, Pitt said on Tuesday. It will be open on Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the first floor of Alumni Hall and highlight the conference’s five main “frontiers”: personal, local, national, global and interplanetary. Frontiers, also co-hosted by Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University, will take place throughout the day on Thursday and include presentations and discussions about science, technology and innovation. Lectures and panels will delve into precision medicine, artificial intelligence, “smart” communities and space exploration. The event follows Obama’s announcement on Tuesday that U.S. astronauts will land on Mars by 2030. Along with Obama, speakers at the various conference events include Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, CMU President Subra Suresh, NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman and Fitbit CEO James Park as well as several student speakers. For a full list of the Frontiers exhibits and events, visit The Pitt News website.
News SGB STARTS T-SHIRT INITAITVE FOR “IT’S ON US” CAMPAIGN Leo Dornan Staff Writer
From the lofty heights of last year’s It’s On Us paper chain signed by 4,200 Pitt students and faculty, Student Government Board member Arlind Karpuzi wants to take the campaign to a more intimate level this fall. This year, the campaign to decrease sexual assault on campus will involve T-shirts and encourage students to open up about personal experiences and thoughts concerning sexual assault. The campaign will also encourage students to respond to discussions It’s On Us will host by using markers to draw on T-shirts given to each participant. Participants can respond to prompts written on the shirts like, “What do you think consent is?” or share personal experi-
ences and reactions. “You draw on the shirt whatever comes to mind,” Karpuzi said. “Whether it’s a personal experience or something like, ‘No means no.’” Pitt’s It’s On Us campaign launched in Sept. 2014 in response to the White House’s nationwide campaign. It’s On Us aims to prevent sexual assault and provide a supportive environment to survivors of sexual assault. Last year, Pitt’s It’s On Us campaign asked students and community members to sign their names on slips of paper in a pledge to help stop sexual assault on campus. The 4,200 slips of paper formed a paper chain approximately 800 feet long. See SGB on page 4
Allocations FORGE: Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth and Empowerment requested $4,957.59 for honorarium to bring in the Vietnamese refugee and poet Ocean Vuong. The board approved in full. Hindu Students Council: The Hindu Student Council requested $1,769.79 to fund their annual Navratri Garba event. The board approved $1,685.79. Steel City Bhangra: Steel City Bhangra requested $3,807.26 for transportation, lodging and registration to attend the fall AKD competition. The board approved $3,667.26. First Class Bhangra: First Class Bhangra requested $1,747.42 for a fall competition. The board approved $1,537.42. Student Dietetic Association: The Student Dietetic Association requested $1,237.04 for lodging for the Food and Dietician Expo held in Boston this year. The board approved in full.
PITT RECEIVES $7.7M NIH GRANT Emily Brindley
Assistant News Editor Armed with $7.7 million in federal funding, researchers at Pitt announced on Tuesday the opening of a new research center to find treatments for prostate enlargement and urinary tract infections. The O’Brien Urology Cooperative Research Center, funded by the National Institutes of Health, will research new treatments for benign prostatic hyperplasia –– commonly called enlarged prostate –– and lower urinary tract symptoms, Pitt said in a press release. The Center will be comprised of two main “cores”: the Administrative Core and the Tissue Resource and Morphology Core. The Administrative Core, headed by Zhou Wang –– Pitt professor and director of urological research in the Department
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of Urology –– will provide administrative with 1,039 awards. Of these, 28 awards — support to the researchers by reviewing totalling $46,360,708 — went toward reand selecting projects as well as encourag- search centers. Similarly, in 2015, Pitt received ing collaboration across departments. The Tissue Resource and Morphology $430,310,349 in funding from the NIH Core, headed by Dr. Rajiv Dhir –– profes- with 953 awards, including 26 awards totalling $59,503,736 for sor of pathology research centers. at Pitt and chief According to the of pathology at NIH website, Pitt UPMC Shadyside ranked as the fifth –– will provide huhighest recipient of man tissue speciNIH funding in 2016 mens and animal and has been among tissue processing Zhou Wang the top ten recipients to the researchers. Department of Urology since 1998. The money the There are currently NIH granted Pitt is likely to be just a small piece of what the three projects planned for the Center, acUniversity will receive this fiscal year. In cording to the release. The first will be led fiscal year 2016, for example, Pitt received by Dr. Naoki Yoshimura –– professor of $471,524,040 in funding from the NIH urology, pharmacology and cell biology,
“
There is an urgent need for new approaches to prevent and treat BPH
October 12, 2016
and director of neuro-urological research at Pitt –– and will investigate the effects of prostate inflammation on nerves. The second study, led by Wang, will look into the effects of inflammation on cellular junctions and the proteins working in those junctions. The third planned study will research the effects of nonsteroidal anti-infl ammatory drugs as treatment and prevention for prostate enlargement and lower urinary tract symptoms. It will be led by Donald DeFranco –– Pitt professor and vice chair of medical education and associate dean for medical student research at Pitt. “There is an urgent need for new approaches to prevent and treat BPH,” Wang said in the release. “Although BPH is generally not life-threatening, its treatment is associated with side effects and is very costly.”
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Turning Points, pg. 1 feeling the same way.” The national organization, which Illinois native Charlie Kirk founded in 2012, seeks to educate college students on the importance of limited government, free speech and First Amendment rights. Through the work of more than 75 staff members, Kirk said it also attempts to organize and unite youth activists against big government and socialism, and, in turn, make an impact nationally. “More young people need to be engaged in the political economic movement,” Kirk, 22, said. “[I saw a] great opportunity and a lot of interest from people in my local area.” Since its founding, the organization has cropped up on 1,000 high school and college campuses nationwide — in all 50 states, according to Turning Point’s website. While scrolling through Twitter last fall, Butcher stumbled on Turning Point USA and began browsing through its website. When she realized Turning Point didn’t have a presence at Pitt, she contacted the national chapter, which helped her get a chapter started on campus by spring 2016. Since then, the group has advocated for
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free speech by doing things like inviting passers-by to write their thoughts on a giant beach ball at a tabling event on campus Sept. 21. Some wrote trivial phrases, such as “The Eagles will never win a Super Bowl.” Others took the opportunity to draw pictures, pen inspirational statements or declare personal opinions, such as “We need to preach unity, not division.” “People aren’t used to seeing political messages given to them in this way, especially from conservatives,” said Arnaud Armstrong, a junior political science major and former political columnist for The Pitt News. “Turning Point is unique in how hard it pushes this. It makes people laugh, and it gets them talk to their friends about it. It’s funny, but it makes you think.” About 30 students attend the club’s monthly meetings, according to sophomore Cameron Gill, the vice president of the club. “It’s exploded for how young it is,” Gill, a biology major, said. “It was created within a year, and it already commands a pretty high number of attendees to the meetings.”
Find the full story online at
pittnews.com
October 12, 2016
Turning Point USA members sign a large beach ball with their opinions at a weekly tabling event. The Pitt News File Photo
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The Pitt News SuDoku 10/12/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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SGB, pg. 2 At Pitt, more than one in five women said they have experienced some form of sexual assault during their four years on campus. According to Pitt’s report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct, this breaks down into 10.1 percent of participating female undergraduates who said they had experienced nonconsensual penetration and 15.6 percent of female undergraduates who said they had been victims of sexual touching. The survey also found that 55.2 percent of participating Pitt students believed that it was very or extremely likely that other students would support a victim of sexual assault. In April, Vice President Joe Biden visited Pittsburgh and spoke in the Petersen Events Center to promote the It’s On Us campaign, leading hundreds of Pitt students and community members in a pledge to end sexual assault on campus. While the paper chain emphasized awareness on campus, this year’s event will focus on students sharing actual experiences and help the campaign to take a more personal tone, according to Karpuzi. The It’s On Us task force will hold two sessions, one on Oct. 18, and one on Nov. 9, discussing the campaign, handing out T-shirts and providing ideas to start conversations. Jasmine Butler, a member of the It’s On Us task force, said the focus this year is on fostering conversation and openness. “It starts with a discussion and an exchange of thoughts,” Butler, a senior anthropology major, said. “Questions like, ‘What does consent mean to you?’ or, ‘What are your boundaries?’” The It’s On Us campaign also emphasizes the role student organizations will play in combatting sexual assault. The idea is to have student leaders pass the shirts on to members of their organizations and encourage discussion within clubs. Student leaders taking charge of passing out the shirts will also add to the more personal tone of the campaign. Having a student organization facilitate discussion — instead of a member of the It’s On Us task force — will lead to more productive conversation, Karpuzi said. These conversations will hopefully produce a culture on campus that condemns sexual assault and holds others accountable.
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Ultimately, the campaign will end with a gallery late next semester displaying the shirts outside and sharing the thoughts and stories of students involved with the campaign. “It will hopefully be both therapeutic for survivors and make an impact on anyone who takes part in the campaign,” Butler said. For incoming students, Karpuzi and SGB Academic Affairs Chair Ricky Hollenbach are working on including Title IX information about sexual assault in first-year program events or classes. Hollenbach is not sure how the information would be presented, whether in events or as part of the freshman seminar classes. James Kirwan, president of Students Engaging in Conversations about Consent and Sexuality, suggested the addition to the information Freshman Programs already offers first-years. This would help make first-years aware of the actions they can take when they are sexually assaulted or are aware of sexual assault. As of Feb. 2015, incoming Pitt students are required to take an online sexual assault training module called HAVEN. They also participate in Bystander Intervention Training at orientation. Hollenbach said he plans to talk to SGB President Natalie Dall about the proposal then discuss the initiative with Freshman Programs. “Freshmen get so overloaded with information,” Hollenbach said. “It might be helpful to present this a couple weeks into the semester, and make sure they’re aware.” In a separate project, Hollenbach is also working on gauging interest in and the possibility of creating a psychology minor. The Academic Affairs committee released a link to a five-question survey last week to get a better sense of how many students would be interested in pursuing the minor. “It initially just came up from talking with a lot of my friends,” Hollenbach said. “They took a lot of psych credits but not enough for a major, so those credits wouldn’t really count towards anything.” There is a subcommittee of Academic Affairs in place to meet with professors and the heads of the psychology department after analyzing the data from the survey. They have already met with a couple professors to see if it was worthwhile to pursue, according to Hollenbach. “We’re optimistic, but I can’t say for sure yet,” Hollenbach said. “There does seem to be good overall interest.”
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The Pitt news crossword 10/12/16
Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left. The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and
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Opinions
see online Editorial: Title IX fee a burden
see online Video interview of point and counterpoint
In September, Duke University’s Women’s Center began a nine-week program for men — called the Duke Men’s Project — to discuss masculinity, feminism and intersectionality. The program touches on several topics, including male privilege, sexuality, gender diversity, intersectional feminism and the language of dominance. While some see this as an attack on traditional masculinity, others see this as an opportunity to include men in conversations about women’s issues. Not sure what to think? Our columnists, Amber Montgomery and Jordan Drischler, give their takes on the project from opposing sides of the issue.
Duke’s Men’s program includes men in feminism Feminism has sought to help women talk about how gender roles restrict women, but men have rarely had the same exposure to how toxic masculinity effects them until now. Amber Montgomery | Staff Writer
L
ike many Pitt students, I spend a lot of time in Hillman Library scrolling through the internet in an effort to procrastinate actual work. One day, while getting lost in Reddit threads, I stumbled upon a frightful but exhilarating find: a thread called The Red Pill. If you’re not familiar, The Red Pill is an online community for people to share their experiences in what they feel is a “culture lacking a positive identity for men.” The name derives its meaning from the Matrix films, insinuating that its subscribers have chosen to take “the red pill” and recognize the true reality that they live in a female-dominated society. The main purpose of the thread is to provide an outlet for men to discuss topics such as ‘sexual strategy’ and ‘mastering game’ in an effort to court as many women as possible, but it also commonly verges into discussions
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about men’s rights. So when I saw a post about a new program at Duke University called the Duke Men’s Project, a nine-week program aiming to facilitate discussions of male privilege, patriarchy and masculinity, I knew I had to write something about it. The program was launched in September by Duke’s Women’s Center and it will be open to all male-identifying students on campus. According to organizers, the program was started as a way to engage men in working towards gender equality by encouraging men to discuss issues surrounding male privilege, such as rape culture, the language of dominance, pornography, gender diversity and intersectional feminism. As expected, the idea has received a lot of criticism as a direct attack on all men. Perhaps my favorite line in the main post on The Red Pill expressed concerns that “[these programs] will never even recognize the existence of male issues if not in a perfunctory way, always and only for the sole purpose of dismissing them as relatively unimportant beside feminine imperatives.” Criticisms like this are pretty far off the mark. “Take a minute and listen. Most of the
men who o do not wish to be involved or are against pr programming p oggramming like ours have not ott o taken the he time to really understand what we are working towards, towards,”” Duke junior and nd one of the leaders on thee project Alex Alllex Sánchez Bressler A told The Pitt News in response to these criticisms. The project isn’t meant to attackk men for their masculinity nity or to forcee them to deconstruct their identities. s. It’s an opportunity for male students to educate themselves about feminist issues — whether they are supporters, opponents or just curious about the movement ement — and to engage with h notions about what it means to be masculine. “Programs grams like our own n are liberating rating for everyone, includingg men, since we encourage ge healthier alternatives to toxic masculinity that allow w for more emotional expression, alternatives ssion, alter rnatives to violence and healthier relationships.” Bressler said to The Pitt News. To understand this as an attack on n men entirely misses the point. nt. Feminism isn’t so much about men and women as it is about the unconscious ious understanding that what is “feminine” ne” is weak and trivial, and what is “masculine” ine” is strong and assertive. Just as there aree dangerous stereotypes about what women should and should not do and be, this binary ary between masculinity and femininity also lso creates unfavorable stereotypes for men. See Montgomery on page 8
October 12, 2016
Terry Tan STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
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We should Embrace gender roles, not deconstruct them
Instead of putting down masculinity in the name of feminism, we should embrace both masculine and feminine roles that have served instrumental purposes throughout time. Jordan Drischler | Staff Writer
M
y hero growing up was my great-grandfather, and one of my favorite stories he told was about my grandfather and a set of weights. After spending months training to lift the barbell above his head, my grandfather, then in junior high, proudly called his dad into his room to show him. As he set the weight down, he waited in anticipation for praise of a job well done. In response, my great-grandfather picked up the barbell with one hand, hoisted it above his head, set it back down and replied, “When you can do that, come talk to me.” I love this story because it brings back the nostalgia of times past when traditional masculinity — defined by strength and assertiveness as provider and protector — was still seen as a virtue. I’ve always described my great-grandfather as the quintessential 1950s television dad with traits from shows such as “Leave it to Beaver” and “Father Knows Best” — shows that portray fathers as respectable leaders. But the reality is that if my great-grandfather lived in today’s era, his lack of praise for his son’s accomplishment would be met with cries of poor parenting and harming his child’s self-esteem.
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The dichotomy between how men, and especially young boys, were treated just 50 years ago and now demonstrates the feminization of American culture and the decline in masculinity. This trend towards femininity has recently been thrown into the spotlight with the development of projects on college campuses designed to deconstruct masculinity and the patriarchy. According to the “Duke Chronicle,” the Women’s Center at Duke University recently implemented a nine-week program called the Duke Men’s Project, meant to “facilitate discussions of male privilege and patriarchy.” We need to heed this mindset when promoting programs designed to alter how we view masculinity. At first glance, they may seem to take a stand only against toxic aspects of masculinity, but in practice, these oft-repeated buzzwords can easily lead to a very slippery slope to viewing masculinity in its entirety as negative. While these courses on the surface may seem to stand against the extremes of the patriarchy, a closer look at the statements made by founders and supporters of these programs give reason for concern. “Our goals are to examine the ways masculinity exists on our campus — often in toxic ways — so we can do the work of unlearning violence. We want to explore, dissect and construct an intersectional understanding of masculinity and maleness as well as to create destabilized spaces for those with privilege,” the program’s invitation to The Duke Men’s Project said. If a men’s group formed a program in an attempt to deconstruct femininity, it would most likely be met with outrage. This invita-
tion n takes the stand that men are inherently violent lent in a way that must be stopped. Men are physically stronger and more mo ore re physically ysically aggressive than women, men, and these qualities were re a necessary aspect for society ty to survive throughout time. me. A 2012 study at the he Sikkim Manipal pal Institute of of Te c h n o l o g y c on c lu d e d , “evolutionvolutionaryy psychology psycholog gy gy states ates that everyy type of behavior havior is designed to igned perpetuate rpetuate the hee continuance off ntinuance o the gene pool an and nd ensure survival ure the surviva al of the species. This evolutionary olutionary impera-tivee leads to gender d dififferences ences in behavior. behaviorr.” That men are ree more re aggressivee is what has helped countless untless civilizations survive. vive. The beauty of the genders is that theyy complement mplement each other. otheer. While hile men are stronger and have taken on the role of fighting wars and d performing manual labor, or, women have become me nurturing figures. Both th of these roles are of equal ual importance and are vital for a society iety to perform efficiently. While advances in technology tech cch hnology have perhaps divide rhaps lessened the div ivide between iv these se roles, it is still important that both h are present. There are still manual jobs thatt require physical strength, such as with military litary service and construction. There are occupations that require a more nurturing and caring personality that women typically lly excel at, such as nurses and teachers. Of course, there is overlap between the sexes, es, and these are not strict boundaries thatt must be followed exclusively by each of the sexes — I myself am a female mechanical engineer — but we should support at
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See Drischler on page 8
Terry Tan STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
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Montgomery, pg. 6 “[The goal of the initiative is for men to] critique and analyze their own masculinity and toxic masculinities to create healthier ones,” Duke junior Dipro Bhowmik told the Duke Chronicle, one of the four students leading the Project. The criticisms aren’t completely wrong. At least in a sense, they echo the notion that men often face negative impacts from the way masculinity works and shapes society. Society dictates men should be strong, brave and pursue as many women as they choose. To fit outside of that mold means to be something other than a proper man. Where critiques diverge is that they frame women and the feminist movements as disinterested with these problems because they affect men and not women. But this isn’t the case — or at least it shouldn’t be. While intersectional feminism is important for highlighting the experiences of all different kinds of women, it’s also just as important to incorporate all different kinds of men into the narrative, because feminism is about improving life for all genders. “It is simply not possible to think about feminism today without thinking about male masculinity,” Todd Reeser, the director of the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Program at Pitt, told The Pitt News. “The feminist project requires a concerted intellectual effort by men as well as those who do not identify as men.” While there’s still a long way to go with feminism in regards to women’s issues, we’ve also come a hell of a long way. Sure, the wage gap sucks. My male colleagues still interrupt me in class, and I still get catcalled every time I walk down Atwood Street. But at least I, as a woman, and feminism, as a movement, recognize that these are big societal issues, and we have outlets to make a lot of noise about them. There’s not really anything like this for men and masculinity. The current patriarchal system is set up to benefit men more directly. Men are interrupted less, they hold more political and corporate power and their concerns are taken more seriously. But this system still comes with its own set of rigid social norms that men must uphold in order to be considered a worthwhile man. Pressuring men into such a firm box has real negative consequences. A 2011 study by the American Psychological Association found that while women are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression, men are more likely to experience antisocial disorders and develop substance abuse problems. It makes sense, since men are encouraged to keep quiet about their feelings and emotions, and it’s harder for them to find outlets to do so. They more commonly turn to substances like alcohol and drugs as a method for coping with pressures they’ve grown up thinking makes them weak. While women are 20 to 40 percent more likely to be
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diagnosed with psychological disorders and to attempt to take their own lives, men committed 77.9 percent of the suicides in the United States in 2015. The reason for this large difference is uncertain — perhaps keeping with our two separate realms of masculinity and femininity, it’s much more common for men to use methods that will ensure death, such as firearms or suffocation, while women often resort to poison. I won’t say that because of this we should stop focusing on women’s issues or even that men, on average, have a harder time than women in society. Institutional sexism recognizes men as superior and inherently more valuable, but on the flip side, it doesn’t acknowledge that men, like women, are complex creatures, capable of all the same feelings and emotions and affinity for femininity that women are. While the goal of intersectional feminism is to incorporate all viewpoints when fighting patriarchy, perhaps these criticisms and forums like The Red Pill highlight that we haven’t done an active enough job of ensuring men’s voices are heard in feminism. In a society, and especially a college culture, where sexual assault is running rampant, it’s important to acknowledge where these issues come from and work to tackle the root causes. “We recognize that while sexual violence is perpetrated against people of all genders, the perpetrators of this violence are overwhelmingly male. We also recognize that the unhealthy and violent parts of masculinity enable the perpetration of such violence, either directly or indirectly.” Bhowmik told The Pitt News. “Therefore, talking about masculinity and encouraging men to express their manhood in healthier ways tackles one of the root causes of campus violence.” This is exactly what the Duke Men’s Project aims to do by providing an environment where men can discuss these issues amongst themselves and come to terms with their own masculinities, accepting which parts are true and which parts have been cultivated by society, then take responsibility for how this affects women. Duke’s Men’s Project and Pitt’s Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Program give me hope. It’s what we should be doing for all privileged groups in society, not just men. Heck, sign me up for the White Project, the Middle Class Project, the Protestant-Christian Project. Those are all discussions worth having. Duke’s program isn’t using feminism to attack men. It’s about encouraging men to take their rightful and needed place in the movement of intersectional feminism so that society can move forward together. Leaving them out only fuels the misunderstandings that the network of the manosphere and The Red Pill is built upon. Come on in, and don’t be shy — feminism is for the benefit of everyone. Amber primarily writes on gender and politics for The Pitt News. Write to her at aem98@pitt.edu.
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Drischler, pg. 7 least a basic structure of gender roles. After all, while both men and women are equal, they are different, and they should be. We wouldn’t want a society where everyone is good at the same things. We should appreciate the different traits and skills men and women bring to the table and take advantage of their inherent differences. So when a program deems any outward display of typical masculine traits — be it roughhousing or male bravado — as a problem that must be unlearned, they are hindering an aspect of men’s lives that they are made to perform. Now, it seems that any time a young boy acts out in class, he is reprimanded to act more like a little girl. Boys are discouraged from playing football because it is unsafe. Playground fights are viewed as signs that the child in question will become a serial criminal. I am in no way excusing actual violence, but to discount the fact that physicality is a natural part of being male is naive and is hindering boys’ growth and development and society as a whole. As a society, we should not be tearing down masculinity and its traits. We should support masculinity for what it contributes to society. Yet Alex Bressler, a Duke junior on the leadership team of The Duke Men’s Project, stated that the program was meant to “proactively deconstruct our masculinity.” Duke isn’t the only school to take a stand against men. At Claremont University, a similar event to The Duke Men’s Project was held to provide a safe space to discuss toxic masculinity and mental health. Claremont junior Miles Robinson told “The Claremont Independent” that among the attendees, there was a “common consensus that masculinity is harmful both to those who express it and those affected by it.” Both Claremont and Duke billed their programs as the creation of a safe space to discuss male privilege and patriarchy, yet the result at Claremont was a program that took on a very anti-male message. “If masculinity is described as something negative — a mental illness — then this is sexism against men,” said Will Gu, a first-year Claremont student. “Safe spaces… are supposed to make everyone feel comfortable. Criticizing masculinity makes males who adhere to traditional gender norms uncomfortable.” I believe this last point gets to the heart of the issue. There is nothing wrong with choosing to adhere to gender norms. We should celebrate and embrace male qualities just as much as female traits rather than denouncing masculinity for the sake of uplifting femininity. While society will — and in many cases should — play a part in our decisions, it is wrong to say that just because you are choosing a traditional path means you have undergone a form of brainwashing. We should support men who choose to live by traditional masculine standards instead of tearing them down to make them more feminine. We should appreciate the different traits of men and women instead of trying to make them one and the same. We live in a time where we are very accepting of individuals departing from the traditional gendered path. But in the name of tolerance for pushing gender norms, many have become intolerant towards those who choose to adhere to them. Jordan Drischler primarily writes about politics and rhetoric for The Pitt News. Write to her at jmd152@pitt.edu.
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Sports
ONE MORE YEAR: THE CASE FOR KEEPING CUTCH
Steve Rotstein Sports Editor
Before the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2016 season even finished in a 10-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 2, the rumors had already started swirling. It was likely, according to an Oct. 1 article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, that 29-yearold center fielder Andrew McCutchen was playing his final game as a Pirate. The next day, as the Pirates’ disappointing 78-83 season came to a close, other sites started to circulate the same reports. Some might see it as a team looking toward the future, but the Pirates are still built to contend now –– as long as McCutchen is on the roster. Prized young pitchers Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon made their debuts in 2016 and are expected to join ace Gerrit Cole in the ro-
tation full-time next year. Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco are already playing like AllStars in the outfield and only just starting to realize their potential. But McCutchen is the centerpiece of it all, and giving him up would deal a huge blow to the Pirates’ World Series chances. If they want to make it back to the postseason next season and make a run at their first World Series title since 1979, trading McCutchen this offseason should be the last thing on Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington’s mind. McCutchen is still the Pirates’ best player, and there’s no guarantee that top outfield prospect Austin Meadows will be able to rise to the big leagues and replicate McCutchen’s production. Yes, he may have lost a step, having stolen only 17 bases the last two years combined after See Pirates on page 10
Andrew McCutchen (22) batted 20 runs for the Pirates in September. Matt Hawley STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PITT BESTED BY PSU, 1-0 Ashwini Sivaganesh Assistant Sports Editor
The men’s soccer team went scoreless for its fourth game in a row after falling 1-0 against Penn State Tuesday night. The Panthers (2-9-0) struggled to keep Penn State’s (5-6-1) offensive powerhouses — midfielder Connor Maloney and forward Dayonn Harris — away from their goal, leaving goalkeeper Mikal Outcalt to consistently keep the team afloat. From the start of the game, the Nittany Lions dominated at Jeffrey Field in State College, with two shots within the first five minutes of play — both by midfielder Maloney. The first shot was saved by Pitt’s Outcalt, while the second flew wide of the net. Josh Coan (16) made the only shot on goal for Pitt against PSU on Tuesday. Outcalt continued to foil Penn State’s agJohn Hamilton SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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gressive offense with another save against Lions midfielder Noah Pilato’s goal attempt in the sixth minute. Pitt’s defensive line seemed to struggle as Maloney flew past them once again, but Outcalt was ready at the goal for his third save of the night. Panther first-year, forward Josh Coan, garnered a corner kick opportunity in the 12th minute to get the Panthers going, but missed, causing the momentum not to stick. Penn State kept peppering the Pitt goal with shot after shot. In the 19th minute, Harris took his first shot against Outcalt, who continued to keep Pitt locked in a 0-0 game. Aymar Sigue soon followed his teammates with an attempt against Pitt but sent the ball well See Soccer on page 10
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Pirates, pg. 9 stealing at least 20 in each of his first five. McCutchen never revealed any specific injuries, but analysts, such as the MLB Network’s Mark DeRosa, are convinced something’s been nagging him. “I cannot believe that something is not bothering him physically,” DeRosa said in the Tribune-Review article. “He’s been the biggest enigma of the year. But when you battle for the MVP five years in a row and then you have one blip on the radar screen, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.” McCutchen, the face of the franchise since his rookie year in 2009, made five consecutive All-Star games from 2011 to 2015 and won the 2013 National League MVP Award after leading the Pirates to the postseason for the first time in 21 years. But last year, his production took a huge dip, and the Pirates fell in the standings, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012. A late-season surge saw McCutchen hit .284 with six home runs and 20 runs batted in September, numbers more representative of his career performance in his first seven seasons. It was enough to push his numbers on the season to .256 with 24 homers and 79 RBIs –– respectable but still below his standards. The question is, did he play well enough
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in August and September to restore his trade value to a level worth dealing him away in the offseason? In the Tribune-Review article, an American League scout guesses the Pirates can get two good prospects under team control –– similar to reliever Felipe Rivero, acquired in a midseason trade for Mark Melancon –– in return for McCutchen. If that’s the best they can do, then the answer is no. McCutchen is still under contract with the Pirates through 2017 with a $14.75 million club option for 2018. That means the team has at least one more full year to see if McCutchen can return to All-Star form, which he seemed on the verge of in the final two months of 2016. If he does, the team can keep him at a bargain price for one more year while deciding whether to extend his contract or trade him away during or after the 2018 season. If he’s not going to fetch an MVP-worthy shipment of prospects in return, there’s no sense in getting rid of him now when his value is at its lowest point in at least five years. Whether or not they keep him beyond 2017, the smartest thing the team can do is give McCutchen a chance to play out the final year of his deal at PNC Park. That way, the Pirates can find out for themselves whether last year was really just an outlier in an otherwise stellar career.
Soccer, pg. 9 above the Panthers’ crossbar. After another Maloney and Outcalt faceoff, with the Panther’s goalie preventing a Lion’s advantage, Penn State substituted Sigue for firstyear forward Frankie De La Camara. This time, it was Harris’ turn to pressure Outcalt. Within a span of five minutes, he took three shots with Outcalt defending two of them and the one in the 30th minute soaring wide of the net. In search of relief on the pitch, the Panthers made three substitutions. After De La Camara sent a ball wide, Coan took the Panthers first shot on goal in the 39th minute. Nittany Lion’s keeper Evan Finney made a swift save and sent the ball back into the game. In the 40th minute, Penn State’s undeterrable efforts finally paid off. De La Camara sent the ball to Harris, who chipped the ball right over Outcalt’s head for the first goal of the game. After 14 shots against Pitt, the half ended 1-0 with Penn State grasping the expected lead. The Panthers’ offense continued their plight from the first half of keeping the ball away from Penn State’s offense, but the re-energized Lions did not let up in the second half. Pilato sent up the first shot of the half, but before Outcalt could get a finger on it, the ball
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bounced off the crossbar. Harris and Maloney carried the Lions with a pair of shots before Pitt decided to start substituting players again in the 59th minute. Pitt’s offense and defense could not keep up with the Nittany Lion’s on all fronts, and in the 65th minute, the Panther’s aggravation started to show. Prior to a Penn State penalty kick, Pitt defender Stephane Pierre received a red card, forcing the Panthers to play with only ten members on the field for the remainder of the game. Maloney’s penalty kick was blocked by Outcalt, and his following corner kick did not convert to a goal for the Nittany Lions. The final minutes of the game played out with Penn State holding the lead and giving Pitt limited opportunities to take the game back with the final score ending 1-0 in the Nittany Lions’ favor. The Panthers’ performance does not show any promise for the rest of their season. Outcalt saved 12 shots on goal, and the Nittany Lions had 23 shots in the whole game opposed to Pitt’s one. The Panthers will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday, Oct. 15, to try and win their first conference game of the season against North Carolina State at 7 p.m.
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1,2,3,4,6 BR. Available August 2017. Bigelow Boulvd, Truro Place, Craig, and Neville Street. Call 412-287-5712. 2 BR, 2BA apartment, Bigelow Blvd. $900 + utilities. Available Now. 412-287-5712. **AUGUST 2017: Furnished Studio, 1-2 and 3 Bedroom Apts. No pets. Nonsmokers preferred. 412-621-0457 1-2-3-4-5 Bedroom Houses & Apartments. 376 Meyran, 343 McKee, & Atwood, St. James, Bates St. $1,095-$2,000. Call 412-969-2790.
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2017. Nice, clean, free laundry, includes exterior maintenance, new appliances, spacious, located on Meyran, Bates, Oakland, Semple, Wellsford, Dawson, Juliet. 412-414-9629. 1,2,3,4,5,6 bedroom houses for rent. August 2017. Bouquet St., Meyran, Atwood, Semple, Chesterfield, Neville. 412-287-5712.
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2-3-4 bedroom houses. Available now or January 1st. At corner of Parkview and the Boulevard. Free laundry. Central air. Really nice. 412-414-9629.
2,3,4,5, and 6 Bedroom houses/Apartments in South Oakland. Available for rent August 2017. Very clean with different amenities (dishwasher, laundry, A/C, washer and dryer, 1-3 baths, off-street parking, newer appliances & sofas). Check out my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KenEckenrodeRealEstate/. Call Ken at 412-287-4438 for more information and showings. 2,3,5 BR houses. Available now. Bouquet, Atwood, & Dawson. Please call 412-287-5712.
4 BR Home - Semple Street. Equipped Kitchen, Full Basement. Available immediately. Also renting for May and August 2017. (412) 343-4289. Furnished apartment for rent. 1 bedroom available immediately. $700/mo. Convenient to schools and hospitals. Call Nancy for appointment 412-681-7201.
AVAILABLE NOWSHADYSIDE/FRIENDSHIP Holden St. 2BR – Roof Deck! $1450 Maryland 3Br $1545 New SS Appliances! South Negley 1BR – Renovated! Spacious! $825 South Fairmount 1BR Private Entrance – $795 All Apartments are Pet Friendly! Call 412-455-5600 for a showing. One bedroom apartment available Oct 1. 400 South Aiken Avenue. Newly remodled, hardwood floors, new kitchen, great lighting and large windows. $800/mo + electric. Heat/gas included. On site laundry. Half a block from Centre Ave. Call 412-292-7156.
AVAILABLE NOW – SQUIRREL HILL LUXURY RENOVATIONS! MODERN! GRANITE! SS APPLIANCES! ALL NEW! Eldridge St. – 1Br $895 Studio $750 Shady Ave – 1BR $1150 2BR $1295 Murray Ave – 3BR $1695 4BR $1750 All Apartments are Pet Friendly Call 412-455-5600 for a showing.
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Smokers Wanted. The University of Pittsburgh’s Alcohol and Smoking Research Laboratory is looking for people to participate in a threepart research project. To participate, you must: -Currently smoke cigarettes. -Be 18-55 years old, in good health, and speak fluent English. -Be willing to fill out questionnaires, and to not smoke before 2 sessions. Earn $150 for completing this study. For more information, call 412-624-8975.
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The University of Pittsburgh Department of Radiology is seeking men and women 18-45 years of age who currently have a problem with cocaine for brain imaging research studies. Participants must be medicationfree (birth control acceptable) and willing to not use cocaine for several weeks. The study involves questionnaires, interviews and brain scanning at UPMC Presbyterian University Hospital. The study will be conducted over a four month period. Subjects will be compensated up to $1747 upon completion. For details, call 412-586-9633 or email PMIP-study@gmail. com Help Wanted: Office/ P/T Clerical person needed from MondayFriday, $250.00 weekly. Computer skills are a must. Need to be detail-oriented, possess good customer service skills, some cash & items, handling skills. Must be able to run errands. Apply Email: charlesdavids465@gmail.com.
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QUIZNOS SUB on S. Craig Street is looking for friendly, enthusiastic and hardworking team members to fill a few open positions on our day and evening closing shifts, M-F and on Weekends. Full and part time positions are available. Starting Rate of $9/hr. Flexible Work Schedules; Training on all positions; Free uniforms; Discounted Meals; Performance based pay increases; Advancement opportunities; and Other benefits. Apply Now at Quiznos; 300 S. Craig Street; Pgh, PA 15213
South Fayette Township School District is seeking substitute teachers. Positions available for all grade levels and areas of content. Complete job descriptions are available at southfayette.org. Please send your complete application packet to South Fayette Township School District, 3680 Old Oakdale Rd., McDonald, Pa. 15057. Want to get a great discount and work flexible hours over the holiday season? American Eagle and Aerie are now hiring at the Ross Park Mall location. Great Discount. Competitive Wages. Call at 412-369-4426.
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