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 17, 2018 | Volume 109 | Issue 42
SGB PUTS FOCUS ON FINANCE
SGB GIVES FINANCE THUMBS-UP
Emily Wolfe Staff Writer
Board member Albert Tanjaya gives the Pitt Club Rock Climbing team representative a thumbs-up, saying “have a real Philly cheesesteak for me” after the team’s funding request to compete in Philadelphia is approved. Theo Schwarz | senior staff photographer
OAKLAND COMMUNITY SPEAKS OUT AGAINST UPMC BUILDING Dylan Giacobbe For The Pitt News
Innovative health treatments could be coming to Oakland as soon as 2023 — but some Oakland residents disapprove of the buildings coming with it. UPMC organized an informational presentation to the public about its proposed Heart and Transplant Hospital at UPMC Presbyterian at the Oakland Career Center on Tuesday night. The event focused on providing information about the architecture and benefits of the planned UPMC Heart and Transplant Hospital. The presenters allowed for open questioning from the more than 15 audience members in attendance, most of whom were Oakland residents, according to the sign-in sheet at the entrance. UPMC announced a plan in November 2017
to build three new specialty hospitals — a heart and transplant hospital, a speciality cancer hospital and a vision and rehabilitation hospital. According to a press release from UPMC, the project is backed by a $2 billion investment from the health enterprise and is working in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences. The hospitals will be placed within the campuses of already existing UPMC hospitals — the Heart and Transplant Hospital at UPMC Presbyterian, the Hillman Cancer Hospital at UPMC Shadyside and the Vision and Rehabilitation Hospital at UPMC Mercy. Designs for the UPMC Heart and Transplant Hospital and the UPMC Hillman Cancer Hospital were selected in an international design competition. Presentation organizers attempted to focus
on the specifications of the project, but the event was guided by the community’s negative perceptions of UPMC. After consistent questioning by audience members, main UPMC event organizer John Krolicki pushed presenters through the presentation despite the frequent interruptions. Oakland community members at the event spoke on how recent new developments from UPMC have not always been in the interest of the residents. Some residents, like Mark Oleniacz, also highlighted how in the past, UPMC had not focused on having a dialogue with residents about new projects in their community. “Some meetings in the past have been, ‘Here’s what we’re doing’ — not so much questions or other input or changes. It’s already been done, ‘this is the plan, this is what we’re doing,’” Oleniacz See UPMC on page 2
Student Government Board members wore green for the third straight week at Tuesday’s meeting — but this week, they didn’t just talk Mental Health Awareness. They talked money. Friday will bring the third annual Financial Literacy Conference at Pitt, presented by business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi and Pitt’s business school. Board member Cole Dunn worked with the fraternity’s vice president of alumni relations, Adam White, on the conference — which will address both undergraduate and postgraduate student needs. Maxwell Hines, a certified financial planner from Waldron Private Wealth, will present the keynote address on financial planning for postgraduate students, Dunn said. Another seminar will review the process of salary negotiation, while breakout sessions will focus on tips for undergrads, like budgeting and keeping track of a checkbook. “Students kind of overlook [all that] when they first get to college,” Dunn said. “They don’t really think about it as much, and then they’re out of money.” White and Dunn worked with the Office of Financial Aid to arrange the event. “We’re hoping for a great turnout this Friday and we’ll see how it goes,” Dunn said. Other board members gave updates on their personal projects, promising more updates as the plans are finalized, See SGB on page 2
News UPMC, pg. 1
said. “It’s great that they’re having this, that they seem to be more engaging with the community, you know, answering questions probably more than they may have in some other meetings.” The new building will specialize in heart health and transplant surgery with a focus on technological advancement to bring patients closer to their treatment, including exclusively private rooms for inpatients. According to a press release from UPMC, the rooms will feature interactive touch screens in collaboration with Microsoft, which nurses and patients can use for medical evaluation and entertainment. Some of this technology was showcased before the presentation began. Upon entering, guests were brought over to a diorama of the Pittsburgh area containing spaces where the three proposed specialization hospitals will be located. A few event staff members with iPads used an augmented reality camera function to show what the construction and finished product of these hospitals will look like in the community. According to the presentation, the building will be designed with sleekness and nature in mind. The building will feature glass architecture
SGB, pg. 1
and reported success on recent events, including last Friday’s Eat and Greet and the Mental Health Awareness Month “Let’s Talk” panel on Tuesday. “It ended up being more of an intimate discussion,” board member Zechariah Brown said of the panel. “I feel like we all got a chance to have a dialogue.” One upcoming program, the Pitt Women’s Leadership Experience, will take place Nov. 17-18. President Maggie Kennedy said last month that SGB decided to move the experience, an offcampus mentorship retreat for female students, from its usual spring date to the fall to provide students who attend with more time to connect before the end of the year. “Some of the feedback from the past two years has been, ‘This is such a great retreat, but it’s at the end of the year in March and then there’s barely any time
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The planned UPMC Heart and Transplant Hospital as depicted in the University of Pittsburgh Campus Master Plan. IMAGE VIA UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
within a grassy, park-like space that will be open to community events and food vendors. The interior design will incorporate an open floor plan and plants. UPMC believes the design will benefit both patients, their families and community members at large by creating an expansive, nonrestrictive space for individuals. But some Oakland residents at the event voiced their concerns with the new development
and with UPMC’s continual expansion into the neighborhood. “The overall impact of the uncontrolled growth of UPMC and Pitt has been devastating to the Oakland community … We were a wonderful community, self-contained. We didn’t need their growth. This hospital could be built in any community in the City, especially where they need economic growth. This project is one
to still connect with your mentor [or] your mentees before the year is over,’” she said. The last applications came in on Friday, and Kennedy said she and the Student Planning Committee will select mentors and mentees in the coming weeks with the help of prominent women on campus, including Senior Vice Chancellor Kathy Humphrey. The committee received about 70 applicants hoping to be mentors at the retreat and about 60 hoping to be mentees. “Unfortunately, we may have to be slightly selective just because of the amount of space that we have at the actual conference center, but we’re hoping to accept as many people as possible,” Kennedy said after Tuesday’s meeting. Ritika Bajpai, chair of the Community and Governmental Relations Committee, discussed the upcoming opening of Pitt’s Community Engagement Center in Homewood on Thursday. The center
will serve as a bridge between the University and the community, and facilitate service opportunities for students. “The whole point of centers [like the Community Engagement Center] is so we show that we are involved with the community around us,” Bajpai said. “We want to make long-term commitments rather than just short-term projects.” Notably absent from the meeting for the second week in a row was any representative of the Student Slovak Club, which has requested SGB funding for an upcoming festival. After the Allocations Committee recommended denying the request in full, SGB voted last week to postpone voting on the allocation until a member of the club appeared to defend the request. SGB repeated the vote tonight, postponing until next week. Attendees representing various other on-campus organizations filtered out throughout the course of the meeting as the board addressed their clubs’
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of those uncontrolled growths,” one audience member said. Regardless of any negative sentiment at the event, Oakland resident Lucas Bezerra said the public forum provided by UPMC was good for the community. He said there should be more community events to give community members an opportunity to learn about their neighborhoods and voice their opinions. “I’m really glad that [UPMC is] engaging Oakland residents. I think that this is a really positive … engagement, no matter what people say. I think that it’s really meaningful to have such a big institution actually engage with the people who are in the community itself,” Bezerra said. Wanda Wilson, executive director of Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, said negative and positive comments are valued at events like these. Community engagement events are a chance for community members to talk about their concerns. “Part of our role is to make sure that the community has a chance to learn about development projects and have their voice heard, have the information that they need to be informed citizens and actively engaged in the process,” Wilson said. business. The group in the basement of Nordy’s Place was about 15 members strong at the beginning of the night — an average turnout for one of SGB’s public meetings — but only one or two remained by the end, causing a few laughs to break out among the board as Kennedy asked for final questions or comments from the audience. “If anyone out there has anything they want to say, now’s the time,” she said, fighting a smile, and paused. “Cool.” Allocations The First Class Bhangra dance team requested $1,660.52 to attend a competition. The board approved in full. The Pitt Club Rock Climbing Team requested $1,215.50 to attend a competition. The board approved in full. Pitt Club Quidditch requested $1,792.60 to attend a competition. The board approved $1,392.60 and denied $400.
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Opinions
column
from the editorial board
Elizabeth Warren DNA test in poor taste Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., hinted in September that she plans to run for president in 2020 — but if that’s the case, she opened her campaign on a sour note. The senator announced on Monday that she took a DNA test to prove her Native American heritage. It was intended as a harsh rebuke to those who questioned her self-proclaimed Cherokee ancestry, including President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly taunted the senator on the topic. “Pocahontas (the bad version), sometimes referred to as Elizabeth Warren, is getting slammed,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “She took a bogus DNA test and it showed that she may be 1/1024, far less than the average American.” Warren’s trace amounts of Native American DNA make her claim seem quite laughable — but beyond that, rehashing this silly debate is the last thing a senator and potential presidential candidate should concern themselves with. Native Americans still face rampant discrimination in this country, and Warren’s attempt to liken her life experiences to theirs comes across as extremely insensitive. It’s also hypocritical for someone who claims to care about the plight minorities face. Warren openly champions diversity initiatives — she even penned a letter to Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen in 2016 decrying the lack of racial and gender diversity in the Federal Reserve. “We remain deeply concerned that the Federal Reserve has not yet fulfilled its statutory and moral obligation to ensure that its leadership reflects the composition of our diverse nation in terms of gender, race and ethnicity, economic background and occupation,” Warren wrote in the letter. If Warren believes this about the Fed-
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eral Reserve, she should believe that about other institutions of power. But instead of bringing true diversity to government, she cited her DNA to grant herself minority status to gain popularity among minority communities. The Cherokee Nation issued a scathing statement on Monday in response to Warren’s DNA test results. “Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong,” the statement read. Not only is Warren’s move inappropriate, it’s a slap in the face to actual Native Americans, who face very real problems in society today — including the inability to vote. The Supreme Court ruled last week that citizens must supply their name and street address to register to vote — a measure that will prohibit thousands of Native Americans from voting, considering Native American reservations often don’t have official addresses. Instead of rehashing a 2-year-old argument with the president, Warren should fight against governmental issues actually plaguing Native Americans. She could release a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s decision or push for more Native American representation in government. Currently, the United States has only two Native American representatives and no Native American senators. President Trump stooped quite low in calling Warren “Pocahontas,” but Warren stooped even lower in dragging this petty argument out further. Native Americans face real problems in society today, and real problems demand real solutions. White people masquerading as oppressed minorities are just a distraction, not a solution.
PITT GRAD STUDENTS DESERVE RIGHT TO UNIONIZE
Delilah Bourque
Senior Staff Columnist Graduate students may be here for an education, but you won’t find them thumbing through a textbook all day. At universities, including Pitt, grad students don’t just function as scholars, but employees as well. That’s why it’s no surprise that the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ruled in favor of Penn State graduate students in
whether or not graduate students at Pitt are considered employees, which would grant them the right to unionize. The University’s lawyers from Philadelphia firm Ballard Spahr argued that graduate students are students alone — not employees. “We think it’s best to look at them as students because that’s why they are doing this work,” Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said after Pitt’s October Senate Council meeting. “There’s mechanisms to support them in
Eli Savage | STAFF ILLUSTRATOR February, granting them employee status and thereby the right to unionize. Grad students at Temple University fought the same battle in March and the board ruled in the same way — but Pitt is putting up greater resistance. Pitt’s Graduate Student Union petitioned the labor board to hold a union election, and the PLRB hearings for Pitt began Oct. 2. The hearings were intended to decide
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that context, and there could be unintended consequences if they are viewed at just a pure employment perspective.” But Pitt grad students act as employees, so they should have the right to unionize. Graduate students do the same work as other employees of the University, including teaching and research, and are compensated in similar ways — through stipends See Bourque on page 4
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Bourque, pg. 3 and benefits — to other employees of the University. Regardless of if the graduate students would vote to form a union or not, they are employees and should be guaranteed the right to unionize. Upon first glance, it may seem as if graduate students are well-compensated. Grads with teaching fellow positions, as well as teaching assistants, graduate student assistants and graduate student researchers, are awarded scholarships to pay tuition and provided health-care coverage through UPMC Health Plan. On top of those benefits, the average graduate teaching fellow at Pitt is paid a $9,830 stipend per academic term. But this all serves as evidence that grad students are employees. Federal income taxes are collected on graduate stipends, just like they are through any other job, and the financial struggles grad students face are mirrored in other low-paying positions in higher education like adjunct faculty members. “Graduate students on assistantships (graduate assistants) are often assigned to be teaching assistants or research assistants,” the PLRB’s report on Penn State grad student unions read. “Assistantships include a stipend, tuition remission, and a subsidy for medical insurance which pays 80% of the premium of the student health insurance plan.” Penn State and Pitt are providing grad students with taxable income and health insurance because they are more than students — they’re employees. While healthcare coverage, tuition scholarships and stipend payments seem sufficient compensation, graduate students deserve to decide if they would like a union — which would allow them to bargain for benefits if they feel their current benefits are insufficient. “The way it is now, we have a hard time actually negotiating about our work conditions because they get muddled with our positions as graduate students, and we have no collective voice,” Ben Case, a sixth-year doctoral student in the psychology department, said in an email. Regardless of whether the graduate students want to use union bargaining rights to obtain better compensation, the students are still paid similarly to the other employees of the University and have a right to unionize.
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At the University of Massachusetts, a publicly funded research university like Pitt, the Graduate Employees Organization negotiated a 7.5 percent raise for all of its members. The raise will occur through a contract that extends from 2018 to 2020. The University of California StudentWorkers Union negotiated a 3 percent yearly raise, along with a $300-per-year waiver of campus fees and $100 lump-sum payment at the end of this year. Graduate student unions at universities comparable to Pitt are able to bargain with their administrations in order to improve compensation. Pitt has negotiating power to lose with unions — but universities, especially publicly-funded ones, have a responsibility to put their students and employees first. Graduate students do the same work as other faculty and staff members, even teaching many of the same classes at the introductory level. While a graduate instructor may teach fewer credit hours than a member of the faculty, instructors must grade exams and papers, hold office hours and write syllabi — just like a member of the faculty. They also hold research positions, which contribute to Pitt’s reputation as a research university. While research is mandatory part of many graduate programs, Pitt makes a name for itself off the backs of its student researchers, advertising its successes across all research avenues. Since graduate students’ work is integral to the University’s reputation, they should receive adequate compensation and protections — and at the very least, recognition for the work they do. Trying to prevent the graduate students from unionizing indicates that Pitt is more interested in protecting its bottom line than the welfare of the graduate students. While the hearings are suspended for now because Pitt’s administration did not provide its witnesses in the time allocated by the board, Pitt grads should have a right to unionize. The PLRB has already ruled in favor of both Penn State and Temple University grads, deeming them employees eligible for unionization. Graduate students perform essential functions of the University — they teach classes and perform research. When Pitt acts against the graduate student union, it is acting against the best interest of the very people it’s supposed to serve.
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Sports
Waiver Wire Weekly: Stash, Gabriel and Mack pittnews.com
column
RIVERHOUNDS STRIVE FOR SUCCESS AS PITTSBURGH'S PRO SOCCER TEAM Ben Zimmer Staff Writer
Fans and media in Pittsburgh constantly discuss, debate and devote their every waking moment to the professional teams in the City. The Steelers, Pirates and Penguins are integral parts of the fabric of Pittsburgh and their performances affect the City’s everyday mood. The excellent history of these teams has added prestige to Pittsburgh, making it the renowned “City of Champions.” When the Pittsburgh Riverhounds emerged in 1998 in the United Soccer League a tier beneath Major League Soccer, which at that point was called the A-League, they shook up the dynamic that had been around Pittsburgh for decades. As the Riverhounds prepare to host a first-round playoff game Saturday — the first home postseason game in the club’s history — their achievements shouldn’t go unnoticed. How much success will it take for soccer to be among Pittsburgh’s sources of pride? The issue goes beyond just the performance of the Riverhounds — the credibility of their league and soccer as a whole in American culture are at play as well. While soccer may be the most popular sport worldwide, Americans have always regarded it as a second-tier sport, and sometimes even with hostility. There was never a huge following from the American public, as other sports took up the majority of interest. While baseball was still the most popular sport in the first half of the 20th century and football and basketball were forming successful leagues of their own, the attempted soccer leagues of the American Soccer League and United States Football Association all ended up failing. The beginning of Major League Soccer in 1996 seemed to bring about a new era — one intent on finally bringing the quality seen in soccer around the world to the United States.
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The Pittsburgh Riverhounds in a huddle during a match against Cincinnati FC at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Sept. 1. image via wikimedia commons
The development of the league over the last 20 years coincided with the development of the U.S. Men’s National Team as a competitor in world football competitions like the World Cup. Starting with David Beckham in 2007, the MLS has established itself as the top league for aging superstars to play in at the end of their careers. Other notable players who left the top European leagues for the MLS include Steven Gerrard, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The development of the MLS has also led to the development of more soccer leagues. The United Soccer League, in which the Riverhounds compete, is the second-tier league of American professional soccer and acts as a feeder league for the MLS. The USL very much acts like the equivalent of the minor league for baseball, and to a similar extent, like college teams for
the NFL in football. Since the Riverhounds debuted 20 years ago, they have grown as a professional team concurrently with the MLS and USL. In their early years, the Riverhounds solidified themselves as a pro team through the play of David Flavius, an international player from the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia who still holds the records for games played and goals scored for the Riverhounds. The Riverhounds moved to the $10.2 million Highmark Stadium in 2013 as attendance and exposure increased. With the heightened interest in American soccer came more opportunities for competition in the sport. This included games between the Riverhounds and MLS teams and the establishment of the Keystone Derby between the Riverhounds and Penn FC of Harrisburg.
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An important change in branding happened this year, with the club changing its colors from the blue and black worn before to the traditional Pittsburgh colors of black and gold. With this change comes the debate of the Riverhounds’ place in Pittsburgh sports. Although brushed aside for years as a minor league team for a sport that no American — let alone Pittsburgher — cares for, the Riverhounds have recently shown through their triumphs that they may deserve to sport the black and gold of the City’s champions. Their victories, coupled with the development of soccer in America over the last 20 years and the increase in interest for the MLS and USL, may just ignite a shift in thinking on the Riverhounds. If Pittsburghers need more proof about the credibility of a USL soccer team increasing its reputation as a professional team, they only need to look about 300 miles west to a familiar city. FC Cincinnati is also a USL team, yet it is in its last season as a second division team. It will compete in the MLS next year due to the fantastic attendance and an outstanding fan base that has supported the team through its successful USL beginnings. The average attendance for an FC Cincinnati game in 2018 was 25,194 while the average for the Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds was 20,116. In a town dominated by football and baseball, the hallmarks of American sports, soccer is challenging to become king. For the first time in their history, the Riverhounds will host a playoff game, facing off against Bethlehem Steel FC on Saturday in the first round of the USL Cup Playoffs. The Riverhounds finished third in the Eastern Conference while the Steel finished sixth. Holding a slight advantage, the Riverhounds have their goals set on a championship — and their inclusion in the prestigious group of professional Pittsburgh sports teams.
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column
NBA 2018 SEASON PROJECTIONS Trent Leonard Sports Editor
After a roughly five-month break since the Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Finals, the NBA is finally back. The 2018 season opened last night with the league pitting two in-conference rivals against each other in the Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder, along with the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. In honor of the season’s return, here’s a look at the league’s current hierarchy. Western Conference Tier 1 (The Contenders): Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers In the American criminal justice system, the defendant is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, in the NBA, the Warriors are the assumed champions until proven otherwise. The team won its third title in four years last season, then added four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to a team that already features four All-Star players. Cousins will miss the majority of the season rehabilitating the Achilles he tore in January, but when he returns, he will add another level of star-power to a lineup already considered unbeatable. But the Rockets and Lakers will do all they can to prevent the Warriors from making a fifth-straight NBA Finals appearance. Houston came within one half of toppling Golden State in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals last season, only to come up nine points short. They should be a top team in the league once again under reigning MVP James Harden and nine-time All-Star Chris Paul. The Lakers only won 35 games in the 2017-18 season and feature a core composed of second- and third-year players with no playoff experience. But there’s one simple reason Los Angeles should be expected to compete with the best of the West this season — LeBron James. Adding one of the greatest players of all time
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drastically improves the prospects of any roster, and despite their youth, Lebron will carry the Lakers deep into the playoffs in pursuit of his ninth-straight Finals appearance. Tier 2 (The Pretenders): Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans Now, calling these teams “Pretenders” in the context of these tiers is not an insult. They’re all very good, competitive teams — but at the end of the day, there’s a roughly zero-percent chance that you will see any of them in the Finals. This isn’t college basketball, where you can count on upsets to occur throughout a bracket of single-elimination games. The better team nearly always emerges over the course of a best-of-seven series, and the top-tier teams in the West should maintain dominance over this lesser domain. With that being said, the San Antonio Spurs will always be a threat under legendary head coach Gregg Popovich. The Thunder rid themselves of the blight that is Carmelo Anthony, and the tandem of Russell Westbrook and Paul George should only improve in year two. Utah is a trendy pick for pundits due to head coach Quin Snyder’s brilliance and the emergence of young guard Donovan Mitchell as a superstar talent in his first year. Portland’s elite backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum will do as they do every year — get into the playoffs, then get eliminated in the first two rounds. These will be fun teams to watch and monitor throughout the season. Just don’t expect to see them playing in June. Tier 3 (No Man’s Land): Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies In this tier, you will find the teams that aren’t nearly talented enough to contend for a championship, yet not bad enough to earn a top 2019 draft pick by losing a ton of games. These organiza-
Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) during the second quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference finals on May 20 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. jose carlos fajardo/bay area news group/tns tions find themselves at crossroads in used their high draft picks to stockpile this upcoming season, torn between de- some of the most enticing talent in the league. cency and inadequacy. The Suns finished dead last in the Minnesota made the playoffs as an eighth seed last season, but has become West the past two seasons, but it would what some might call a dumpster fire in be hard to imagine that happening again. the offseason due to Jimmy Butler’s dis- Now in his fourth year, 21-year-old satisfaction with his younger — and in Devin Booker could be one of the top his opinion, lazier — teammates. Denver guards in the league if he can improve and Los Angeles will hover around .500 upon last year’s 24.9 points per game. while the Grizzlies should rebound on He’ll get some help from 2018 No. 1 draft last year’s 22-win season with a healthy pick DeAndre Ayton, who is a physical freak at 7-foot-1, 250 pounds. The Kings Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Tier 4 (Bad, But Promising): Dallas also possess a promising big man in No. Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento 2 pick Marvin Bagley III out of Duke. But the most exciting prospect of Kings These teams all finished in the base- this year’s draft class might be the No. ment of the West last season, but have See NBA on page 7
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NBA, pg. 6 3 overall pick, 19-year-old Slovenian wonder-boy Luka Doncic. As a teenager last season playing in the EuroLeague — the second-best professional basketball league in the world — Doncic showed incredible maturity by leading Real Madrid to a championship and winning league MVP in the process. Doncic has the size of a forward at 6-foot-7 but the skills of a guard, with the ability to shoot and create off the dribble. Eastern Conference Tier 1 (The Contenders): Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers When Lebron left for Los Angeles this past summer, it signaled the dawning of a new era in the Eastern Conference — an era where a team led by someone other than Lebron goes to the Finals. This is a very new and exciting proposition. Not since the 2010 NBA Finals when the Boston Celtics lost to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have we seen a non-Lebron team go the distance in the East. For eight straight years he imposed
his will on the entire conference, tallying four Finals appearances with the Miami Heat and four with the Cleveland Cavaliers. This year, the Celtics are the favorite, considering they took the Cavaliers to Game 7 in the conference finals last season — and that was without superstar point guard Kyrie Irving or 2017 All-Star Gordon Hayward. Both these players will be back and healthy for the start of 2018. Meanwhile, the Raptors swapped DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard this offseason, and if Leonard — who missed nearly all of last season due to a cryptic blend of leg injuries and disgruntlement with his team — can return to his peak form, then the Raptors could also make the Finals. As for Philadelphia, the 76ers will go as far as young studs Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid can lead them. Tier 2 (The Pretenders): Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers Of all these teams, Milwaukee could make the best case to be in the top tier. They have the conference’s MVP-favorite in Giannis Antetokounmpo, also
known as the “Greek Freak,” a once-ina-generation talent who has improved in every season of his career thus far. Combined with the quality track record of new head coach Mike Budenholzer and a solid supporting cast, including the ever-underrated Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe, the Bucks could be really good. But until they show that they can beat the best, there’s no evidence to show that they can be the best. The Wizards are the Trail Blazers of the East. They possess an All-Star backcourt with John Wall and Bradley Beal, but lack the talent to advance in the playoffs. They also have Dwight Howard now, but so what? Likewise, the Pacers have a breakout superstar in Victor Oladipo, but will resume their role as second fiddle to the conference’s elite squads. Tier 3 (No Man’s Land): Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers There’s not too much to say about this tier. They’ll all compete for the bottom two playoff spots, except for perhaps Cleveland, who could end up being in the fourth tier. It’s hard to estimate just
how much the Cavaliers will fall off in the absence of Lebron, but the best they can hope for is to hover around .500. The Pistons have the highest ceiling of this bunch, with two All-Star talents in Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. Drummond is the best rebounder in today’s NBA, and Griffin is a diverse playmaker when healthy, which is a rarity in itself. Miami and Charlotte will be just fine — nothing more, nothing less. Tier 4 (Bottom of the Barrel): Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks These teams will not be good. And unlike the bottom-tier teams in the West, many of them don’t have the same level of young talent to make them entertaining. The Nets have the best chance to excel to the next tier, with a formidable combination of experience, ability and sound coaching from Kenny Atkinson. The Knicks might have been decent, but the loss of star forward Kristaps Porzingis to an ACL tear in February will render them unfit for success. The rest of these teams will compete for the conference’s worst record.
The Pitt News SuDoku 10/17/18 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE
more than 3 unrelated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Permits, Licensing & Inspections. 412‑255‑2175. North / South O Houses and Apart ments with Laundry and Central Air Call 412‑38‑Lease
Shadyside Shadyside: 1Bed room‑available now. EXCELLENT LOCA TION ‑ Summerlea St. Fully equipped kitchen, A/C, wall‑to‑wall carpeting. Near Pitt shuttle bus stop. Between Walnut Street and Ellsworth shopping districts. No pets, no smoking. $840. Rent includes heat. 412‑628‑1686.
Employment Employment Other 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 BR apartments available May & August 2019. South Oakland, North Oakland, and South side on Bouqet St., Meyran Ave., Atwood St., North Neville St., and Sarah St. Call 412‑287‑5712 Hiring After‑School, Evening, and Week end Sitters. Great pay.
notices
• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER
Flexible schedules and fulfilling work with a wide variety of families. Must have a car and insur ance. Contact Fran, College Nannies and Tutors, 440‑520‑4430, arlingtonvarecruiter@ collegenannies.com. Local middle‑eastern restaurant looking for positive, energetic people to join our team! Excellent customer service, good character, and strong work ethic. Filling all positions immediately! Call (412)‑680‑9094 Part‑time administra
tive position available at Schachner Associ ates, P.C.; Compre
hensive Psychological Services. Respon sibilities include:
assistance with client services, including greeting, schedul
ing, and insurance payments; general
communication man agement and client
insurance eligibility and benefit con
firmation; and basic
filing, bookkeeping, and assistance with
office projects. Excel lent interpersonal
skills, multitasking,
and computer and typ ing skills are required. College students and recent graduates are
welcome. Please send
R A T E S
Insertions
1-15 Words
16-30 Words
1X
2X
3X
4X
$6.30
$11.90
$17.30
$22.00
$7.50
$14.20
$20.00
5X $27.00
$25.00
$29.10
6X $30.20 $32.30
Add. + $5.00 + $5.40
(Each Additional Word: $0.10)
Deadline:
Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978
a resume to admin@ schachnerassociates. com.”
Part‑Time Job: Earn up to $200 a day driv ing and hanging out with senior citizens. Apply here: https:// www.fountain.com/ papa‑technologies/ apply/pittsburgh‑pa pa‑pal
Services Services Other Caregiver/companion
for lively young man with cerebral palsy in Squirrel Hill needed Saturday 4pm‑9pm. Possible morning shifts also available. $16ph and up. We are looking for someone who is engaging, per sonable, enthusiastic and responsible. Must be very strong for lift ing and helping with PT. Position requires driving a handicapped van for outside ac tivities, swimming & performing personal care (dressing, toilet ing, feeding). Male companion preferred. Please inquire
412‑889‑8934
Notices Events Halloween Costume Contest with prizes and giveaways!
Location: Lotsa Stone Fired Pizza
3621 Forbes Ave,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Time:
October 26
from 4PM‑7PM See you there!
www.oakhillapts.com
The Pitt news crossword 10/17/18
I N D E X
Rentals & Sublet
October 17, 2018
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