The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | October 3, 2016 | Volume 107 | Issue 38
FRESHMEN LEAD PITT AGAINST MARSHALL
See online for full CSSA Mid-Autumn Festival photo gallery
Steve Rotstein Sports Editor
In its first four games, the Pitt football team relied almost exclusively on its returning starters and upperclassmen while battling to a 2-2 record. Against Marshall on Saturday, though, it was the Pitt freshmen talent that carried the team in the first half of the Panthers’ 43-27 victory. But what should have been a blowout win punctuated by the freshmen was threatened by Pitt’s consistent inability to maintain a sufficient defensive line in the second half. Late in the first quarter, Pitt took over at its own 4-yard line and inserted Chawntez Moss into the game. The first-year tailback took a handoff on first down and exploded up the middle of the field for a 41-yard gain. After an incompletion by quarterback Nathan Peterman, Moss then showcased his agility on a 21-yard run to move the Panthers deep into Marshall territory. “In practice, Coach [Andre] Powell tells us that if you’re hot, we’re going to keep you in the game,” said Moss, one of three freshmen who helped score 27 points for Pitt in the first half. “I was doing well, so I feel I was given the best opportunity to be productive on offense.” Moss finished the game with 12 carries for a team-leading 97 yards, one week after rushing for 47 yards and his first collegiate touchdown on only seven carries against North Carolina. But he wasn’t the only first-year player making a big impact.
The Chinese Students and Scholars Association hosted a Mid-Autumn Festival and singing competition Saturday night. Wenhao Wu SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
RACE RAISES MONEY FOR ALS Preena Patel
For The Pitt News
Neil Alexander, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, died six weeks after he and his wife announced the opening of the Live Like Lou Center for ALS Research at Pitt’s Brain Institute. Since then, the Center has been promoting quality of life research, examining how ALS affects the nervous system and supporting clinical trials to slow or reverse the progression of the disease. But the research isn’t cheap. To raise funds, the Center partnered with See Football on page 9
Carnegie Mellon University’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity to host the eighth annual Donut Dash Sunday afternoon. Over 1,000 participants raced — first to finish a box of donuts and then to cross the finish line. The event raised $148,547, according to David Ott and Mike McCaffrey, coorganizers of the Dash and members of CMU’s SAE. “The Donut Dash represents the best combination of compassion, competition and delicious donuts,” Suzanne Alexander said during the event’s welcome speech. This year’s Donut Dash was the third time CMU’s SAE fraternity partnered with the Center.
For $20, each participant ran a mile, scarfed down a box of six donuts and ran a second mile. Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher and CMU President Dr. Subra Suresh each bit into donuts to kick off the race. After runners straggled to the finish line with full stomachs, the organizers held a raffle for signed Penguins jerseys. In a speech after the race, Mayor Bill Peduto retold the story of Lou Gehrig, an American baseball legend who was diagnosed with ALS in 1939. Gehrig was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after retirement, which went against voting See Donuts on page 3
News
Watch online: Donut Dash
See Online For this week’s Crime Map
STUDENTS PITCH PROJECTS AT STARTUP BLITZ David Robinson Staff Writer
To decrease the prevalence of violent crime on campus, including sexual assaults, one Pitt student has come up with a simple solution: a tech-savvy wristband. Pitt senior Amy Johnson proposed her project, dubbed Student Connect, at Friday’s Startup Blitz, an entrepreneurial contest where students proposed ideas for new products or businesses. Johnson and other blooming entrepreneurs gathered at 9 a.m. on Friday in the O’Hara Student Center Ballroom. Johnson won the confidence of the Blitz’s judges with her idea for a wristband that could automatically contact the police or another person if the wearer is in danger. The wristband would consist of two buttons, one that automatically calls 911 and another that alerts other wristband-wearers of the endangered user’s location. Users could set the device to alert specific users –– such as friends or family — of their location and could also sync the wristband with a phone to record audio evidence of an attack. “Women especially — but both men and
women — face violence, and especially on college campuses,” Johnson said. “The idea is to prevent violence on college campuses and help to prosecute perpetrators of those crimes.” At this fall’s Startup Blitz, 16 entries varied across academic fields, with ideas ranging from Johnson’s wristband to a sleep apnea pillow to an all-in-one sink and hand dryer. Susan Dorff, manager for student programs at the Innovation Institute, said Startup Blitz was more about the learning process than capital investment. “We thought we’d offer not just help, but a little bit of an education on how to do what [students] are already kind of interested in and make it interesting for other people to want to invest in,” Dorff said. Between 50 and 100 students participated in the event, and some came with ideas already in mind, while others came to join teams and to refine others’ ideas using their own academic expertise. Throughout the event, participants pitched short presentations, received advice from industry insiders, refined their pitches and concluded
Electrical engineering student Amy Johnson led Student Connect as team See Startup on page 3 leader. Courtesy of Karen Woolstrom
POTTERHEADS RECITE “CURSED CHILD” Nikita Karulkar Staff Writer
Adorned in black capes and Gryffindor scarves, self-described “Potterheads” gathered around Pitt student Alice Cheng as she channeled Albus Potter in a resonant voice Friday afternoon. “How to distract Scorpius from difficult emotional issues,” Cheng read from “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” “Take him to a library.” In a library of their own for the afternoon, Cheng — co-president of Pitt Project Potter — and 23 other readers participated in the University Library Systems’ read-a-thon. But instead of reading long blocks of text in standard book format, participants used voice acting to read
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the play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed themed community service club, hosted books. Last November, the ULS hosted the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child a read-a-thon for “Harry Potter and the Child.” “It’s a play, so it’s more fun to read, Read-a-Thon,” with the ULS and the de- Sorcerer’s Stone” in collaboration with the English department’s literature program. This year was the first time Pitt Project Potter was involved. The Cup and Chaucer Cafe on the ground floor of the Hillman Library filled with 92 students and community members decked out in Gryffindor shirts, long black capes and Harry Potter backpacks. As attendees came in, a library employee dressed up as Dumbledore welcomed them to the event. Off to the side of Cup and Chaucer, the club had conrather than reading blocks of text,” Cheng partment of English. The ULS has hosted various read-a- structed a makeshift photo booth with said. See Harry Potter on page 3 Pitt Project Potter, a Harry Potter- thons, with similar formats but different
“It’s a play so it’s more fun to read, rather than reading blocks of text - Alice Cheng October 3, 2016
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Donuts, pg. 1 rules at the time. ALS — also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in honor of the baseball legend — is a progressive neurological disease that usually causes death within two to three years of diagnosis, according to David Lacomis, chief of neuromuscular division and professor of neurology and pathology at the Pitt’s School of Medicine. Lacomis said only about 10 percent of ALS patients survive 10 years after diagnosis. According to Lacomis, research into the disease has led to discovery of only one drug that increases life expectancy of patients with ALS, but only by about three months. Since ALS is rare –– only 20,000 Americans currently live with the disease, according to the ALS Association –– Lacomis said it is necessary
Startup, pg. 2 with longer presentations. Dorff said pitching is less a matter of charm than it is communicating an idea. “A pitch isn’t just about how affable you are or how charming you are but it’s about getting your idea across,” Dorff said. Participants voted on the 11 best entries and a panel of judges selected the three finalists, who won a total of $1,750 in cash prizes. As the first place winner, Johnson was automatically entered in the next incubator, Blast Furnace, an eight-week program to help further refine entrepreneurial ideas. Startup Blitz has taken place twice a year for the past two years –– prior to Blast Furnace in the fall and prior to Randall Family Big Idea Competition, the Innovation Institute’s flagship competition for entrepreneurs, in the spring. Johnson, an electrical engineering major, said she had the idea that grew into Student Connect in the back of her mind for several weeks before Startup Blitz. Along with team members Jie Song, Hanwei Cheng, Chen Su and Kyle Wyche, she said she plans on taking the research further in the near future. “Right now the plan is to grow the idea in the Blast Furnace and to do market research, to figure out what people would use and what things would actually make people safer,” Johnson said. After the initial pitches, six speakers offered advice to participants about market integration and keeping customer needs in mind to focus not only on good ideas, but on ideas that are
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to pool resources and develop institutional centers of research excellence, such as the Live Like Lou Center. “In order to find more effective treatments, much more research will be needed, and government funding has decreased,” Lacomis said. “Therefore, increased public awareness is crucial to attract donations, and fundraising, like the Donut Dash, is crucial in fueling research discovery.” The Ice Bucket Challenge — a social media campaign that encouraged people to either donate to ALS research or have a bucket of ice water dumped on their heads –– raised enough money for researchers to identify a gene unique to ALS patients in July. This discovery sped up diagnosis time and enabled doctors to provide prolonged and improved treatment for ALS patients. When SAE started the annual Donut Dash in 2009, it donated the funds to the Children’s
Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. When the fraternity’s alumni adviser, Bob Dax, was diagnosed with ALS in 2014, the fraternity switched its philanthropic focus to ALS research. “This was very hard for us as a fraternity. Dax means an incredible deal to our brotherhood,” Ott said. “We asked him what we could do to support him in this difficult time. After some discussion, we decided to direct Donut Dash’s charitable donation to ALS research.” That year, the fraternity connected and cohosted the Donut Dash with the Alexander family’s Live Like Lou Patient Care Fund, which raises money for ALS research and supports families suffering from ALS in Pennsylvania. In their first year as partners, the groups raised over $100,000. To promote the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the ALS Association, an organization that helps allocate funds raised at Live Like Lou events, events associates Lauren Reinhard and
Julia Marsili set up a table to collect donations. The funds that are not used for research are allocated into two broad categories, one for patient care and the other for scholarships and opportunities for children of ALS patients. “Everything we get goes back to the patients,” Reinhard said. “We give them everything they need to make their last two to six years comfortable.” Reinhard said that although there is currently no cure for ALS, increased awareness is helping researchers move toward developing a treatment. At Pitt, the Brain Institute is working to further this research. “The first chapter of the ALS Association was founded in Pittsburgh, the first walk for ALS was hosted in Pittsburgh and events like the Donut Dash are making Pittsburgh a hub for ALS research,” Reinhard said. “It’s amazing what Pittsburgh as a whole can do for ALS.”
marketable and viable. Jennifer Ireland, one of the speakers as well as project manager at the Innovation Institute, stressed the importance of consumer needs and market fit for the product. “A lot of these inventions are good ideas and a lot of them may have a fit in the market, but understanding the right fit is different than just taking something out there and hoping people will like it the way it is,” Ireland said. Johnson said the input from the professionals who circulated during the event helped refine her team’s idea specifically to college campuses –– in the name of simplicity and safety. “It helped focus the idea since we were able to say that students have a big community and universities have a vested interest in [safety],” Johnson said. “Rather than focusing on the huge population at large, we’re focusing on [colleges] and hoping that has a bigger impact.” The final 11 groups presented a four-minute presentation to a panel of judges, which included Innovation Institute Director, Marc Malandro. The judges considered how developed the idea was, how well the team incorporated feedback and how informed the team was about their product. Ireland said the students’ process of brainstorming and presenting their ideas was good practice, but students also have to “get out of the building” to successfully implement their visions. Her best advice, she said, was for each entrepreneur to recognize they don’t have all the answers. “You have to go out and talk face-to-face with potential customers and understand the problems you’re trying to solve,” Ireland said.
Harry Potter, pg. 2
community outreach liaison, took on the role of the narrator. “Narrating was kind of interesting because, without stage directions, you really don’t get a full picture of what’s going on,” Gallagher said. “I hadn’t read ‘Cursed Child,’ and it was really fun.” Attendees also participated in a drawing to win Harry Potter merchandise, which the English department and film studies program funded, including a Harry Potter bedset, all seven books with the new 2016 artwork and two copies of “Cursed Child” with handmade wands. Every reading volunteer also received a free t-shirt, courtesy of the ULS. Lori Campbell, the club’s adviser and a professor in the English department, said the idea of the read-a-thon came up last spring when Student Affairs reached out to all departments about hosting an event during family weekend. “We had a really short deadline, but we decided to go for it,” Campbell said. “Over the summer, it kind of all came together.” Kaitlin Mausser, part of a local Harry Potter band called Muggle Snuggle, hosted her own reading of “Cursed Child” at her house in August and helped Project Potter structure the event and delegate characters. “I’m really intrigued about how they crafted all the special effects,” Mausser said. “I love all of J.K. Rowling’s works, and I love theatre. This play [was] a fun mix of my two favorite things.”
various Harry Potter-themed frames and props. The 24 reading volunteers stood in a semicircle around microphones and read the latest “unofficial” installment of the Harry Potter universe. Attendees sat with coffee and cookies and listened intently to the play, which Jack Thorne wrote based on the original story by J.K. Rowling. Although the readers couldn’t officially perform the play due to copyright issues, they embraced their roles with emphatic shouting and animated reading. The club members and Pitt students brought characters to life in the form of an intensely animated Albus Potter played by Cheng and a lost and inattentive Ron Weasley played by Emily Cumpston. Alex Raso, who played Ludo Bagman — a Ministry of Magic employee and former Quidditch player — got into her role with a loud, sonorous voice as she tried to capture Bagman’s comedic characterization. Maria Delgrande, the club’s activities liaison, said the read-a-thon was chance for club members and Potterheads to dress up and bond over their love for Harry Potter. “We had a lot of people who really got into their parts, and there was really good voice acting,” Delgrande said. Shannon Gallagher, Project Potter’s
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Opinions
see online for today’s editorial
column
VOTING: DON’T SQUANDER THE PRIVILEGE Bethel Habte
Senior Columnist An immigrant and a Puerto Rican watch the first presidential debate together and — actually, nevermind, that statement is enough of a joke on its own. Let me explain. Neither can vote in the election, although both belong to the United States. It’s funny, like the setup to a cheesy punchline — unless the situation is your reality, like it is for myself, over 13.1 million other permanent residents, about 3.9 million residents of U.S. territories, 601,723 residents of Washington D.C., millions of Americans who lack photo I.D.s, 5.8 million convicted felons and so on. I was born in Eritrea, a small North African country. My family emigrated to the United States when I was about seven. We entered under asylee status — essentially the same as refugee status, but varied in the method of entry. My sophomore year of college, I was granted permanent residentship, which is not the same as citizenship. For the most part, non-citizens cannot vote in elections outside of several jurisdictions, including Chicago and Takoma Park, Maryland, where the citizenship requirement has been waived for local and state elections. More and more states and cities are debating allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections, though the movement has yet to gain significant traction. I’ve made my peace with immigration laws. In about a year and a half, I can apply to be a citizen of this fine nation, and become a “real” American. But that doesn’t change the fact that we are currently in the midst of a historic choice that will define our futures. A choice that many are now deciding to opt out of because they aren’t pleased with the array of choices. This — when you reflect on the vast number of people who can’t make that choice in the first place — is outright immature,
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it into someone’s face. It’s as American as Donald Trump. Speaking of which, I’m going to put up my liberal neon sign here and say that a Trump presidency would be the worst thing that could happen for anyone who isn’t Trump or a member of his family. It would be disastrous for women, minorities, lowincome Americans, immigrants, refugees and anyone who isn’t too keen on watching the world burn. Let’s take a look at the effects Trump’s “policies” would have if he became president and had the means to carry them out: A recent study found that Trump’s plan to repeal “Obamacare” and replace it with a new tax deduction, insurance market changes and an overhaul of Medicaid Raka Sarkar STAFF ILLUSTRATOR would result in 45.1 million uninsured people in 2018. privileged and arrogant. His embrace of stop-andAccording to a recent Gallup poll, only 69 frisk would revive a practice that disproportionpercent of Americans said they “definitely will ately affected minorities — in Chicago, the policy vote” — which leaves 31 percent of Americans resulted in African Americans making up 72 relatively uncertain. percent of the 250,000 stops that did not result in I know why people are hesitant about the arrest. His tax proposals would cost us 9.5 trillion candidates we have to choose from. I’ve been fol- in revenue over the next decade. lowing the election with the morbid curiosity of Disenfranchised groups, especially those someone who’s begrudgingly having her fortune without a vote and a voice this election, have a read. But using that as an excuse to stay away lot to worry about if Trump’s policies were put in from the polls completely is, quite frankly, a lame place. excuse for laziness and narcissism. Trump’s immigration policies would have I don’t think there’s ever been a time when massive economic costs — outside of their huU.S. citizens have looked at a presidential can- manitarian ramifications — that would reduce didate and thought he was the perfect choice — GDP growth by 1.6 trillion due to the ousting of except, perhaps, when George Washington was 11 million workers during a state of “full employunanimously elected in the beginning of our ment.” Let’s not even get into that beautiful, mascountry’s history. sive, waste-of-space wall he wants to build. The desire to take a perceived moral high As for voter I.D. laws, Trump has declared opground on this issue is so un-American, and yet, position while drawing the strange so comically American at the same time. It’s as See Habte on page 5 American as baking an apple pie, only to smash
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Who can’t vote in the United States:
13.1 million permanent residents 3.9 million
residents of U.S. territories
601, 723 residents of Washington D.C.
5.8 million
convicted felons
21 million
Americans without a photo I.D.
88 million
eligible adults do not vote at all, even in general election sources: telesurtv.net, brilliantmaps. com, suburbanstats.org, NYTimes, AARP.com
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Habte, pg. 4
letter to the editoR: Dear Mr. Ditka Dear Mr. Ditka, You and I have one thing in common: we attended The University of Pittsburgh. That’s where our similarities — for the most part — end. You are a heralded football player, coach and TV personality — well-respected for your exploits around the gridiron. I am a corporate guy who lives in the Middle East and delivered the 2015 commencement speech to the business school’s graduating class. We left different marks on the University, your’s undoubtedly more recognizable than mine — I looked upon your retired jersey in the rafters with pride and honor when I went to Pitt games. However, that does not mean that your impact or my impact is any more or less important — they just touched different people. From that, I can draw a parallel to your comment, “I don’t see all the atrocities going on in this country that people say are going on.” You and I have had different experiences growing up in this country, being that you are 41 years my senior. But let me remind you: You grew up in a segregated Pittsburgh in the ’40s and ’50s where black folks in the Hill and other predominantly black enclaves were excluded or marginalized in the wealth creation of a “Steel
Town” — that’s exacerbated today by the blight and lack of investment in black communities in Pittsburgh. You attended the storied Aliquippa High School that has produced many athletic greats from yourself to Darrelle Revis. Tony Dorsett would have been a Quippa alum were it not for “all the racial problems [at Aliquippa at the time].” So, I’d encourage you to engage your fellow Aliquippa and Pitt alum who are black. Ask them if they see those atrocities you say don’t exist. And then reflect as to why you don’t see them. It’s because you have never been on the receiving end of it. Or you could ask me about the time I was pushed up against a car at a Pitt tailgate by a University officer because he “didn’t like my mouth.” Or you could ask me about the time I was called a racial slur by city of Pittsburgh police after they verbally accosted an Arab classmate of mine. These instances are mild compared to the stop-and-frisk, economic suppression, prison pipeline, police-state reality that all too many Americans encountered yesterday and still battle today. So you see, just because you had a different life experience does not negate the life experiences I, or others, have had.
On the University of Pittsburgh’s seal, it says “Veritas et Virtus” which means “Truth and Virtue.” The truth of the matter is you have chosen to dismiss someone’s actions as disrespect and a national betrayal, but you did not take a step back to ask yourself “why” someone would be compelled to act the way they did. Your virtue should be to understand and fight for the least of us who do not experience equal protection under the law. You are entitled to your opinion, but you are too smart to ignore the facts. Freedom of expression and a desire to make a more perfect union are [things] we should all strive for — through adulation and criticism. After all, you did attend an excellent University with a proud tradition of community and enlightenment. I beseech you to embody Veritas et Virtus. Ian Buggs Pitt College of Business Administration (BSBA) 2003 Pitt Graduate School for Public and International Affairs (MPIA) 2006 Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University (MBA) 2011 Member of Pitt Business Alumni Board of Directors
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connection that removing voter I.D. laws would result in “somebody coming up and voting 15 times for Hillary.” Convicted felons will have to ride out Trump’s presidency if they want to see their votes restored — what Trump considers “crooked politics.” Because he views parts of the country as “the Wild West” and calls himself the “law and order” candidate, it’s hard to believe that the crime of mass incarceration will cease under Trump’s rule. And these are only a smattering of Trump’s proposed initiatives. The nomination of Supreme Court justices is another important consideration, as New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow points out in “The Folly of the Protest Vote.” “There is another truth: [the next president] will appoint someone to fill the current vacancy on the Supreme Court... and that person will also appoint federal judges to fill the 88 district court and court of appeals vacancies that now exist (there are 51 nominees pending for these seats).” If you care about any of the issues that Trump degrades — vote. If you care about any of the issues that immigrants, residents of territories, minorities without I.D.s and convicted felons face — vote. You don’t owe us anything, but you have to realize that we don’t have a voice otherwise.
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Sports
BALLIN’ ON BIGELOW Pitt Program Council and Pitt Recreation’s hosted their first three-on-three basketball tournament on Bigelow Boulevard.| by Molly Appezzato and Tiyanna Brown | For The Pitt News
Although it was a chilly morning, ballers started warming up on Bigelow Boulevard a little before 10 a.m. Wearing basketball shorts matched with sweatshirts and sneakers, students stretched out their hamstrings and checked their shoelaces one last time before taking the court for Pitt’s newest basketball tournament — Ballin’ on Bigelow — Sunday afternoon. Police cars blocked off both sides of the boulevard from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Pitt Program Council and Pitt Recreation’s inaugural three-on-three tournament. “We chose this event because people Despite the dreary weather, 41 teams of Pitt students came out to play baslove basketball at Pitt,” PPC’s Recreation ketball on Sunday. John Hamilton SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Director Seth Stayer said. “It is a huge draw.” Using IMLeagues to pre-register, 41 teams of three to five students — decked out in color-coordinated t-shirts — competed for bragging rights, a medal prize and a set of free tickets to see ESPN sports commentator Stephen A. Smith speak at the William Pitt Union Oct. 25. Before the games began, players shivered as they made their way to the signin table and started warming up near the makeshift courts. But by the end of the game, players with flushed faces and tshirts drenched in sweat were scurrying around for water bottles to cool themSee Ballin on page 10
VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS VIRGINIA, 3-0 Mackenzie Rodrigues For The Pitt News
After conquering Virginia Tech for its third-straight ACC win of the season, the Pitt women’s volleyball team was looking for a victory against the University of Virginia Cavaliers. Sunday afternoon was the first time the teams faced off since Pitt swept the university 3-0 last year. “I was confident going into the game after getting our mojo back after Virginia Tech,” freshman outside hitter Stephanie Williams said after the game. “But I knew we had to play really strong.” Pitt (13-3, 4-0 ACC) won all three sets but had to fight for those points. Even though the first two sets slightly challenged the Panthers, the third proved their ability to overcome errors and setbacks. The Cavaliers (3-13, 0-4 ACC) served and scored first, but the Panthers put points
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on the board when Virginia misplayed the ball and sent it soaring out of bounds. Virginia quickly reclaimed control and secured a two-point lead. When Pitt senior outside hitter Maria Genitsaridi subbed into the game to serve, Pitt’s momentum shifted. The Panthers worked cohesively to block the Cavaliers attempts to regain the lead. With five solid serves from Genitsaridi, Pitt took the lead, leaving the score 7-3. The Panthers’ energy — fueled by the band playing a little louder and the crowd cheering a little harder with each point — fed the Panthers’ hunger to claim their first set win. Pitt maintained the lead for the rest of the first set, ending with a score of 25-20. Junior outside hitter Mariah Bell, freshman middle blocker Layne Van Buskirk and Williams led the Panthers with four kills each. Pitt started the second set with a 3-0 lead Mariah Bell (2) led Pitt with 12 kills against Virgina Sunday afternoon. Anna See Volleyball on page 10 Bongardino STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
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The Pitt News
Football, pg. 1
Editor-in-Chief ELIZABETH LEPRO
Managing Editor DALE SHOEMAKER
editor@pittnews.com
Freshman wide receiver Maurice Ffrench (2) scored his first career touchdown against Marshall Saturday night. Matt Hawley STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Two plays later from the Thundering Herd’s 11-yard line, Pitt handed the ball to true freshman wide receiver Maurice Ffrench on a jet sweep –– usually a play reserved for sophomore Quadree Henderson. Ffrench spun past a defender and into the end zone for his first career touchdown, giving the Panthers a 20-0 lead late in the first quarter. “It was good to see Ffrench on a nice spin move — him getting an opportunity to get the ball in his hands as well,” Pat Narduzzi, Pitt football head coach, said. “He’s trying to backup Quadree on some of those jet sweeps, and it was great to get another rookie in there and make some plays.” With 53 seconds left in the first half, redshirt freshman Tre Tipton hauled in his first career touchdown on a 15-yard fade to the right corner of the end zone to give Pitt a 27-0 halftime lead. In the second half, the defense that had been so stout in the first half sprung a massive leak. After four punts in four possessions in the first half, the Thundering Herd began stampeding down the field after the break, while the Panthers offered little to no resistance. Quarterback Chase Litton put Marshall on the board with a 15-yard touchdown pass on the Herd’s first possession of the third quarter, then Anthony Anderson punched in an 11yard touchdown run after a successful onside kick from Marshall. Just like that, all the freshmen’s work to get the lead was slipping away when Pitt’s advantage shrunk from 27 to 14 without even getting
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the ball back. The Panthers added three points on Chris Blewitt’s 20-yard field goal, but the Herd kept storming back. Pitt’s lapse on defense allowed Litton to fire an 83-yard touchdown to Michael Clark on the first play of the third quarter, cutting the Herd’s deficit to 10 with a full quarter left to play. Again, Pitt showed an inability to defend deep routes, getting burned repeatedly for gains of 40-plus yards for the third week in a row. After Marshall made it a 30-27 game with just over four minutes to play, the Panthers were in danger of blowing a 27-point halftime lead. The Panthers needed just three yards to pick up a first down and end the game, or else the Herd would get the ball back with a chance to tie or take the lead. Against Penn State, Oklahoma State and North Carolina, Pitt refused to take a risk and failed to convert on the critical third down chances. If not for Ryan Lewis’ interception in the end zone against the Nittany Lions, the Panthers could have easily lost all three games. Peterman must have been tired of the criticism. Rather than playing it safe, he went for it all, heaving a deep ball for junior wide receiver Jester Weah, who outmuscled a defender and rumbled down the sideline for the game-clinching 54-yard touchdown. “We weren’t going to run it up the middle again and punt it. We wanted to finish the game,” Narduzzi said. “It was Coach [Matt] Canada’s call, and I agreed.”
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Emily Brindley | Assistant News Editor Alexandria Stryker | Assistant Copy Alexa Bakalarski | Assistant News Editor Copy Staff Matt Moret | Assistant Opinions Editor Amanda Sobczak Matthew Maelli Ashwini Sivaganesh | Assistant Sports Editor Bridget Montgomery Michelle Reagle Jordan Mondell | Assistant Visual Editor Corey Foreman Sarah Choflet Emily Hower | Assistant Layout Editor Katie Krater Sydney Mengel Amanda Reed | Online Engagement Editor Kelsey Hunter
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October 3, 2016
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Ballin, pg. 8 selves off. The tournament followed a simple single-elimination bracket — after 15 minutes of play the team with the most points advanced to the next round while the losing team was eliminated. Six half-courts hosted 12 teams simultaneously as a DJ provided entertainment for players and drew in the attention of people passing by. The idea for the tournament originated with Pitt Recreation, who then approached the PPC with the idea of hosting the outdoor contest. Both groups pooled their resources to close down the street and market the event to students on campus. “Yeah it was awesome — we just wanted to play. We didn’t know we would get this far,” said senior Christopher Richards, a member of Team X, the tournament winners. The three team members of Team X — seniors Shane Craig, Michael Leasure and Richards — were also involved in a different basketball tournament during their first year at Pitt.
“We lost that in the semifinals, so now that we are seniors it’s like our redemption tournament,” Leasure said. Besides Ballin’ on Bigelow, local Sunday festivities included the annual Donut Dash in Schenley Plaza and the tail-end of Pitt’s Family Weekend. Families passing through campus stopped to watch students put up free throws, layups and jump shots. “I think that it actually helped because we kind of had more of a crowd, more of a spectacle,” said Whitney Jones, who helped to organize the event through Pitt Recreation. “So I think it kind of helped having more events going on because everyone was down in the central location.” The PPC is hopeful that after this year’s success, the tournament will be back and will start a new tradition at Pitt. “I think there is a lot of interest to do it again,” Jones said. “There are things that we would change, that we will have to figure out what we want to do better and what we want to change a little bit next year, but yeah, I think it is something we could do on a yearly basis.”
Volleyball, pg. 8 after Pitt sophomore setter Kamalani Akeo took the first serve, and Bell triumphed with a kill for the first point. Virginia took back possession and put up points with a hit Pitt couldn’t block. The Cavaliers gained a point to tie the game at 3-3 after a double hit error by Pitt. This was followed by a another successful hit for Virginia to move up to four points. The Panthers remained positive on the court, not letting the one-point deficit get them down. After fighting back to tie and then create a lead, the Panthers remained dominant for the rest of the set. Bell secured the game point with her ninth kill of the night for the final score of 25-17. The Panthers knew they only needed one more set to take the match, but Virginia was not willing to give up so easily. Neither Pitt nor Virginia were able to take a commanding lead in the first part
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of the third set. The score teetered in favor of both teams, but Virginia predominantly kept a one- or two-point advantage in the first half. “It’s nerve-racking when the score goes back and forth,” Bell said. “But I felt pretty calm.” A mid-set kill by junior middle blocker Kelsey O’Neill propelled Pitt one point ahead of Virginia, setting the score at 14-13. The Panthers used the opportunity to create a staggering upper hand that the Cavaliers found difficult to keep up with. When the score Mariah Bell reached 24-16, Buskirk landed one last kill to end the set 25-17 and achieve a 3-0 shutout win. “We have to pick up some wins,” head coach Dan Fisher said. “We have to be ready.” The Panthers will play their next ACC game against the Duke Blue Devils Oct. 7, in Durham, North Carolina, at 6:30 p.m.
It’s nerve-racking when the score goes back-and-forth
The Pitt News SuDoku 10/03/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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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.
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, Neville. 412-287-5712. 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.
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2,3,5 BR houses. Available now. Bouquet, Atwood, & Dawson. Please call 412-287-5712. Atwood Street. Studio- $450/mo including all utilities. 1 Bedroom 550 plus electric. Wall to wall fully equipped. Imediate. (412)-561-7964.
One bedroom apartment available Oct 1. 400 South Aiken Avenue. Newly remodnew 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.
3,4,5 BR. Sarah Street and Wrights Way. Close to Pitt and Duquesne University. Call 412-287-5712.
The Psychiatric Molecular Imaging Program is seeking men 18-25 years of age for brain imaging research studies. Participants must be in good physical and mental health, planning to stay in the Greater Pittsburgh area for the next 12 months, and willing to provide blood sambility. The study involves questionnaires, interviews, and brain scanning. The research study will take place at UPMC Presbyterian University Hospital. Subjects will be compensated up to $800 upon completion. For details, call 412-586-9888.
available immediately. $625/mo. All utilities included. On site laundry. Near West Penn Hospital and bus line. Call 412-292-7156.
Comfort Keepers, a Post-Gazette Top Workplace, is seeking caring individuals. Caregivers work alongside seniors to provide companionship, light housekeeping, personal care services. Flexible hours available. If interested call 412-653-6100.
Issues with your landlord? We can help. Ludin &Associates. Call 412-281-6557.
Waiter/Waitress, Dishwasher/Cook: 20 hours/week, great working environment. Cafe Sam, 5242 Baum Blvd. Apply Monday-Friday 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
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. Uncle Sam’s Submarines, Pittsburgh’s best little sandwich joint is looking for fun-loving and hard-working people to work at our Oakland location. Applications for full or part-time positions are now being accepted at 210 Oakland Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15213. Restaurant pre-opening job fair. The Café Carnegie @ Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Oakland Campus. OPENING SOON and NOW HIRING. P/T positions. Host/Hostess, Server, Barista, Busser and Cook. Flexible Schedules. Apply in person at job fair Thurs 10/6Friday 10/7; 10am6pm at Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave. (Carriage Drive entrance). If unable to attend, email resume carnegierecruiting@ciemail.com. CULINAIRE is an Equal Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.
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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.
Sharper Walls Studio is seeking individuals to tutor middle and high school students in academic subject’s math, science, english, writing, history and foreign languages, as well as, computer programming, graphic design, web design, photography, drawing, architecture, fashion design, music composition, music fundamentals, song writing and sound recording,
For more information please email Brian at sharperwallsinc@aol.com
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MARKETING/NETWORKING: Gaming company seeking up to 10 motivated students to sign 3,000 players up for early testing on the world's FIRST EVER INTERACTIVE SPORTS APP. Marketing materials provided. Earn up to $25/hr. plus bonus opportunities. This is a great and an easy opportunity for leaders of fraternities, groups, and teams. Email requests to rchristoff010@gmail.com.
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October 3, 2016
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