10-19-17 by The Pitt News

The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | Octotber 19. 2017| Volume 108 | Issue 50

STAY SPOKE PG. 2

Senate council focuses on funding Nolan Roosa Staff Writer

Chancellor Patrick Gallagher opened his report at the University Senate Council meeting Wednesday by addressing the killing of Pitt student Alina Sheykhet. This was the chancellor’s first public statement regarding the tragic death. “Our community was heartbroken at the loss of Alina Sheykhet … this kind of violence is so senseless,” he said. Sheykhet was found dead in her home on Cable Place Sunday, Oct. 8. Matthew Darby, Sheykhet’s ex-boyfriend whom she had filed a protection-from-abuse Alex Dolinger, a first-year psychology major, shares her mental health story at Stay Spoke Poetry Night in Nordy’s Place. Roger Tu | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER order against, was charged with homicide Tuesday, Oct. 10, and was arrested two days later in South Carolina. Gallagher encouraged students and faculty to use the University’s many mental health resources and to reach out for help if needed. The conversation then turned to the 40 attendees gathered to hear Keith Sachs, and-white childhood photo of Mrs. Sachs budget crisis in Harrisburg, where it Laura Howe a 1965 graduate of Pitt’s College of Busi- at the beginning of his presentation. stayed for the majority of the council For The Pitt News When Mrs. Sachs went to live with her meeting. Gallagher and other faculty Renee Sachs was hardly old enough to ness Administration, give his wife a voice. read when she realized that, if she made Though she passed away in 2015, Mrs. aunt in Vichy, she had to quickly become expressed their concern about the para mistake, it could cost two lives — hers Sachs had written down her memoirs for accustomed to the rituals of the Catho- tisan politics that are jamming up the the benefit of future generations — a leg- lic church to hide her secular Jewish up- revenue and appropriation bills in Harand her aunt’s. When she was 4 years old, Sachs went acy her husband carries on by sharing it bringing. While at church, she was told risburg. that everyone but Catholics were destined Pennsylvania House republicans to live with her aunt in Vichy, France, so with as many people as possible. Mr. Sachs read her written memoirs to go to Hell and the guilt and fear reso- passed a revenue package last night that she — a young girl of Jewish descent — could escape the genocide being carried aloud and recounted her emotions, be- nated with her. would increase the amount the state “How would you feel if there was a war would borrow to $1.5 billion, accordout in the only home she had ever known, ginning the presentation by showing the audience a picture of his wife as a against the Jews, and you were a Jew?” Mr. ing to an article in the Pittsburgh PostParis. Sachs said to the audience. The atmosphere of the O’Hara Student child. Gazette. The package includes revenue Mr. Sachs captivated the room with from expanded gambling and requiring “This beautiful child is going to be the Center Ballroom was solemn as the audience sat, captivated, listening as her hus- one who guides us through this time in words from both him and his wife as online retailers to collect PennsylvaSee Survival on page 3 See Funding on page 2 band, Mr. Sachs, retold her story. About history,” Sachs said, gesturing to a black-

Husband relates story of wife’s Holocaust survival

News

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

Laura Howe

For The Pitt News Emiola Jay Oriola said he’s not native to writing poetry — and he didn’t used to like art — but in the eulogy he wrote for his father’s funeral, he found that a poem came out. “It was very brand new, so I started to cultivate it, seek God and ask ‘what is this?’ and more poetry came out,” he said. Oriola — a Pitt alum, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary student and winner of seven Pittsburgh poetry slams — was one of several people who recited poetry before an audience of about 40 Pitt students Wednesday night as part of Mental Health Awareness month. The poetry event, called Stay Spoke, allowed attendees to hear others open up about mental illness through spoken word. Analise Rode, a senior majoring in psychology and a member of the SGB Mental Health Awareness month committee, organized the event. She said many of the other events for Mental Health Awareness Month are not as interactive as Stay Spoke. “A lot of the events for mental health awareness week are more like students attending something, listening to something, viewing something. We wanted to do something different this year, where students voices could really be heard,” Rode said. The event featured several Pitt students, as well as two Pitt alumni, who each performed original spoken word pieces relating to mental illness. An impromptu open mic was held later in the evening for audience members to perform material while waiting for Oriola,

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the last scheduled performer, to arrive. The performers spoke on a variety of topics — including anxiety and depression, dealing with a friend’s suicide and toxic relationships. Alex Dolinger, a first-year psychology major, was one of the performers at Stay Spoke. She said poetry is a more accessible way to engage in the dialogue around mental illness, and it is ultimately about reshaping the experiences you have. “A lot of the people here seemed to have had pretty bad stuff happen to them and I have too,” Dolinger said. “It’s kinda nice to turn that into something beautiful for other people to enjoy.” Aside from being something others can enjoy, Oriola said people can use poetry to make topics such as anxiety and depression — that otherwise may seem foreign — relatable. “Poets are kind of like chefs. You make it in a way that people say ‘I didn’t know what these meant separately, but because you did it this way, I understand it and it’s palatable,’” Oriola said. Rode said performing poetry is effective in communicating problems related to sensitive topics such as mental illness because it can feel like putting on an act instead of directly talking about yourself and opening up to people. “It’s really an important way to share experience without people feeling too vulnerable,” Rode said. Originally from Nigeria, Oriola said word of mouth and oral tradition are a large part of African American culture. “Poetry is one of the of the foundations of art,” Oriola said. “And art can be a mirror for life.”

Funding, pg. 1 nia’s six percent sales tax in addition to transfers from state funds. Even if Gov. Tom Wolf and the state senate approve the bill, funding for state-related universities would remain uncertain. This is because an appropriation bill for these schools would still need to be passed, which would not be easy considering the proposed increase in the amount the state is borrowing as it faces a $2 billion deficit. Gov. Wolf met with Gallagher last Thursday to “reassure him of his commitment to the state-related universities,” Wolf ’s press secretary J.J. Abbott said in an email. But Gallagher said at the council meeting he is still unsure whether state-related funding will be passed. A lack of state-related funding could ultimately impact students. University spokesperson Joe Miksch confirmed last Wednesday Gallagher is considering a mid-year tuition increase if it comes to that point. The chancellor said all members of the Pitt community are needed to pressure lawmakers to ensure state-related appropriation bills make it through the Pennsylvania state legislature. “[There is a concern] felt by many that if this failure to fund these universities happens, we could very easily be in a permanently defunded situation,” Gallagher said. The bills that fund Pitt and other Pennsylvania associate schools are passed after the rest of the state budget and require a two-thirds majority to pass. This means the legislation can be easily used as a political tool, Gallagher said. Although many students are concerned, representatives are responding to the pressure. Student Government Board has been encouraging students to call and email their representatives. Gallagher explained that Har-

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risburg representatives were unable to read their emails as they have received around 35,000. Gallagher said representatives have even told him, “please have them stop emailing me because I can’t read my email.” SGB has also been working to ensure that students are aware of the situation and are actively engaged with their state representatives. SGB representatives hosted a phone-banking event last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, offering a slice of pizza to anyone who called state representatives to voice their opinion. Carey Balaban, a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and senate council member, said students should keep the pressure on Harrisburg. “We are united and working to see that there are no cuts … we have a strong resolve and I think that there wasn’t a dissenting voice around the table,” he said. Aside from student involvement, Rob Rutenbar, senior vice chancellor for research and senate council member, said everyone in leadership positions — faculty, the board of trustees and alumni — is being enlisted to message the commonwealth. “The entire point of the conversation here is to convince the state of the extraordinary value proposition that Pitt provides,” Rutenbar said. Zuri Kent-Smith, a junior Africana studies major and SGB executive vice president, sat in place of SGB President Max Kneis, who was unable to attend the meeting, Wednesday afternoon. Kent-Smith said after the meeting that having an in-state tuition option is important because it helps to remove some financial barriers for students. “Allowing in-state students to be able to have a lower price tag [for tuition] increases the diversity that we see [at Pitt] and the quality of students that we have,” Kent-Smith said.

Survival, pg. 1 people’s emotions began to show — including some visible tears. The room fell hushed as he gave a warning. “When you see evil you cannot be silent,” he said. The couple sent her memoirs to the Memorial de la Shoah, the holocaust museum in Paris, and they received a response that Mr. Sachs proudly recalled. “‘Now her words will live in perpetuity for scholars and students alike,’” he quoted from a letter from the museum. Mrs. Sachs’ intention in writing down her memoirs and retelling them on video was to teach younger generations about her experiences. When she was alive, she used to tell her own stories in person, although she never came to Pitt. Mackenzie Dowd, an undecided student, recognized the importance of hearing stories from this era. “There is not a lot of time to hear this from someone with firsthand knowledge of it,” Dowd said. “[Stories like these teach] our generation about something so devastating that happened to a whole religion and population, so it’s really im-

Garrett Aguilar | STAFF ILLUSTRATOR portant to learn about it, to hear about it, even if it’s something that people really don’t want to face.” Carolyn Hein, a junior environmental science major, said it’s important to realize oppression and persecution don’t manifest in one event — the have happened throughout history — and that is seen in Mrs. Sachs’ story. “We can connect the oppression of

Jewish people in the Holocaust to oppression of women and minorities and everything like that, so it’s an ongoing topic, and it’s important to promote equality by learning about the history of inequality,” Hein said. Joseph Junker, a co-organizer for the event who works for Pitt’s Office of Institutional Advancement, described how the presentation related to Pitt’s Interna-

tional Week and its theme of displacement. “Having met Keith this past spring and hearing his story of his wife’s journey as a hidden child and being displaced from her home and living in an orphanage, we thought it was a great tie-in to bring a Pitt alumni back as part of that,” he said. Mr. Sachs described the day he met his wife — a chance encounter in Central Park in 1968 — as the day his life began. He said Mrs. Sachs became his teacher. “She taught me about things I never knew existed. Taught me about love, truth, the beauty of the world, to reach into your soul and feel something,” Mr. Sachs said. “I had been chosen for some inexplicable reason to love her.” Mr. Sachs concluded with Mrs. Sachs’ words about the world during the war, and he warned against letting history repeat itself. “The biggest sin of the war was not the concentration camps, but the silence. The whole world knew, and was silent,” he said. “Listen, because you can never let that happen again, to any of the world’s children again.”

The Pitt News SuDoku 10/19/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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October 19, 2017

Opinions from the editorial board

column

In wake of Weinstein, don’t be passive

WHEN FANS TURN TOXIC:

Most English teachers — and certainly any editor — will say to use the active voice when possible. Jackson Katz, an educator and author at the forefront of the male feminism movement, wants to make sure you remember that too. “We talk about how many women were raped last year, not about how many men raped women,” he said, according to a screenshot that went viral in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. “So you can see how the use of the passive voice has a political effect. [It] shifts the focus off of men and boys and onto girls and women.” In an interview with Fortune on Wednesday, he said the quote came from a 2012 speech at Middlebury College. But it suddenly became relevant when The New Yorker and The New York Times released groundbreaking reports earlier this month detailing numerous accusations of sexual harassment and assault against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The New Yorker piece was published Oct. 10, and included 13 women’s accusations. Now, as CNN reports, that number is more than 40. In response to these stories, people across the country stood up to tell theirs. The #metoo social media movement is a catalog of women’s stories of sexually assault and harassment, and it empowers women and other survivors to share their stories, should they choose. But while liberating and empowering, the movement instrumentalizes tales of suffering to further the political goal of ending workplace sexual

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misconduct. Just like how Katz noted passive language has the power to place ownership for sexual assault on women, the #metoo movement places the burden of proof on women. Instead, men should be the ones taking ownership. We should be discussing the number of men that raped women — or more broadly, people that committed rape — in a certain year, rather than the number of women that were raped. That’s why some chose to share modified versions of the hashtag, removing the gendered pronouns and including personal takes on why it’s wrong that survivors must share their stories for anything to change. Survivors of sexual assault are rightly standing up to those who try to place the blame for violence on them — but there are ways others can help too. We have the power to change the conversation surrounding sexual assault and harassment. The issue is incredibly complicated, and made more so by the fact that violent, explicit language can induce panic for survivors. But like Katz suggests, there’s one place we know we can start — using active language. In the aftermath of the Weinstein scandal, much will change — and hopefully for the better. The National Women’s Law Center told The New York Times they received twice the volume of calls from survivors after the story broke, and the #metoo hashtag was used more than 500,000 times in the first 24 hours. The change occurring is just the beginning — and now we have the chance to keep changing the conversation for the better.

The Szechaun sauce riots

Raka Sarkar |Senior Staff Illustrator

Thomas Wick Columnist

Hundreds of people stood last weekend outside a big business to protest. They raised their fists, chanted at the representatives and demanded they provide for them. What were these people so furious about? A 19-year-old sauce for McDonald’s Corp. chicken nuggets. “Rick and Morty” made headlines with McDonald’s last week when the fast-food chain rereleased its Szechuan sauce, a promotional collaboration with Disney for the 1998 release of “Mulan.” After a few months, the promotion ended and people forgot about Szechuan sauce. That is, until the surprise season three pre-

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miere of adult cartoon “Rick and Morty.” The show is about the intergalactic adventures of Rick, an alcoholic supergenius, and his high school-aged grandson, Morty. In the premier, Rick is trapped inside his own mind back in 1998, when McDonald’s provided the sauce. Later, Rick says he’ll do whatever it takes to get more of it, even if it takes nine more seasons. Since that episode, “Rick and Morty” fans petitioned McDonald’s to bring back Szechuan sauce. So when McDonald’s announced they would bring back the sauce for a one-day special event at a select number of restaurants across the United States, fans were excited. But when McDonald’s was unable to supply all the See Wick on page 5

Wick, pg. 4 fans with the sauce, the fan base went berserk. When employees told the growing lines they had run out of Szechuan sauce, angry fans started chanting and rioting over the fiasco, all the while the employees, who were being paid minimum wage, were just trying to do their jobs. One fan even jumped on the counter, screamed “I’m Pickle Rick” and “Wubba Lubba Dub Dub” — two of Rick’s catchphrases — and rolled around on the floor before running out of t h e store. Fans like this have given the “Rick and Morty” fan base a bad reputation. Series cre-

ator Dan Harmon even acknowledged this when sexist fans harassed female writers Jane Becker and Jess i c a G a o on the internet that didn’t like the episodes they wrote. “It’s offensive to me as someone who was born male and white, and still works way harder than them, that there’s some white male [fan out there] trying to further some creepy agenda by ‘protecting’ my work. I’ve made no bones about the fact that I loathe these people,” Harmon said. Couldn’t have said it better myself. This sauce fiasco isn’t the only thing that makes the fan base so terrible. There are fans who seriously think watching “Rick and Morty” makes you smarter than other people, such as one unnamed fan who went viral after a post they wrote was copied and spread on reddit by popular user Niekish.

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“To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Rick and Morty,” the user wrote in a July 29 post. “As a consequence people who dislike Rick & Morty truly ARE idiots.” Now, it’s true that “Rick and Morty” is smartly written — The Pitt News culture editor Lexi Kennell pointed this out in an article last month. “While ‘Rick and Morty’ exhibits traits seen in Neo-Dadaism, the show mainly wrestles with the idea of humans trying to seek their life’s purpose,” she said. “The show’s dialogue is quite possibly its most nihilistic aspect, often laden with existential realizations or breakdowns.” But just because fans spend hours analyzing every single scene and reference doesn’t mean they are smarter than other people. In fact, other cartoons such as “Bojack Horseman” do the same thing, yet don’t have the overtly toxic fan bases that “Rick and Morty” does. It’s unbearably arrogant for people to think watching a cartoon makes them more intelligent. A show as popular as “Rick and Morty” doesn’t require a high IQ to understand it — if it did, it’d probably be inaccessible and people wouldn’t watch it. For a channel like Adult Swim that cares about viewership numbers, that would be bad for business. And if “Rick and Morty” fans truly had high IQs, they wouldn’t be standing outside for hours complaining that they didn’t get teriyaki sauce from a fast-food restaurant or trading their car for a single packet of the sauce like one woman in Michigan did. In retrospect, I wish I had gone to get some of that sauce so I could sell it online for thousands of dollars to pay off some student loans. But these fans completely missed the point of the series. Despite Rick’s infinite power and intelligence, all he wants is some sauce — and he can’t even accomplish that. He pretends like nothing matters because of his ability to travel to any dimension, but in reality he is miserable. And I think deep down, despite Rick’s aggressive apathy and narcissism, he knows it. I don’t think being a superfan of “Rick and Morty,” or any series for that matter, is inherently a bad thing. I consider myself a fan of “Rick and Morty,” and I even have a shirt to show for it. But these people have taken the obsession too far and brought out the worst parts of their humanity. In the end, all I want is to say is I like “Rick and Morty” without being ashamed of it.

The Pitt News

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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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student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer. Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after ﬁrst being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Com mittee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260. The editor in chief has the ﬁnal authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor in chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

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Culture Connor Wurst | For The Pitt News

Four legs, floppy ears and a wet nose don’t seem to be the usual description of someone who is equipped to help with disabilities, but in the case of Aiden the puppy, this description is just enough when paired with two years of training. Aiden, an almost 4-month-old black lab, is training with Emma Oaks, a junior chemistry major, to someday work full-time as a certified service dog. Aiden doesn’t quite know his role yet, but he will someday offer support and assistance to a child or adult in need. Oaks joined Perfect Fit Canines as a puppy raiser, which means she will raise Aiden for the first two years of his life. During that time, Perfect Fit Canines and Oaks will work together to socialize and train Aiden — a big part of which is simply exposing Aiden to as many new things as possible. On an average day, Aiden accompanies Oaks from her home in Squirrel Hill to class and with her when she runs errands. “I try to spend at least an hour on just obedience training at home,” Oaks said. “I put him on a leash in the living room and I have my treat pouch ready — and he’s leashed — and I step on it pretty short so that he has to kind of focus. We do just basic commands then.” On the puppy’s official instagram, Oaks documented Aiden conquering a recent challenge — riding escalators. And Aiden may someday need to assist a child in a classroom or an adult in a workplace, situations to which the courtesies and behaviors he learns while out in the world will apply. Inspired by the death of her family, Oaks raised a service dog during her senior year of high school. Later in college, she was encouraged by Holly Hickling, the community outreach adviser of Pitt’s Honors College, to continue this passion. Oaks first attempted to build a student organization her first year at Pitt, but ran into a few obstacles. Susquehanna Service Dogs, the organization through which she raised her first dog, wasn’t interested in collaborating because of their distance from campus. Through further research Oaks was able to find Perfect Fit Canines — located only 20 minutes from the city — to back her future student organization. According to Susan Wagner, founder of Per-

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Teaching Aiden to Aid: student trains service pup

Aiden, an almost 4-month-old black lab, continues to work toward becoming a certified service dog. Courtesy of @Aiden_the_service_pup fect Fit Canines, the organization has trained dogs to support individuals with heart disease, psychological injuries, balance issues, autism and other disabilities. The group was first inspired eight years ago by Wagner’s husband’s experience as a counselor for autistic children, and has since expanded to assist individuals with many other disabilities. The organization doesn’t have a designated kennel and instead relies on puppy raisers, such as Oaks, to raise their service dogs in training. Their network of trainers fluctuates, but Perfect Fit Canines typically trains 15 to 20 puppies at a time. Wagner firmly believes college students can fill that puppy raiser role quite well.

“One of our most successful dogs was raised by a girl that went to James Madison. She lived in a sorority — [the puppy] lived there with her. She went to class with her everyday — she went everywhere with her,” Wagner said, “It has great appeal to students on many, many campuses.” Oaks enjoys having Aiden in her life and finds the work overwhelmingly rewarding, as she hopes he will eventually help people with disabilities, but the rigorous training Aiden needs can be stressful. “It’s easy to forget that he’s a baby,” Oaks said. “It definitely does get frustrating, but since he’s my second dog, I’ve learned a little bit about the

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frustration and how to handle the temper tantrums they throw.” Beyond the challenges that naturally come with raising a service dog, there has been some pushback from the community — bus drivers are often stubborn about not letting Aiden on board and some of Oaks’ professors have embraced him much more than others. This is a problem facing many people both training and living with service dogs. Both active and training service dogs are allowed to occupy public spaces and rented housing by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, but there is still extensive education that needs to be done on the rights and courtesies that go along with service dogs. And Perfect Fit Canines is trying to provide that education. Ella Cook, a junior anthropology major, is the vice president of the future Pitt student branch of Perfect Fit Canines. She said they still hope to involve students as puppy raisers, but one of the main goals of the organization is to educate the campus population and beyond. “A big part of what we want to do is educate, because obviously not everyone can raise a service dog. We want to talk to people about it, show how beneficial it can be. I think that’s going to be a bigger focus of what we do eventually,” Cook said. The student branch of Perfect Fit Canines is still going through the process of becoming an official University club. They are currently drafting a constitution and collecting a list of potential members who have expressed interest. Both the student organization and Aiden himself have a bit of growth before them in the coming months. Cook and Oaks are currently working through establishing bylaws and memberships, and Aiden is still figuring out how to better maneuver the difficult and demanding life of a service dog — but in the meantime he’s already helping to brighten the life of one Pitt student. “Even though I don’t need him medically, I kind of need him emotionally,” Oaks said. “He definitely has impacted my life very positively.”

FRIGHTENING FUNCTIONS The Culture Desk The entire month of October is often laden with trips to pumpkin patches, nights spent watching scary movies under piles of blankets and parties where everyone shows oﬀ their handmade Halloween costumes. And whether it’s a Halloween bar crawl, a haunted amusement park or a live rendition of a spooky cult classic, The Pitt News has got you covered. Check out these events to ensure you’ll be in the Halloween spirit come the night of Oct. 31 — well, unless you have a night class.

vibe as it offers not only its usual rides, but haunted houses and graveyards as well. Halloween Tour of the Nationality Rooms Oct. 20-21 Having to sit in a Nationality Room pew for the duration of a night class may be a scary concept for your behind, but the Halloween Tour is even scarier — the ghost stories and urban legends from some of the room’s countries are chilling. Not to mention there’s a ghost named Marsha in the Early American room.

Pittsburgh Oct. 21 There can’t be too many Halloweenthemed bar crawls! Put on your spookiest costume and buy some drinks to help benefit Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Pitt Tonight Season 3, Episode 2: 2 sPoOpY 4 U Oct. 22 With all of the wacky things Pitt Tonight has pulled off, its Halloween episode is something you surely don’t want to miss. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and audience members are encouraged to wear costumes.

Halloween Bar Crawl — South Side Flats Phantom Fright Nights at Kennywood Oct. 21 Fridays and Saturdays This Halloween-themed bar crawl seems If riding the more than 100-year-old Silence of the Lambs rickety wooden roller-coasters that normal- to have it all — a costume contest, wristOct. 25 ly operate in the park during the summer bands for specials and even a Halloween TThe IMDB Top 25 must-see film will doesn’t scare you enough, try visiting Ken- shirt if you finish the crawl. be showing in Soldiers & Sailors Memorial nywood during its Phantom Fright Nights. Hall and Museum — the same place it was Boo & Brew Bash 2017 — Downtown The park adopts a dark, post-apocalyptic

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filmed 26 years ago. Rocky Horror Picture Show — WPU Assembly Room — 8-10 p.m. Oct. 25 Pitt’s Engineering Student Council is putting on a production of the cult classic in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room. Admission is free and includes popcorn and prop bags. Pitches & Tones presents Potions & Bones — Alumni Hall — 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Oct. 27 Don’t miss the Pitches & Tones’ seventh See Functions on page 8

Functions, pg. 7 Annual Halloween Concert in Alumni Hall featuring all seven of Pitt’s acapella groups, including Pitt Avaaz, C Flat Run, The Pitt Pendulums, Pittch Please, The Songburghs and Sounds like Treble. Fright Up Night Oct. 28 You’ve heard of Light Up Night during the holiday season, but Fright Up Night for Halloween in Market Square is entirely different — there’ll be live music, face paint-

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ing, drink specials and even contests for the best costumes. Ghost Hunt — Carrie Furnaces Oct. 28 Real paranormal investigators are guiding a ghost hunt through the Carrie Furnaces, the old steel mills of Pittsburgh. Participants must be 18 years old and are required to bring a flashlight. Cathedral of Burning Halloween Party Oct. 29 Held at Black Forge Coffee House, this Halloween party will be taking its costume

contest very seriously — only 25 contestants can enter the full costume contest and the person with the best costume receives a cash prize. Halloween Party at Therapy Dogs Tuesday Oct. 31 The therapy dogs that come to the Cathedral every Tuesday evening to let us scratch their furry bellies and smile lovingly into their big eyes are gearing up to give us all a fright! Seeing dogs dressed up in Halloween costumes is one of the best types of therapy out there.

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Sports Q&A

Sole Sisters:

From course to track, Vlasics have each other’s back Dominic Campbell Staff Writer

Even though senior Melanie Vlasic is finishing up her final seasons with the women’s cross country and track and field teams, she has one particular teammate to look out for — her younger sister, Mikaela Vlasic. The Vlasic sisters hail from Hatfield, where they attended North Penn High School. Both women competed on their high school’s cross country and track teams as well. Melanie tends to focus on long-distance running, while firstyear student Mikaela is more drawn to mid-distance events. Melanie recently won the Carnegie Mellon University Invitational in the 5k with a time of 18:26.2. Mikaela also ran well that day, finishing 17th with a time of 19:34.2. The Pitt News talked with the Vlasic sisters about how they got into running and what it’s like to compete together at Pitt. The Pitt News: How did you guys start to get into running? Melanie Vlasic: We both kind of grew up with different sports. Mikaela was really into soccer, and I was into a bunch of different sports. Then I was like, “Well, I want to get into shape.” So in ninth grade I did track but didn’t take it super seriously. But then I started to really enjoy the sport throughout the years, and I think Mikaela saw that and took a chance on the sport, and I think fell in love with it as well. Mikaela Vlasic: Yeah, I didn’t even know cross country existed until she signed up for it, so that was definitely her influence. Track is just one of those things where you don’t need any skills to do it, you just have to know how to run. So, I was like, “Might as well give it a shot.” Melanie: But we never knew much about it growing up. I came back from my first cross country meet when I was a sophomore in high school and my mom said, “Why are you muddy? Weren’t you on the track?” and I was like, “No that’s not it!” TPN: How did you guys know you wanted to go to Pitt? Melanie: It was kind of a shot in the dark. I had viewed a lot of schools, and I felt like I really liked the team and the environment here. When Mikaela was making her decision, it was definitely really tough not to be biased. I knew she would really like it here because there’s so many great people that I’ve met and gotten to work with throughout the years. I knew she would really like it. But it was hard to not put that on her and let her make her decision for herself.

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Mikaela: Through her, I knew what to expect. It made the decision easier because I basically knew exactly what I was getting when I came here. There was no surprises, which was nice. TPN: What’s it like running in college together? Mikaela: We used to run with each other in high school for a year. I feels like it’s kind of the same thing. It’s nice because I kind of knew what to expect. It wasn’t a surprise so it was really nice. Melanie: It’s really fun. I enjoy it a lot. You see what each other goes through each day, and you know each other so well. You know you’re going to be there for each other, so it’s cool being on the same team again. TPN: Is it any different than high school, or is it about the same? Mikaela: I feel like, just in general, in high school that first-year students and seniors were far apart, but in college everyone is the same age. You’re all doing the same thing, and it makes things easier. Melanie: Definitely agree with that. TPN: What do your parents think about you guys being on the same team? Melanie: They’ve been super supportive, very happy Sisters Melanie and Mikaela Vlasic compete on Pitt’s with how things played out because, again, it’s very easy track and cross country teams together. Wenhao Wu | Assistant Visual Editor for them to come see both of us at the same time. Also I think Sometimes when I’m not so confident and am overthinking somethey’ve seen how much of a second home Pitt has become for me, and I think there’s a lot of comfort in knowing that Mikaela is thing, she’s a very easy person to go to and kind of lift me up. here because so far we’ve had really good experiences. Mikaela: Definitely. I have a hard time with long distance stuff. Mikaela: I feel like since there’s nobody left in our house, they I get really impatient on runs because we’re just running for a really have a hard time because they’re all alone. They definitely like to long time. So it’s nice to be able to run with her because she knows come to the meets, and we’re both there so it’s just killing two birds what she’s doing, and I can trust the process a little bit. with one stone. TPN: What are you guys looking to accomplish the rest of the TPN: Would you guys describe your relationship as a sibling year with track and cross country? rivalry or one where you try to bring each other up? Melanie: I think we are trying to be as true to ourselves as we Melanie: I think the thing with Mikaela and I is that we have can and go out there and just give it our best all the time. Again, really different strengths. I’m more of a long distance runner, and like playing off each other’s strengths, I think we complement each she’s a lot better at the fast stuff, so it’s easy to support each other other really nicely. in that and also pick each other up. When I feel like I want to run Mikaela: I think we’ll help each other meet in the middle. really hard on a fast part of a workout, I have a hard time with that, Again, playing off each other’s strengths, she’s gonna help me with but I’ll go to Mikaela for that. I think one of her strongest suits is distance, and I’ll help her with sprint, and we can find a good balthat she is a very confident person and a very confident runner. ance in the middle.

October 19, 2017

The Pitt News

POWER RANKINGS

by TPN Sports Desk 1. Miami (5-0) - 95 points (Up 1) The No. 8 Hurricanes are the lone undefeated team in the ACC after eking out a 25-24 win over Georgia Tech Saturday. Redshirt junior quarterback Malik Rosier completed a miracle pass on fourthand-10 with 42 seconds remaining to set up the game-winning field goal. The Hurricanes take on giant-killer Syracuse at home Saturday, Oct. 21. -Brandon Glass, Staff writer Next Up: Syracuse

The behemoth that is Clemson football was knocked from its pedestal after a fourth-quarter field goal secured the 27-24 win for Syracuse. That wasn’t the only change in rankings this week, though. Only five teams — with four of those being the bottom four teams — remained even, highlighting the massive change in the hierarchy. Here’s The Pitt News’ ACC power rankings after the seventh week of play:

both the season and ACC play because their stout defense was nowhere to be found. The Tigers’ college playoff hopes have dwindled a bit, but if they play mistake-free football for the remainder of the season, they may save their reputation. -Abbot Zuk, Staff writer Next Up: Georgia Tech, Oct. 28

scoreless in the fourth quarter. Georgia Tech will face Wake Forest — a team that’s lost two games in a row — Saturday. -Glass Next Up: Wake Forest

4. Virginia Tech (5-1) - 81 points (Down 1) The No. 14 Hokies had the week off to 6. Florida State (2-3) - 57 points (Up recover while the rest of the ACC crumbled. Virginia Tech will face a hapless 1) After coming into the season with North Carolina team that’s looking to get playoff expectations, FSU is now hoping its first conference win Saturday. -Glass just to finish above .500. The Seminoles Next Up: North Carolina took down Duke 17-10 Saturday, bring5. Georgia Tech (3-2) - 69 points ing their record to 2-3. They look to carry that momentum into this week’s home (Even) Georgia Tech lost a 25-24 heartbreak- matchup with the similarly underachiever to No. 8 Miami Saturday, Oct. 14. The ing Louisville Cardinals. -Trent Leonard, Yellow Jackets were forced to punt on For The Pitt News four straight possessions and were held See Rankings on page 11

The Pitt news crossword 10/19/17

3. NC State (6-1) - 82 points (Up 1) The No. 16 Wolfpack traveled to Heinz Field to devour an overmatched Pitt team Saturday. Junior running back Nyheim Hines dominated the Panthers’ 2. Clemson (6-1) - 92 points defense, carrying the ball 16 times for (Down 1) Clemson was finally dethroned by 135 yards and a touchdown. The WolfDino Babers and the Syracuse Orange. pack enter their bye week on a six-game The Tigers suffered their first loss of win streak as one of the elite teams in the

ACC. -Glass Next Up: Notre Dame, Oct. 28

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October 19, 2017

Rankings, pg. 10 Next Up: Louisville 7. Virginia (5-1) - 54 points (Up 1) The Cavaliers defeated North Carolina 20-14 Saturday, vaulting them to first place in the ACC Coastal with a 5-1 overall record. However, Virginia has yet to play a ranked opponent. That trend will continue this week when the Cavaliers host a mediocre Boston College squad. -Leonard Next Up: Boston College T-8. Louisville (4-3) - 49 points (Down 2) The Cardinals’ disappointing season continued with a 45-42 loss Saturday against Boston College. The Cardinals will need their defense to show up if they have any hope of getting back in the win column against Florida State Saturday. -Glass Next Up: Florida State T-8. Syracuse (4-3) - 49 points (Up 1) The Orange pulled off the biggest upset of the college football season thus far when they toppled Clemson Friday, Oct. 13. After losing to Middle Tennessee in week two, Syracuse has proven to be surprisingly competitive, falling to LSU and NC State by mere single digits before winning it last two games — both by a score of 27-24. The Orange will attempt to ruin another undefeated season when they travel to Miami to face the Hurricanes. -Leonard Next Up: Miami

its previous two games before the bye. However, Saturday’s showdown against Georgia Tech isn’t an ideal matchup for a team trying to snap a losing streak. -Glass Next Up: Georgia Tech 12. Boston College (3-4) - 23 points (Even) The Eagles and first-year running back AJ Dillon defeated the Cardinals in a 45-42 rout Saturday. Dillon shined with a whopping 39 carries for 272 yards and four touchdowns. Boston College will travel to Virginia Saturday to take on the Cavaliers. -Glass Next Up: Virginia 13. Pitt (2-5) - 14 points (Even) Pitt dropped its fifth loss — third to a top 25 team — this season. The switches at the quarterback position don’t do the Panthers any favors, but they’re going to need improvements at every position if they want to salvage the remainder of a dismal season. -Zuk Next Up: Duke 14. North Carolina (1-6) - 7 points (Even) The Tar Heels lost their fourth straight game of the season Saturday, this time in a 20-14 loss against a surprising Virginia Team. First-year running back Michael Carter was the lone bright spot, carrying the ball 13 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns. The Tar Heels will face No. 14 Virginia Tech Saturday, a team that’s fresh off a bye week. -Glass Next Up: Virginia Tech

10. Duke (4-3) - 37 points (Down 1) The Blue Devils dropped their third straight contest Saturday, 17-10, to Florida State, bringing their record to 4-3. There’s good news for Duke: they get to host a struggling Pitt team in this week’s matchup. The Blue Devils will look to take advantage of Pitt’s quarterback controversy as they attempt to avoid a fourgame skid. -Leonard Next Up: Pitt 11. Wake Forest (4-2) - 26 points (Even) The Demon Deacons are coming off a much-needed bye week. Wake Forest lost

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October 19, 2017

I N D E X

Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER

For Rent South Oakland **2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Bedroom Houses/ Apartments in South Oakland. Available for rent August 2018. 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. **AUGUST 2018: Furnished studios, 1,2,3,4 bedroom apartments. No pets. Non-smokers preferred. 412-621-0457. 1 & 2 bedroom apartment for rent, available immediately. $425 & $750/mo. 412-889-5790. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Bedrooom Houses. August 2018. Bouquet St, Meyran, Semple, Neville, Chesterfield. 412-287-5712. 2-3-4-5-6-7 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2018. Nice, clean, free laundry, includes exterior maintenance, new

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Employment • CHILDCARE • FOOD SERVICES • UNIVERSITY • INTERNSHIPS • RESEARCH • VOLUNTEERING • OTHER

appliances, spacious, located on Meyran, Bates, Oakland, Semple, Wellsford, Dawson, Juliet. 412-414-9629. 3,4,6 houses available January and August 2018. Lawn St. Ward St. Call 412-287-5712. 4 BR Home - Semple Street, located near Louisa. Equipped Kitchen, Full Basement. New central air added. Renting for August 2018. (412) 343-4289 or 412-330-9498. Apartments for rent. 2,3,4, and 5 bedroom apartments available. Some available on Dawson street, Atwood street, and Mckee Place. Newly remodeled. Some have laundry on site. Minutes from the University. For more info please call Mike at 412-849-8694 South Oakland Student Housing: 2, 4 & 5 BR House. Updated Kitchen, Baths, A/C, Laundry, some with parking. August 2018 Availability. 412-445-6117.

Rental Other 1,2,3 BR. Apartments, prices range from $450-$750 per person. Some include utilities, some you have to pay. Call Jarrad 814-403-2798

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Volunteering Sacred Heart Elementary School, located in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, is seeking volunteer basketball coaches for the upcoming 2017-2018 basketball season. Coaches are needed for boys varsity (7th & 8th grades) and girls JV (5th and 6th grades). Diocese clearances required and mandate reporters training. For more information or if interested, please contact Amy Volpe at jaisvolpe@gmail.com.

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October 19, 2017