The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh
Pitt football notebook Page 9 November 24, 2015 | Issue 70 | Volume 106
Study tracks weight-loss surgery results Dylan Shaffer Staff Writer
Weight loss surgeries don’t cure obesity, but according to research from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health, they might contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Researchers at the School of Public Health spent three years monitoring 2,221 morbidly obese patients who underwent bariatric surgeries to restrict the amount of food their stomachs could hold. The study concluded that a majority of the patients experienced less joint pain and had an easier time walking. Wendy King, lead researcher and associate professor in the epidemiology department at Pitt, and her team presented the results of the study in Los Angeles at the Nov. 2-6, ObesityWeek, the annual international conference of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society. The National Institutes of Health funded the study. “This was the first study following modern day [bariatric surgery] procedures,” King said. “It’s the first with such a big group, such long-term follow-up and actually looking at predictors of change and factors related to change.” Some patients did not experience as much improvement after the surgery. Pre-existing medical conditions, old age, lower income and depressive symptoms had a negative impact on a patient’s
Fall foliage surrounding Heinz Chapel welcomes Thanksgiviing. Jeff Ahearn ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR
Susan Hicks fund passes $10,000 goal Elizabeth Lepro
Assistant News Editor
Pitt students can help carry Susan Hicks’ legacy and passion for traveling by studying abroad with a scholarship in her name. In the weeks immediately after a car hit and killed Hicks, a Pitt adviser, while she was riding her bike on Fifth Avenue, her friends and family decided to set up an endowed scholarship fund in her name. The Susan M. Hicks Memorial Fund, which will contribute to at least two students studying abroad in Eastern Europe or former Soviet Union countries, reached its original goal of $10,000 on Nov. 20. Joseph Junker, from Pitt’s Office of InstiSee Surgery on page 2
tutional Advancement, said there is no specific set date for when the scholarship will be available but students will hopefully be able to apply by fall 2016. The project managers, including Dawn Seckler, who works in Pitt’s Center for Russian and East European Studies, have since raised the goal to $20,000 by the end of December. The support was indicative of Hicks’ impact wherever she went, according to Seckler. “I think it speaks volumes of the work Susan was doing and the tremendous respect friends and colleagues have for her work,” Seckler said. The fund is a campaign on EngagePitt,
Pitt’s crowdfunding platform through the University Office of Institutional Advancement. According to the EngagePitt website, Hicks advised students looking for study abroad funding and programs in Russia, Montenegro, Poland and other countries. “She would jump up and down for joy with them, when they learned they had won funding,” according to the website. After Hicks passed, some of the students who she worked closely with as an adviser grieved as deeply as her close friends. Seckler said the small size of the Eastern European Studies Center allowed for personal connections between students and See Memorial Fund on page 3
News Surgery, pg. 1 improvement after the surgery. “Our hope is that these data will help patients and clinicians develop realistic expectations regarding the impact of bariatric surgery on these aspects of their lives,” King said in a release. Since the 1980s, the percent of people in the United States who are morbidly obese — with a BMI greater than 40, or greater than 35 with a serious health problem — has more than doubled. More than 6 percent of people 20 and older in the United States were morbidly obese from 2011 to 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2011 and 2013, the number of bariatric surgeries on extremely obese patients has also gone up 15 percent, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Meg Mayer-Costa, a dietitian in Pitt’s Student Health Center, said bariatric surgery does not fix obesity, but is instead a tool for improving a person’s overall health. “For many people, learning to use food properly as nourishment was a new prospect,” Mayer-Costa said. “With bariatric surgery there are limitations to a person’s intake, so every sip and bite has to provide quality nutrition.”
The researchers only focused on patients who had BMIs over 35, David Flum, a co-researcher at the University of Washington, said. Those people who lost more weight and began a *Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention healthy routine before the surgery experienced more positive effects afterward. “This may be because exercise behaviors are made more routine and support a healthy lifestyle afterward,” Flum said, “or that the recovery in the days and weeks after surgery is made easier with a better level of fitness.” The study found “50 to 70 percent of adults with severe obesity who underwent bariatric surgery reported clinically important improvements in bodily pain [and] physical function,” according to the release. Addit i o n a l l y, the study While King said the surgeries were limitations,” Flum said. “Not all people revealed that more than half with walking limitations got better af- helpful in alleviating certain stressors, of participants who had a ter surgery, and we think those who in the long term, patients should seek mobility deficit prior to the lost more weight and had less structural weight loss the old-fashioned way. surgery did not after sur- problems did best.” “Adhering to a more strict diet that’s gery. Structural problems, according to healthier, [eating] less food and increas“We [found] that the Flum, include severe bone and joint ing activity level are important parts in more heavy you were before problems that might have led to the the overall success of the surgery,” King surgery, the more likelihood need for a wheelchair before surgery. said. you were to have walking
Overweight and obese adults age 20 and older United States 2009–2010
Estimated percentage by sex Women
Men
64%
Overweight or Obese
74%
36%
Obese
36%
8%
Extremely Obese
4%
“Every sip and bite has to provide quality nutrition.”
-Meg Mayer-Costa, dietitian pittnews.com
November 24, 2015
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Memorial Fund, pg. 1 professors. “There were a lot of students who wanted to be present in the center and talk with us,” Seckler said. “It would be an awful thing if we just left those students high and dry.” Hicks’ brother, Brian, has also helped raise money for the campaign. “As a family, we knew that we wanted to do something like this,” Hicks said. He said that while he wasn’t as privy to Hicks’ relationships with her students, he knew about her passion for travelling. “It always seemed to me that she was on another one of her trips or adventures,” he said. Susan Hicks got her Ph.D. in British Columbia, spent a year in Siberia and travelled to Peru with friends. “I could always talk about where my sister was travelling,” Brian Hicks said. Katherine Matson, who is also a
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project manager for the fund, met Hicks on their first day of college at Pitt in 1999. They were both undergraduates with Chancellor’s Scholarships from the University Honors College. When Hicks moved back to Pittsburgh in 2013, they reconnected. “Susan had a really nice circle of friends from all walks of life — that was one of the things that was so special about [her],” Matson said. “I’m really, really happy that there’s been such an outpouring of support. I think she would be really pleased by it.” Hicks shared her love of travel and learning about different cultures with her students, pushing them to “study language, conduct research and immerse themselves fully in the place, the culture and the community they’re visiting,” according to the fund’s webpage. Seckler said the fund will continue for as long as possible, so that people can contribute on anniversaries and special occasions in remembrance of Hicks.
Just like Hicks would go from running from six to eight miles whenever she reached her goal, Seckler said “we [won’t] hit a mark and then stop.” Matson said she most admired Hicks for her willingness to seize every opportunity she could. “Something I always thought about her and have been thinking about lately, I feel like she always seized opportunities. She was very good about taking advantage of every moment,” Matson said. “The great thing about the scholarship fund is that it will help a lot of students get the opportunity to do that same thing.” Seckler said that for Hicks, the study abroad opportunity was about traveling and learning as much and as frequently as possible — and that this scholarship will allow students to do the same. “[She] demonstrated her own scholarly work and her own commitment to studying in an international environment,” Seckler said. “She did Susan Hicks wanted her students to immerse themthat so honestly [and] so truly.” selves in culture. Photo courtesy of Brian Hicks
November 24, 2015
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Opinions
column
from the editorial board
Don’t overestimate the power of words
In defense of yoga classes Clear your mind, relax your muscles. Now breathe deeply — in through your nose, out through your mouth. We suggest the administration at Ottawa University try this, and then reconsider its stance on yoga. This school year, the Canadian university has decided not to continue offering its free, weekly yoga class to students. The reason, apparently, wasn’t because of a lack of student interest or funds, but because of what the university deemed to be a lack of cultural awareness associated with the practice. The former instructor of Ottawa University’s free yoga class, Jennifer Scharf, recently divulged her email correspondence with university administration regarding the class’ cancellation to The Washington Post. “While yoga is a really great idea, accessible and great for students ... there are cultural issues of implication involved in the practice,” the email explained. “Yoga has been under a lot of controversy lately due to how it is being practiced and what practices from what cultures, which are often sacred spiritual practices, they are being taken from.” Mainly, the university argues that yoga classes easily run the risk of misrepresenting the spiritual and cultural importance of yoga for groups of people that have historically been oppressed via western colonialism — like Indian Hindus. So, they decided to cancel the class in order to prevent such cultural appropriation. Yet, while Ottawa University’s intentions are good, it’s missing the point — people who take yoga classes aren’t using the practice in a way that reinforces harmful stereotypes. Rather, they use it to reinforce
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physical and mental wellbeing, which is essential to college students. Yoga itself is not representative of one group of people or another. In fact, many different religions, like both Hinduism and Buddhism, utilize yoga as a means to achieve mental and spiritual ends. Rather, yoga is a universally recognized strategy to help one relieve stress and to achieve mental clarity. “Yoga in its truest form is not a religion and is practiced by many religions,” Scharf wrote in response to the university’s email. “Many students ... are happy to have the option of a free class that they feel good after doing.” Yoga is about personal gains, not superficial ones associated with actual forms of appropriation. It’s not, for instance, a stereotypical joke used to get a few laughs. If it was, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India would have never suggested that the United Nations declare an “International Yoga day,” which it did on June 21. As illustrated by the United Nation’s declaration, the world celebrates the health and mental benefits yoga provides — just as we do here at Pitt. Pitt offers its own free yoga classes on campus, taught by students and volunteers. The classes provide students with a means to curb the stress that comes with college life. Malia Voytik, a student instructor of one
Matt Moret Columnist Emily Klenk STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER of Pitt’s yoga classes, told The Pitt News of her experiences with yoga. “As all my students also attend Pitt, both as undergraduate and as graduate students, I think the main draw to my yoga classes is the mental health benefit. My students leave with clear minds and the added benefit of exercise,” said Voytik. To Voytik, the appeal of yoga speaks to the needs and circumstances of college students. “Yoga is vital to me, personally, because it allows me to quickly and efficiently relieve stress. It allows me to decompress without wasting time so that I can get back to my busy schedule,” Voytik, a senior biological sciences major, said. Yoga is a method that people across the globe use to achieve goals that are relatable to every person — it is not synonymous with one group or one culture. It provides the means for a healthy lifestyle, something that every university should strive to do, as it is essential to the learning process itself. For the sake of the students at Ottawa University, it must be said that yoga is not an example of cultural appropriation, but an example of a shared human experience.
November 24, 2015
There are certain words I can’t use in this column because apparently they’re obscene. That’s a load of doodoo. The concept of obscene language is absurd and outdated. The only moral value we should attach to words should be based on their usage. Language’s power isn’t lost on me. I realize that certain words can carry a lot of weight and affect people on an emotional level. Racial slurs and any phrase that could be accurately described with a term ending in “phobic” should never be used because they hurt people. I also understand that relatively common swear words like the B-word are derogatory toward women. At the same time, I don’t really think it should matter what word I use as analogous to poop. That S-word can be an adverb, an adjective, a verb and a noun — how many words can you say that about? Who is really hurt when I use it or most other “swear” words? Answering that question requires research into linguistics, and when we look back at how these words actually came to be, we still end up without an explanation for their classification as obscene. The S-word has origins in Old English and holds the same basic meaning today as it did in the 14th century. The F-word has no precise history because it was so taboo that the original Oxford English Dictionary left it out in the 1890s. Other words have managed to become such common pieces of slang that their obscenity status almost See Moret on page 5
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The Pitt News
I recommend a large dose of swearing...
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Moret, pg. 4 totally depends on individuals. The A-word has been slang for the backside since the 1860s, and the D-word earned its harshness from 14th century religious texts. Both of these words have been casually thrown around in media for decades, but my grandmother would still prefer that I not use them. None of these words have any real meaning to me, and I would be shocked to hear someone my age tell me that they are inherently offensive. Obviously they can be used in hurtful ways, but if I’m expressing frustration or am caught up in the drama of a story, those are the words that come to mind first. Why do people cringe when that happens? Am I missing something? For as much as people complain about the so-called “PC police” controlling their speech, we have actual consequences for using particular words in particular places. The Federal Communications Commission fines television networks and radio stations for broadcasting swears because they are deemed harmful to families and children. What is the logic here? Apparently, hearing and potentially repeating these words could hurt children, but there is no real explanation behind it. It seems like the only negative effect of swearing is that it might make somebody uncomfortable because they were raised to dislike those words. It’s all just a cycle based on empty connotations. In fact, using profanity can actually help you.
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Neuroscience journal NeuroReport published a study in 2009 that found swearing carries painrelieving benefits. When we stub a toe or burn our tongue, shouting the F-, S- or D-words release adrenaline to subside pain. Psychologist Richard Keele even told Scientific America, “I would advise people, if they hurt themselves, to swear.” Sure, these words generally describe crude things and in some settings anything related to those things would be inappropriate. I would counter that we often use these words independent of their actual definitions. That could be a problem, and I would be willing to have that discussion. Perhaps using words while ignoring what they mean devalues language and should be avoided. If an increase in the societal valuing of words brings about the end of swearing, so be it. But taboos based in unclear history and perpetuated without reason? I don’t buy it. If opponents of swearing really want to make it stop, they should let the impact of the words be stripped out of them until they stop being rhetorically effective. Once people realize that their profanity doesn’t bring amusement or notability of any kind, there will really be no reason to use them. So don’t beat yourself up for slips of the tongue — and if you do, try putting a little salty language on the wound. Matt Moret primarily writes on politics and rhetoric for The Pitt News.
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Culture
uptv returns with 24 hour film festival Brady Langmann
Staff Writer At University of Pittsburgh Television’s 24 Hour Film Festival last Friday night, Zack Williams’ team had only three rules: The short had to be about a conspiracy, feature a pair of sunglasses and use the station’s green screen. “We were pacing around for an hour and a half and we had nothing,” Williams said. “We were bouncing around the joke that Justin Long was actually a Mac, and it was like,‘What if we actually made it?’” The end result was a satirical movie trailer featuring Williams, a junior communication major, as he struggled to expose the star of Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign. The festival rounded out UPTV’s, Pitt’s student television production organization, Station Launch Week, which ran last Monday through Saturday. With events such as a dance party in Towers lobby and a meet and
greet with dogs outside the William Pitt Union, UPTV celebrated its return to Pitt’s closed-circuit network after remaining off air for months while the University switched from standard to high-definition broadcast. Launch Week concluded with the annual 24 Hour Film Festival, which ran from Friday to Saturday night. Club members split into teams to write, shoot, edit and premiere a short film in under a day, with offbeat prompts and rules — squads had to include anything from a spatula to a photo of President Obama eating an ice cream cone in their movies. Aside from “iLong,” the festival produced titles such as “Doo Detective,” a “True Detective” parody featuring Shaggy and Scooby Doo as the leads, and “Spatulove,” a Christmas tale featuring a boy who gets a curious visit from an “As Seen on TV” spatula salesman. Five teams of up to six members each Members of UPTV work on their short film as part of the club’s 24 Hour Film See UPTV on page 7 Festival over the weekend. Ahn Vu | Staff Photographer
‘Exposure’ celebrates black local artists Eric Acosta
For The Pitt News What once was a coal city is now a center for culture and creativity. Pittsburgh’s transformation from a steel city to an artistic hub is evident in neighborhoods like the Hill District and Lawrenceville, where public art and street murals decorate the urban fabric. But a new exhibit in the Frick Fine Arts Building is calling attention to the lack of black artists in popular visual arts culture. “Exposure: Black Voices in the Arts,” which opened Nov. 9, and will run through Dec. 11, in the Frick Fine Arts Building’s University Gallery, is an initiative by Janet McCall, history of art and architecture professor, and her museum studies seminar. It aims to expose “the dearth of Black artists
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and curators represented in institutions and galleries,” according to the Nov. 16, press release. “[Exposure] is about exposing not only the lack of representation of black artists in the art scene,” said Alexis Henry, a senior double majoring in history and history of art and architecture and a student in the museum studies seminar that organized the exhibit, “but also the wealth of black artists that are creating in Pittsburgh.” Janet McCall, who teaches the museum studies seminar, said the exhibit will have an impact on Pitt community as well as that of the city by drawing awareness to the work as a tool for development and career building for students. “Black Voices” features 54 artists, some of whom are Pitt students. The rest are
Errol “Mobutu” Reynolds’ “Take the A Train.” Kate Koenig | Staff Photographer
working Pittsburgh artists, like cartoonist Marcel Walker. Walker submitted two works — a self-portrait and an issue of his
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comic book “Hero Corp., International.” “I am very happy that my work fits in so See Explore on page 8
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Students bring late night to Pitt Alessandra Roberto For The Pitt News
The event with the most buzz at Pitt last week wasn’t a sporting event — it was a student talk show. With all 95 seats sold out, Jesse Irwin, senior political science and film studies major, will debut Pitt Tonight, Pitt’s first student talk show, Dec. 14. It will film its episodes in the Cathedral’s Studio Theater and will later appear online by finals week. “The tickets sold out in 10 hours,” said Irwin. “But people should still join the wait list.” All tickets for live filmings are free and available online on Pitt Tonight’s website. Students can get OCC credit for attending. Pitt Tonight’s goals are twofold: In addition to creating a platform for Pitt students to showcase their hobbies and talents — “We’re considering a kid who
UPTV, pg. 6 participated in the event, with each typically shooting most of its footage Friday night and early Saturday morning, then editing its footage down to anywhere from three to seven minutes long. On Saturday night, about 30 people attended the screening at the Cathedral of Learning to see what they came up with. For Williams, who previously starred as Kent Clark in UPTV’s popular web series “Real Sorority Girls,” the 24 Hour Film Festival is a way for new and prospective members to get involved with UPTV. “The 24 Hour Film Fest is a great opportunity for us to branch out to new people that don’t know [about UPTV]. It’s a great way to learn, and to get your feet wet with things,” Williams said. “And it’s super fun, because it’s all under the pretense that you have 24 hours to make it — we’re going to appreciate whatever you make.” Launch Week caps a successful two-year period for the club, which saw UPTV double its membership from about 40 to 85 people.
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eats a ton of cottage cheese”— the group aims “to provide a learning environment for kids who want to do television,” Irwin said. Of the show’s 40-student crew, Mason Lazarcheff, senior film studies major and Pitt News videographer, and Will Sharples, junior marketing major and film studies minor, are the two production department heads who are constantly collaborating with Irwin. “Jesse and I pursued [Pitt Tonight] with a meeting with the chancellor at an event we were both working at [in May] called Intel [International Science and Engineering Fair],” Lazarcheff said. “The chancellor loved the idea, and we’ve been making the show ever since then.” While Pitt’s Bradford See Pitt Tonight on page 8
Jesse Irwin is set to host Pitt Tonight. Courtesy of Jesse Irwin
During this time, UPTV also started producing videos for student groups, including Student Government Board, Pitt Dance Ensemble, The Pitt Pulse and Formula SAE. According to Jamie Bergey, senior film studies major and UPTV’s president, this brought positive student body attention to UPTV. “The other thing that we’ve been trying to do is improve our legitimacy as a club,” Bergey said. “It’s been a long process of trying to make good in the eyes of the University and in the eyes of both the administration and other clubs.” In addition to producing videos for other clubs, Student Affairs and the film studies department have reached out to UPTV for potential collaboration opportunities. “We are a really great resource,” Bergey said. “But ... a lot of people don’t know that we exist. If they do [know about UPTV], then they can make things.” Those newly interested in the club include Hsuan Chang, a junior business and psychology major. After checking out UPTV’s meetings for the past few weeks, Chang attended the 24 Hour Film Festival’s screening with a friend.
Impressed by the shorts, Chang hopes to see similar work from the station in the coming months. “Pittsburgh’s sort of famous for films, too,” Chang said. “We have [Pittsburgh] Filmmakers, and there’s a lot of people doing film studies. And I think UPTV can create a really good environment for people who want to work together and do creative stuff.” Bergey shares Chang’s aspirations, aiming to stay true to UPTV’s original name when it started more than a decade ago — Creation Station. She hopes Pitt students will continue using UPTV’s equipment to produce anything they want, whether it’s a comedy such as “Real Sorority Girls,” or more dramatic work, like Williams’ upcoming short film about two people who meet in a hospital’s psychiatric unit. “Because we don’t have that barrier for entry, I feel like there is a possibility for us to tell stories that aren’t [being] told,” Bergey said. “People who normally have a difficult time having their voice heard — they can come to UPTV and we’d be like, ‘Here’s a camera, go tell your story.’”
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Pitt Tonight, pg. 7 campus offers a broadcast communications major, its Oakland campus does not. “By creating this, I hope to not only create an opportunity for myself, but create an opportunity for people who want to be cameramen, who want to be marketing people, who want to be house band members and stage managers and writers,” Irwin said. “There’s so many aspects to it, and you can find a way to include anyone.” Sharples is responsible for creating the features of the show that happen behind the scenes, like the prefilmed sketches that will air before episodes, and determining each episode’s games. “I essentially take all the crazy ideas we have for the show and figure out how to turn them into an entertaining, real TV show,” he said. There is no schedule or a set number of episodes that will air — the crew will use the show’s popularity among the student body to determine the show’s future.
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“I believe this will be a tradition that may even grow to the heights of some of TV’s best late night talk shows,” Sharples said. The production crew has been running efficiently in order to have everything ready for the first episode. “So far we’ve only done prefilmed material and it’s been going very smoothly,” Lazarcheff said. “We intend on filming with a live audience and putting a full version of the show on our website for all of campus to see.” The show will consist of three main segments — an interview, a talent portion and the comedy portion, which will house the prefilmed sketches. Pitt spokesperson Ken Service confirmed Chancellor Patrick Gallagher will help introduce Pitt Tonight by appearing as the show’s first guest along with a second surprise guest. “We want to showcase all that Pitt has to offer and get people excited about the school they go to,” Sharples said. “This idea was brought about not only by a love for TV and entertainment, but also by a love for Pitt.”
Explore, pg. 6 well with the themes of the exhibition and the other artists’ work, yet still stands alone in terms of style and what it is,” Walker said. “That’s what most artists set out to achieve.” “Hero Corp’s” Facebook describes the series as a group of superheroes dedicated to “the welfare of others, regardless of the dangers associated with this duty ... The betterment and safeguarding of humanity is our ultimate goal. We are bound in loyalty to our fellow agents and we accept these responsibilities as an honor.” The exhibit’s mediums feature a range of paintings, sculptures, photographs and textiles. The sculptures sprinkle the gallery’s five rooms, each boasting a different sub-theme within African-American artist culture. One room houses a photograph series documenting UPMC Braddock’s — which closed Jan. 31, 2010 — controversial destruction in which different children of color are shown playing in the hospital’s rubble. Others capture children staring into the lens, their expressions mostly defeated or stoic, highlighting the detrimental effects
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the hospital’s closing had on the community. Another room harbors paintings and sculptures of different jazz instruments, recalling the lighter subject of jazz and soul music rooted within the African-American community. The museum studies class distributed a release asking for submissions from various artists all around the Pittsburgh area in October. When Natiq Jalil heard of the exhibit, he submitted his painting, “Street Telemetry.” Jalil’s work is noticeably only partially colored. The face of the black male — the center of the painting — is colored brown with hints of reds and blues. While the hands are also partially colored, the vast majority of the clothing and outer perimeter of the painting is white. “I was thinking about the way so many black men must switch roles at the drop of a dime,” Jalil said. “We must be street savvy to survive the neighborhood, then clean cut and nondescript in order to fit in with the corporate world, etc.
Find the full story online at
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8
Sports
pitt football notebook week 12
Tyler Boyd had an electric performance Saturday against Louisville. Meghan Sunners SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Jeremy Tepper
Senior Staff Writer Coming off a 45-34 win against Louisville, the Pitt football team hopes to end the first year of head coach Pat Narduzzi’s tenure with a roar. A number of story lines stuck out in the win, including Ejuan Price’s fivesack performance, Pitt’s aggressive mentality and Tyler Boyd’s 100-yard return to form . Narduzzi addressed those topics and more at his weekly press conference Monday. Price’s big game Against Louisville, Price was dominant, constantly pressuring the quarter-
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back with five sacks. For his efforts, the ACC named Price the defensive lineman of the week. On the year, Price now has 11.5 sacks, which puts him at fourth in the country in the statistic. Narduzzi was highly complimentary of his defensive end. “He can rush the passer, he can stop the run. He’s got a motor, he’s fast,” Narduzzi said. When Narduzzi got to Pitt, Price emerged as a distinct talent . Through offseason practices, it became apparent that Price was a truly skilled player. “He’s impressive and I knew that
when I got here. I was like ‘Wow, that guy can go,’” Narduzzi said. Along with his strong play, Price has been able to stay mostly healthy, something he previously struggled with throughout his Pitt career, missing all of the 2012 and 2014 seasons. Because of that time missed, there is a possibility that the NCAA could grant Price a sixth season of eligibility. After the season, Pitt can apply for that extra year, so long as Price wants to come back. It’s apparent, though, that Narduzzi would love to have him again next season. See Football on page 10
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Football, pg. 9
Boyd’s impending decision After a down game, by his standards, with only 38 receiving yards against Duke, Boyd returned to his normal level of production against Louisville. The junior receiver caught 11 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing four times for 50 yards total. B o y d ’s strong performance wasn’t because of any new mindset or strategy — each game, Boyd is a focal point of the offense, Narduzzi said. “Every week there is an emphasis to get [Boyd] the football,” Narduzzi said. Boyd’s efforts against the Cardinals impressed Narduzzi, as the head coach added that he’s certainly deserving of
I’m a gambler, period. I like to play to win.
-Pat Narduzzi
winning ACC Receiver of the Week. Boyd did not end up earning the honor. Though Boyd’s primary contribution came in the passing game, it was his work running the ball that roused Narduzzi. “I was more impressed with Tyler Boyd carrying the ball,” Narduzzi said. “He had some tough carries in there when he put his head down and got some tough yards, which he doesn’t always do.” Because of games like this, Boyd is a top prospect and a lock to go within the first two rounds of the NFL Draft in April, if he chooses to enter the Draft after this season. Still, Narduzzi said he and Boyd haven’t talked about that impending decision, instead keeping focus on the season. “We haven’t had one word about it yet. He’s been focused,” Narduzzi said. Whenever that decision comes, Narduzzi was forthright that he’ll let Boyd make the decision, instead of trying to influence him to return to Pitt. “I’m never going to recruit a guy to stay,” Narduzzi said. “It’s a matter of doing what’s best for him and his family.”
The Pitt news crossword 11/24/15
“I might hand deliver that to the NCAA. I might take a walk to wherever they are,” Narduzzi said. Gambling mentality In his first year as a head coach, it’s become clear that Narduzzi is an aggressively minded coach, usually opting for the riskier, more rewarding play over the safe option. That assertive mentality extends throughout games, as Narduzzi usually will have his defense continue to bring pressure, even when holding a lead late. “I’m a gambler, period. I like to play to win,” Narduzzi said. The alternative, Narduzzi believes, is a recipe for losing. “You want to go after people. I don’t want to sit back and wait for them to come after me and catch everything. I want to throw punches too,” Narduzzi said. That aggressive mindset trickles down throughout the program, to Narduzzi’s assistants and players. He stresses
that he wants his assistants — defensive coordinator Josh Conklin and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney — to be assertive in play calling, too. “We’re going to be aggressive. Coach Conklin’s calling a lot of pressures and coach Chaney’s calling different runs and d i f f e r e nt passes and we’re going to take shots down the field at t i m e s ,” Nardu z z i said. That mentality seems to be limited to his football strategy. Narduzzi made that clear, stressing that off the field, he’s not a gambler by any means. “I’m not a gambler by nature, I don’t gamble at all. I hate to gamble,” Narduzzi said. “I’d rather go eat .”
pittnews.com
November 24, 2015
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I Rentals & Sublet N D E X -NORTH OAKLAND -SOUTH OAKLAND -SHADYSIDE -SQUIRREL HILL -SOUTHSIDE -NORTHSIDE -BLOOMFIELD -ROOMMATES -OTHER
3 & 4 bedroom apartments. Available immediately. Newly remodeled. Air conditioning. Bigelow Blvd., N. Neville St. Call 412-287-5712 **AUGUST 2016: Furnished Studio, 1-2-3-4 Bedroom Apts. No pets. Non-smokers preferred. 412-621-0457 1-2-3-4-5 Bedroom Houses & Apartments. 376 Meyran, 343 McKee, & Atwood, St. James, Bates St. $1,095-$2,000. Call 412-969-2790 1,2,3,5,6,7, & 8 bedroom houses. August & May 2016. Bouquet, Atwood, Meyran, Ward. Call 412-287-5712. 2 & 3 bedroom houses, Lawn & Ophelia. Available Now. Please call 412-287-5712.
2 nice 3-bedroom houses. Good location. Rent $400/room. Available August 1st, 2016. 412-881-0550 or 724-757-3367.
3BR apartment available for Spring semester. Central air, dishwasher, great location and discounted price. 412-915-0856
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2-3-4-5-6-7 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2016. Nice, clean, free laundry, includes exterior maintenance, new appliances, spacious, located on Meyran, Semple, Wellsford, Dawson, Juliet. 412-414-9629.
2,5,6 bedroom houses in South Oakland. Available for rent August 2016. Very clean with different amenities (dishwasher, laundry, AC, washer and dryer, 1-3 baths, newer appliances & sofas). Contact Ken at 412-287-4438. 3727 Dawson: 2 BR basement apartment, 1 kitchen, 1 bath and living room. $550/student. Available January 1st. Includes utilities. Call 412-595-7682 or email: daquilantes@yahoo.com 4 BR townhouse, Semple St., available May 1st & August 1st, 2016. Equipped kitchen, full basement. 412-343-4289. Call after 5:00 pm.
6, 7, or 8-bedroom house. Washer & dryer available. NO PETS. Available August 1, 2016. One year lease. Meyran Ave. 5 minute walk to University of Pittsburgh. 412-983-5222.
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Accepting applications for newly constructed large home in S. Oakland. Available August 2016. Excellent location to university, 2 blocks off Forbes. For further information call: 412-720-5023
Apartments for rent beginning August 2016. A/C, dishwasher, washer/dryer. 412-915-0856 Clean, Newly Remodeled Houses and Apartments. 1-9 Bedrooms. Call 412-680-4244 or email s.cusick@comcast.net www.superiorpropertiesgroup.com. House for RentJuliet Street. Available January 2016. Big 3-bedroom, 2story house 1.5 bath, fully-equipped eatin kitchen/appliances/new refrigerator, living, dining room, 2 porches, full basement, laundry/ storage, parking on premises, super clean, move-in condition. Near universities/hospitals/bus. $1700+. 412-337-3151
Large 1-2-3 BR apartments available August 1st. 3450 Ward Street. 312 and 314 South Bouquet Street. Free parking. Minutes to campus. Cat friendly. Call 412-977-0111.
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3 & 5 bedroom. May 2016. Sarah St. Large bedroom, new kitchen, air conditioning, washer & dryer, dishwasher, large deck. 412-287-5712.
Personal, professional masseuse needed. Long term position. 2X/week. Washington County location. Call 724-223-0939 or 724229-8868 any time. Pager: 888-200-8220
OFFFICE INTERN Shadyside Management Company seeks person w/ min 3 yrs. college, for upcoming spring semester, to interview & process rental applications, do internet postings & help staff our action-central office. Part time or full time OK starting January 2; full time in summer. $12/hour. Perfect job for graduating seniors set to enter grad school, returning grad students, and first-year law students! Mozart Management 412.682.7003. thane@mozartrents.com
R INSERTIONS 1X 2X 3X 4X 5X 6X ADDITIONAL A 1-15 WORDS $6.30 $11.90 $17.30 $22.00 $27.00 $30.20 $5.00 T 16-30 WORDS $7.50 $14.20 $20.00 $25.00 $29.10 $32.30 $5.40 E S DEADLINE: TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR BY 3 PM | EMAIL: ADVERTISING@PITTNEWS.COM | PHONE: 412.648.7978 (EACH ADDITIONAL WORD: $0.10)
College or graduate school students needed to work with elementary school children in a fun, structured after school program in the South Hills. $11-$13 per hour, flexible hours, must have own transportation. Email resume or letter of interest to jhroberts66@comcast.net SEASONAL MARKETING ASSISTANT Shadyside property management firm established in 1960 neeeds two Seasonal Marketing Assistants to work with Word, internet, & spreadsheet files from approximately December 15th to July 15th, four days/week from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturday and/or Sunday hours a must; some flexibility on days and hours will be considered; most hours will be solitary on the computer with no phone work; 40 WPM and strong computer skills required; no experience needed & we will train you at our Shadyside office; free parking. $12/hour plus generous season end bonus.
ATTENTION OCCASIONAL SMOKERS! UPMC seeks healthy adults ages 18-65 who occasionally smoke cigarettes. This research is examining how smokers respond to cigarettes that are low in nicotine. There are up to seven sessions lasting about three hours each. Research participants completing the study will be compensated up to $60 per session, or $20 per hour. For more information, call 412-246-5393 or visit www.SmokingStudies.pitt.edu Undergrads needed to test tutoring system: 18 or older, native English speaker, adequate academic background as determined by a brief questionnaire. 2-5 hrs; $10/hr., possible $20 bonus. Contact rimac@pitt.edu
MOZART MANAGEMENT www.mozartrents .com 412-682-7003
November 24, 2015
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pittnews.com
November 24, 2015
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