Vol. 105 Issue 63
@thepittnews
Pittnews.com
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Election Day: Where the candidates stand Students are saying: Cristina Holtzer and Danielle C Fox The Pitt News Staff
“I don’t want to not vote. I want to exercise my rights.”
Tom Wolf Tom Corbett Tom Wolf -Obtained his B.A. from Dartmouth College, his M.A. from the University of London and his Ph.D. from MIT. -Grew up and resides in York County. -Served in the Peace Corps for two years doing agricultural and irrigation projects in rural India. -Returned to the U.S. and worked as a forklift operator at his family’s building product company, which he later owned and operated as a family business with his two cousins. -Previously served on an economic development board and on the Pennsylvania Legislative Commission on Urban Schools during Robert Casey’s administration and as the state Secretary for Revenue during Edward Rendell’s administration. Jobs: Wolf supports the creation of jobs through the Marcellus Shale industry and believes the state must invest in manufacturing to attract shale industry opportunities. Wolf plans to institute a cash-back rewards system, through which the state will give cash payments of up to five percent of a manufacturing company’s taxable payroll if it increases its annual taxable payroll by at least $1 million. Wolf also plans to equip high school students for the technical job market by aligning academic curriculum with modern skills and have local MCT Campus
Mariah Canty, junior biology major
Tom Corbett “I don’t think you can talk -Born in Philadelphia and raised in Shaler Township outside about wanting to affect change of Pittsburgh. without participating, and ob-Completed his undergraduate education at Lebanon Valley viously, the most direct way College in Annville, Pa. and received his law degree from St. you can do that is by voting.” Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. -Spent a year as a civics and history teacher at Pine Grove Wyatt Koma, sophomore Area High School in Schuylkill County after graduating from neuroscience major college. -The Reagan administration hired Corbett as an assistant United States attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, where he focused on organized crime and drug enforcement. “I’m also troubled by Gov. -In 1989, President George H. W. Bush appointed Corbett Corbett’s comments on gay to be the United States Attorney for Western Pennsylvania. marriage and social issues. Jobs: I like how [Wolf] has positioned Corbett plans to lower taxes for small businesses, decrease himself as pro-education and regulations for business owners and cut Pennsylvania unemliberal on multiple issues and his ployment. State unemployment is at 5.8 percent, lower than plan to tax revenue from fracking.” the national average of 6.1 percent. In Corbett’s first term, Pennsylvania added 184,000 jobs. Jack Heidecker, Corbett does not support raising the minimum wage in sophomore German and political Pennsylvania, and displays statistics on his website from the science major
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November 4, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
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manufacturers identify training and skill needs. Wolf also supports increasing minimum wage to $10.10 and raising tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the minimum wage. Marijuana: Wolf supports legalizing medical marijuana, as well as the decriminalization of marijuana of less than an ounce. In terms of recreational marijuana, Wolf feels that Pennsylvania should not consider legalizing marijuana use until the impact of such legalization can be determined in other states, such as Colorado and Washington. Higher Education: Wolf supports designing state programs to support veterans, such as the creation of veteran support centers at state-funded colleges and universities, and grating in-state tuition rates to all veterans. Wolf also supports creating a “Deserving Scholars” program, in which high-achieving students from low-income families will receive higher education information packets and up to six waivers for application fees to state-associated schools. Wolf says raising tuition costs should be a last resort in addressing higher education budget costs. He plans to reverse Governor Corbett’s budget cuts and develop a five-year funding plan, develop challenge grants to give schools incentives to trim costs and reduce Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency’s costs and develop a plan to lower and subsidize student loan interest rates using Marcellus Shale extraction fees. Equal Rights: Wolf plans to implement a state anti-discrimination law to make sexual orientation and gender identity and expression a protected class, meaning citizens would be protected under law against discrimination — particularly in pay disparities. Wolf also plans to establish a minimum percentage of government contracts that the state should award to women, minority and disabled-owned businesses. Wolf supports the state ruling on same-sex marriage, and he personally thanked Attorney General Kathleen Kane for not defending the ban in federal court. Liquor Privatization: Wolf does not support liquor privatization, and he supports using revenues to fund programs for the elderly and in-state students.
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Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, which show that raising the minimum wage could result in 28,000 to 119,000 jobs being lost. Marijuana: Corbett opposes decriminalizing marijuana, even in small amounts, in Pennsylvania. Corbett opposes legalizing marijuana for recreational use in any form. Corbett does support the use of medical marijuana except in the case of severe cases of seizures, especially in children, but has said use should be limited to a select hospitals in Pennsylvania.. Higher Education: Corbett, a former teacher, has said on multiple occasions that he believes an educated workforce is important for the future of the state. When he took office, Pennsylvania had a $4.2 billion budget deficit and the federal government cut education spending. In his term as Governor, Corbett focused on creating scholarships, grants and tax credits for education such as the “Ready to Succeed” scholarship for middle-income college students and the “Ready to Learn” grant to provide funding to elementary school classrooms to ensure that children keep pace with their grade levels. Equal Rights: Corbett said he would not attempt to overturn Pennsylvania’s ruling to allow same-sex marriages, though it goes against his faith as a Roman Catholic. Corbett opposes abortion and supports restricting access to abortions within the state. His “Women for Corbett” campaign aims to attract more women to support him, and says more than 77 percent of Pennsylvania’s budget is controlled by women in Tom Corbett’s administration. Liquor Privatization: Corbett supported campaigns to sell beer and wine in supermarkets such as Giant Eagle, which passed in 2013. He supports the privatization of liquor and the phasing out of state-owned liquor stores. While in office, the state took several stops to move the sale of wine and spirits to private vendors as opposed to state control.
Let me be your leader: SGB candidates talk campaign plans Abbey Reighard Senior Staff Writer The three candidates running for Student Government Board president agree on one thing: SGB needs change. Andrew Stefanick, Graeme Meyer and Wasi Mohamed are running for Student Government Board president, a term the president will serve for about a year and a half after a referendum introduced by the current Board and passed by the students changed the SGB term from a calendar year to an academic year. Last night, the presidential candidates and Board candidates held a meet-and-greet in Market Central at 6 p.m. The candidates were available to answer questions and address any concerns students had about the election process. The candidates will hold two more meetand-greets this week, at the Perch on Nov.
5 at 6 p.m. and again at Market Central on Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. The presidential candidates will meet for a debate tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in Nordy’s Place. Andrew Stefanick Andrew Stefanick, a senior, accounting and economics major, said he thinks Student Government needs to be restructured to address the “sheer lack of interest” from the student body. “The election process isn’t really working,” Stefanick said. “It’s just eight people who are signing the dotted line and assuming all this power.” Stefanick said a student assembly could help with the lack of representation and the current allocation process, but does not have specific ideas on what that assembly would consist of. If elected, Stefanick plans to use his term to collect feedback from the student body
to see what changes students want to see in SGB. Stefanick said when it comes to the allocations process, he still has “a bit to learn.” He added that he wants to separate the board from the allocations process by increasing the threshold, which is currently at $1,200. Stefanick was a finalist in the two interviewing processes to replace the three Board members who resigned last spring. During the first round of interviews the Board chose Stefanick’s roommate, current Board member Nicholas Hufnagel. Stefanick said the delay allowed him to prepare for this election season. Stefanick said he and his slate mates — Jessica Snyder, a junior majoring in resources management, and Jack Heidecker, a sophomore majoring in German and political science — picked the name “Pitt United” to emphasize the need for accurate representation of the student body on Board.
Jade Diamond, a junior majoring in communication and information science, is also an independent candidate affiliated with Pitt United. Stefanick said if he wins the presidential race, he would make it a requirement for Board members to attend various student groups’ meetings to get a better sense of what students need from SGB. The current Board holds office hours every week, where students can meet with Board members on the eighth floor of the William Pitt Union. Stefanick said he also has “personal goals” if he wins the presidential race. He said he intends to give “full and unconditional support” for transgender rights on campus, efforts to stop sexual assault on campus and Take Back the Tap. “I don’t see the president as someone
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November 4, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 2
SGB who should have an enormous amount of initiatives,” Stefanick said. “Their role is to support and assist the student body. Graeme Meyer Graeme Meyer, a junior majoring in engineering and economic statistics, wants to restructure SGB, based on his own experience as a Board member this term. First, Meyer aims to start a Constitutional Review Task Force. Meyer said the task force would be made up of Board members and other students outside of SGB who would make recommendations to the Board about a new SGB structure. Meyer said he hopes the task force decides on changes by Fall 2015, so he and the Board can vote on changes by the following Spring. Meyer said he also wants to establish specific guidelines and tasks for each Board member, and make those tasks and guidelines public for students who want to run for Board in the future. “Many people run for Board, and then they realize that it’s not what they expected
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it would be,” Meyer said. Meyer said he thinks resignations from SGB, such as the three resignations that occurred during the current Board’s term, could be prevented if candidates were aware of their responsibilities before running. Meyer is running independently on his own slate, 87’s Pitt Proven, but affiliates with the 87’s Pitt Driven, made up of Allocations Chair Nasreen Harun, Board member Meghan Murphy, a junior majoring in neuroscience and political science and Everett Green, a sophomore majoring in finance. Meyer said he decided to affiliate with Pitt Driven because students can vote for three candidates for Board and one candidate for president, so the four would not be in competition with each other. Meyer helped the 87’s Pitt Driven come up with their 87 initiatives for Student Government. The 87 initiatives are part of the 2025 plan he and the other current Board members put together during their term as well as current Board members’ unfinished initiatives and smaller plans, such as installing more self-service printers. Meyer said his experience as a Board member and his work with administrators
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during his term make him the best candidate for President because he “understands the current structure” and knows who to contact with initiatives. “I think it’s very important to have external views,” Meyer said. “But I don’t think it’s appropriate at this stage to have the very top position being someone new [to Student Government Board].” Wasi Mohamed Wasi Mohamed, a senior majoring in history, philosophy of science and neuroscience, doesn’t see the sense in having SGB meetings if no one is attending. Mohamed said there should be more open discussion about issues on campus. “People only come [to the meetings] for allocations, and then every other seat is empty,” Mohamed said. Mohamed said he wants to restructure the committees that work within Student Government. He’s proposing that the committees be more open to students outside of Student Government and flexible, so it would be easier to “create committees when new issues arise,” such as sexual assault on campus. Mohamed also aims to establish a campus senate that would focus on campus issues
3 and then propose initiatives to the Board, so that not all initiatives would be coming from Board members. Mohamed said he would collaborate with student groups on working on the senate during the spring semester to hear ideas from students and student groups about how the senate should be organized. “The name itself, Student Government Board, describes the problem,” Mohamed said. “There is too much emphasis on the nine Board members and not enough focus on the actual issues.” Mohamed said he decided to form the Bridges slate with Natalie Dall, a sophomore majoring in molecular biology, and Matt Sykes, a junior majoring in industrial engineering, so he could “share [his] experience with younger students who inspire [him].” “Win or lose, I hope the perspective I have given them will lead to a better Pitt experience,” Mohamed said. As a member of the Muslim Student Association, Mohamed said he wrote the initial proposal for the reflection room, now on the third floor of the William Pitt Union. Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.
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EDITORIAL
November 4, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
OPINIONS GLENN
The Pitt News endorses Tom Wolf for governor Today, Pennsylvania voters will choose their next governor. Republican incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett faces Democratic challenger Tom Wolf for the state’s highest office. This decision shouldn’t be a difficult one. Under Tom Corbett’s watch, education has taken an inexcusable hit. His administration’s cuts to funding education have proven disadvantageous to not only Pennsylvania students, but to the entire state. Education fuels a successful society, which is a fundamental concept Corbett failed to recognize. As students and Pennsylvania residents, it’s our responsibility to vote Tom Wolf into office. The York County businessman has promised to restore $1 billion to education. If he delivers on this promise, school districts and higher education institutions will finally be relieved from the inadequate state support provided by the Corbett administration. When universities are deprived of proper state funding, they must adapt. To do so, universities must abandon their holistic education priorities and instead adopt a more corporate model. This trend toward profitability hurts those in non-science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and discourages funding for the liberal arts. Additionally, young voters
should pay attention to social issues in this election. Pennsylvania deserves a candidate who proudly supports marriage equality and respects a woman’s right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. Corbett has failed to lend support to both of these points. Despite the legalization of same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania, Corbett has opposed marriage equality and, although not challenging for a reversal of same-sex marriage legalization, has failed to be a leader for the LGBT community. Furthermore, according to The Patriot News, Corbett signed legislation to prohibit private insurance companies from offering abortion coverage in the marketplace created under the 2010 federal health care law. This is a clear attack on abortion rights. Corbett has also been too slow on calling for medical marijuana legalization. Tom Wolf has said he would sign legislation to legalize medical marijuana — decisive executive action that Pennsylvania needs. Corbett has had four years to show Pennsylvania why he deserves a second term. He has failed and failed considerably. Instead, Tom Wolf can spearhead the change Pennsylvania needs as a leader in education and social freedom. Let’s give him this chance.
Westboro Baptist Church not a threat to marriage equality Adrianne Glenn For The Pitt News
The Westboro Baptist Church has found a new arena to take its message — the federal courts. The church is working to defend Kansas’s same-sex marriage ban. It has asked to be a defendant in the case because it claimed that Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt could not adequately represent the church. According to the church, since Schmidt is legally unable to use religious arguments because of separation of church and state, he cannot protect the church’s constitutionally protected religious rights. It is no surprise that the Westboro Baptist Church disapproves of same-sex marriage and even less of a surprise that it would seek to become more vocal about it. However, while the church appears to be one of the driving forces against marriage equality, it may actually be doing more to help the movement than to hurt it. First, the church won’t influence this case even if it does somehow manage to appear as the defendant, which is improbable. Reasonable Americans do not approve of the church’s reputation,, and although there are still a lot of people who oppose same-sex marriage, there are few comfortable with spread-
ing the WBC’s idea that God hates people seeking it. Additionally, even if people are content with the messages the Westboro Baptist Church spreads about samesex relationships, most are less content with its picketing during funerals — most notably, its protests in Connecticut at the funerals of the lives taken during the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. There are even multiple petitions circulating to legally recognize the Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group — including one with almost 400,000 signatures. Although it may seem that there is a sort of home-field advantage for the Kansasbased church when it comes to the Kansas case, the opposite is more accurate. Most of the petition’s signatures come from people clustered around Kansas. So, given that the church not only lacks support nationwide, but also in its home state, it is unlikely that this alleged hate group will affect the Kansas decision. Its words simply do not carry weight and are not consistent with the majority of Kansans. If anything, the church’s statements might actually help Kansas achieve marriage equality. It is overwhelmingly improbable that the Westboro Baptist Church’s typical homophobic slur-oriented man-
tra is going to hold up in any court. Radicals are often detrimental to the legitimacy of movements because they paint a negative and outlandish picture of the moderate majority. The Westboro Baptist Church is known for being radical based on its extended history of radicalism in other areas, such as funeral picketing, and because of the extremity of its typical arguments against same-sex marriage specifically. For example, rational conversations about upholding traditional family values may cause a court to consider keeping the marriage ban, but having a group known for slurs and pure hatred speak about the issue makes the rest of the opposition, those in favor of the ban, seem considerably less credible. This is applicable to the Westboro Baptist Church’s attempts to prevent marriage equality in general as well. It does more to make opponents of same-sex marriage look hateful and ridiculous than it does to persuade people that there is actually anything wrong with these marriages. In other words, the mere association between the Westboro Baptist Church and the desire to prevent samesex marriage establishes a
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November 4, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 4
GLENN negative connotation to the entire opposition of the gay rights movement. This single church stigmatizes the opposition to marriage equality and changes the views of those previously associated with anti-gay rights movements. Vocal and harsh parties such as the Westboro Baptist Church also benefit those working toward marriage equal-
THE PITT NEWS Natalie Daher Editor-in-Chief editor@pittnews.com
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ity by keeping the movement alive and interesting. The church gives marriage equality a sense of urgency. Preaching homophobic slurs is a sure way to provoke anger in those on the opposite side of the movement, and anger is incredibly motivating. The situation in Kansas is no different. The church’s involvement as a defendant will do nothing but provoke action in the opposition and motivate those who previously associated themselves with challenging same-sex mar-
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riage to distance themselves from the issue. Its stances are regarded as bigoted, and they are not remotely a threat to the case in Kansas or to marriage equality and the gay rights movement in general. Kansas will most likely shoot down the church’s proposal to be involved in this case. But if it does somehow get involved in the case, rest assured, its presence will not prove an obstacle to marriage equality. Write to Adrianne at adg79@pitt.edu
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,- car toons 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 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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November 4, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT
One of the mugshots that was painted over before the 1964 World’s Fair. Photo credit to The Warhol
‘13 Most Wanted Men’ revives censored, cynical Warhol mural Richard Koppenaal Staff Writer In April 1964, Andy Warhol debuted his famous “13 Most Wanted Men” mural at the World’s Fair in New York. Just a few days later, it was painted over. The World’s Fair organizers and Gov. Nelson Rockefeller took issue with Warhol’s snapshot of America, and they ordered its removal. Andy Warhol’s “13 Most Wanted Men and the 1964 World’s Fair,” the exhibit that highlights his reproduction of the mural, is on display until Jan. 4, 2015, at The Andy Warhol Museum — giving
gallery-goers more time to see it than they had during its initial display 50 years ago. The exhibit, which showcases some of the 20 paintings that Warhol made after the World’s Fair, is a collaboration between the Queens Museum in New York and The Warhol. According to curator Nick Chambers, the exhibit explores not only Warhol’s motivations for the work, but also the circumstances of its censorship. “When you see the show, and you look at this in retrospect, I think it’s hard to imagine any other scenario other than the work being censored,”
Chambers said. Chambers said that Andy Warhol was commissioned to produce the mural for the World’s Fair as early as 1962. This was early on in Warhol’s career, and he was still viewed as an up-and-coming artist. Clearly, a commission for the World’s Fair was a major opportunity for him. Terry Smith, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Contemporary Art History and Theory at Pitt, said Warhol and the World’s Fair officials both wanted to illustrate a realistic snapshot of America — they just had different ideas about what that meant.
“[Warhol] wanted to create a portrait of America as it was at the time,” Smith said. “The officials of the fair wanted to send a positive image of America.” Unfortunately for the officials, Warhol’s “perception of America was that it was very violent,” according to Smith. Taking mugshots from the NYPD’s Most Wanted Criminals, Warhol enlarged pictures of the fugitives on large masonite panels. The mural was displayed on the side of the New York State Pavillion. These violent criminals, regardless of how accurately they represented the
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November 4, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
Amazon’s ‘Transparent’ brings moral urgency to LGBT television
Dylan Galper For The Pitt News Society’s attitude towards the LGBT community has experienced a dramatic change over the past few decades and with it, so has our television programming. A Gallup poll from May showed that support for gay marriage has reached an all-time high at 55 percent, and state government officials are responding by striking down same-sex marriage bans across the country. On May 20, Pennsylvania legalized same-sex marriage when a federal district judge struck down a same-sex marriage ban. Since then, 13 other states have issued similar rulings, bringing the total number of states that recognize same-sex marriage to 32. Changing trends in television writing has further reflected this cultural development. A plethora of recent shows have featured one or more prominent characters who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. One of the most popular comedies on television, the ABC sitcom
“Modern Family,” takes a comedic look at the trials and tribulations of gay life in American suburbia, featuring Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett, two members of a not-so-run-of-the-mill family, navigating the harsh waters of same-sex parenthood. Although “Modern Family” is certainly the most popular of the shows featuring prominent LGBT characters, a number of other series attempt to address the sensitive subject in less light-hearted ways. Programs such as Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black,” Showtime’s “Masters of Sex,” BBC’s “Orphan Black” and many others have explored the lives of LGBT characters trying to cope with the ramifications of their colorful lifestyles in a world that is, in so many ways, still dominated by shades of black and white. But few have addressed the issue with as much sensitivity and moral urgency as “Transparent.” The series, lauded as one of the best new shows of the fall, examines the lives of three adult siblings named Ali, Josh and Sarah Pfefferman (Gaby Hoffmann, Jay Duplass and Amy Landecker, respectively) and their father, Mort
(a wonderful Jeffrey Tambor), who reveals that he is a transgender woman named Maura. In the first several episodes, Maura struggles to come out to her selfish and easily distracted children, all three of whom struggle with their own sexual identities in various ways. The most obvious comparison is between Maura and her oldest child, Sarah, who, stuck in marriage she is coming to regret, rekindles an old romance that she had with a female roommate in college named Tammy (Melora Hardin). Convinced that she has found her soulmate, Sarah leaves her husband, with whom she has two children, to pursue Tammy. But she soon comes to the disheartening realization that the passionate affair may be nothing more than a delusion of grandeur. Ali, lost and afloat in her own world, also suffers from a crisis of identity, unsure of herself physically and sexually. Josh, a music producer living a childish life, fails to convince Kaya, a musician he is seeing, to keep their child. At first, it seems like an admirable attempt at mature behavior, but we soon realize the futility of his and his sister’s actions. We come to understand that their dilemmas are merely the illustration of a universal theme: Doing what’s right is rarely as easy as it should be. Yet, nowhere is this ethos more evident than in Maura’s plight. Relieved at first to finally be living the life she’s always wanted, she soon realizes that her new life comes with many unwanted and unintended consequences. What makes the show work so well is the amount of humor and joie de vivre it manages to infuse into these complicated issues, making us conscious of them without bludgeoning us over the head with them. In one of the best and most painful scenes of the series, Sarah, Ali and Maura take a trip to the mall where they are treated to a free sample of skin care products. It’s a wonderfully done scene, a touching but humorous portrait of mother, Maura, experimenting with her newfound womanhood; Sarah making sure she looks presentable for Tammy; and Ali, so unsure of her own femininity — all engaging in a traditionally feminine activity. Shortly after this, they all head to the restroom where Maura and Sarah are accosted by a rude woman who fears that Maura’s presence in the women’s restroom is corrupting her teenage daughters. It’s a painful reminder that despite legal victories, the war for LGBT acceptance and understanding is still far from over.
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WARHOL tumultuous ‘60s, were not intended to be the poster boys of the World’s Fair. Additionally, most of the 13 were ItalianAmericans — a major constituency of Gov. Rockefeller. “He was running for re-election for Governor,” said Matt Wrbican, Chief Archivist at The Warhol. “And he did not want to alienate the Italian-American vote by putting these mugshots on the very building that symbolized his realm of governance.” Despite the censorship, Warhol later reproduced smaller versions of the images, and some of them are displayed at the exhibit. Wrbican will be leading a discussion on the exhibit, mural and 1964 scandal on Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., that’s free with standard admission. Along with Greg Pierce, The Warhol’s assistant curator of film and video, Wrbican will be joined by poet and former romantic partner of Andy Warhol, John Giorno. “John has been a really significant figure in the New York avant garde, since the 1960s,” Wrbican said. “He’s a stockbroker turned Tibetan Buddhist. He quit that job and realized he had poetry in him.” The panel will explore the details of the controversy, as well as other possible motivations of Warhol. Some theorize that the title “13 Most Wanted” implies Warhol’s sexual desire for the men, rather than their status as fugitives. For others, it serves as an example of the violence that pervaded the United States in the 1960s — a darker theme of Warhol’s work. “All of his images were about, in one sense or another, ‘death in America,’” Smith said.
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November 4, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
More Anderson than Perry: ʻDear White Peopleʼ obliterates stereotypes in sharp satire Ian Flanagan Staff Writer
“Dear White People” Directed by Justin Simien Starring Tessa Thompson, Tyler James Williams, Brandon P. Bell Grade: B+ The execution of an argument can be far more important than its substance, especially in politics. “Dear White People” has so much to say, but holds back in order to say only what is necessary. That being said, the film does not play it safe — it’s an angry, wildly impassioned film that doesn’t let go of the reins and chooses to instead keep its irritation with 21st century racial issues in control. It uses cutthroat calculation to dispel new age social truths with venomous lucid-
ity and, when possible, a great dollop of snarling satire. In a noble debut, writer-director Justin Simien’s acute critique on today’s racial politics is populated with an excess of lifelike characters (for all the film’s Tyler Perry bashing, it’d be a sad irony if the characters in “White People” were all similar stereotypes) delivering razor-sharp dialogue on serious topics. Simien also utilizes a Wes Anderson-esque style — from the visual symmetry in the chapter title cards to the offbeat, tongue-in-cheek humor — in a successful attempt not only to render the film more digestible for mainstream audiences but also to create valuable and vivacious satire. One Anderson trope that doesn’t do “Dear White People” any favors is its overabundance of characters and web of subplots. This is acceptable only because each character is given just enough screen time to feel human.
Our central plot revolves around several students at an Ivy League university, primarily Sam White (Tessa Thompson), a quick-witted media arts major who stirs up controversy with her radio segments, including the eponymous “Dear White People,” and her campaign to give black students their own housing once again. Her political opponent is her ex-boyfriend Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P. Bell), who struggles to impress his father who is dean of the college (Dennis Haysbert). Meanwhile, misfit Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams), a budding writer, attempts to establish a new social identity with his peers, and video blogger “Coco” Conners (Teyonah Parris) looks to make a name for herself by achieving Internet fame. As narratively directionless as it may seem, “Dear White People” is a cohesive project despite the minimal scope it creates with its disposable storylines. The
loose structure allows its themes of social identity and racial differences to take center frame when it is most important. It may unfold like a play, but “Dear White People” is too poignant and adroit for its narrative faults to detract from the film’s true intentions. The film’s soundtrack is a curious stylistic choice, incorporating both modern underground hip-hop and recognizable classical selections in equal part, creating an atmosphere that is both stately and cool, mature and relaxed. This eclectic concoction helps smooth over the film’s more tonally grating moments. Working as a comedy, a drama and above all, a satire, “Dear White People” is a restless, spirited film that embraces tough questions and handles them delicately. It is worth its weight in entertainment value and modern relevance, and it suggests that great things may be to come from director Justin Simien.
November 4, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
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SPORTS
Johnson continues rehabilitation for upcoming season Jeremy Tepper Staff Writer After he tore his ACL on Jan. 11, Durand Johnson’s spirits were low. But encouraging words from his family and friends helped him recuperate. “I had so much positive feedback and so many positive people around me that kept me with a strong mind-set to get back quick and to rehab hard every day,” Johnson said. Words from one friend particularly resonated with Johnson. After tearing his patellar tendon, Johnson’s friend got back to playing basketball and dunking again. “My friend, at the time, he was telling me ‘I wish I would have torn my ACL, this is way worse,’” Johnson said. “I was just thinking ‘damn, you’re right.’ Maybe it’s not the worst thing that can happen to me.” Though he wasn’t able to play, Johnson used his energy to the team’s advantage the rest of the season. Johnson became a motivational coach, talking to his teammates during halftime and helping relay the coaching staff ’s thoughts to the play-
“I just want to win ... I want to get back [to the NCAA tournament] this year.” Durand Johnson
ers. After the season ended in defeat to Florida in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, Johnson stepped up his rehabilitation. There were no rest days: He rehabbed about four hours a day, every day of the week.
Durand Johnson defends a pass against IUP. Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor
Though he wouldn’t classify himself as 100 percent, Johnson has made a nearly complete recovery from his injury. He still has some soreness occasionally, though it’s nothing he can’t play through. “I got my legs under me. Every day it feels a lot better,” Johnson said. “I just continue to move forward, keep working, continue to rehab and not get complacent.” Having been in the program for four years — longer than anybody on the team besides Cameron Wright — Johnson has embraced his leadership role. Although he’s a vocal player on the court and in practice, Johnson tries to lead by example, just like the players before him. “I learned from older guys like Lamar Patterson and Ashton Gibbs. I played with those guys, so I already know the ropes, so I try to share it with my young guys, with the young freshmen. By them seeing me do it, they’ll just follow me,” Johnson said. Though the freshmen have a lot to learn, Johnson is focusing on teaching them about the increase in intensity level
and talent from high school to college. “When college starts, the first game, the intensity picks up. It’s fast out there. Guys are stronger, guys are bigger, guys are quicker,” Johnson said. While at Brewster Academy, Johnson also led through his work ethic. “His family has taught him the value of hard work,” Jason Smith, Johnson’s prep head coach at Brewster Academy, said. “[He’s] always in the gym working out and not afraid to put in the extra time in order to be successful.” Of course, Johnson is also focusing on augmenting his own abilities. Mainly, he’s tried to polish his ball handling. Since Patterson graduated, Johnson will have to help take over some of his ball handling responsibilities. A large part of Pitt’s offense ran through Patterson last year, especially in pick and rolls, and Johnson has been working on various drills to become adept in executing that play. “I would get two chairs together, and one staggered, come off, split the screen
and do different things like that to get familiar with the play sets and going off the screen more,” Johnson said. Nevertheless, Johnson said he won’t force his shot, even though he’s confident in his abilities. “Coach always says do the right thing, do the smart thing and everything else will fall into place,” Johnson said. Already a deft shooter, Johnson has still worked on his technique. Coming off his surgery, he said he was flat-footed and not getting enough elevation on his jumper. However, with consistent work, he’s gotten his rhythm back in his shot. “It was just like riding a bike,” Johnson said. Now that he’s largely done with rehab, Johnson said he is anxious to get back on the court. He’s developed a greater appreciation for his opportunity, describing himself as more “humble and hungry” than ever. He’s eager to get back to what he missed last season, while also proving that he hasn’t skipped a beat since getting injured.
“I had so much positive feedback and so many positive people around me.” Durand Johnson “I just want to win. We got there [NCAA Tournament] last year, but I was devastated I couldn’t be out there with my teammates,” Johnson said. “I just cherish that moment, cherish that feeling when I went down and I want to get back there this year.”
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November 4, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
Fitzgerald continues resurgence in week nine
Pitt wrestling wins first match of season Chris Puzia Sports Editor
The Pitt News Crossword, 11/4/2014
Pitt wrestling started its season Sunday with a road match at Bloomsburg University. While the season was just beginning, the team seemed to have no trouble focusing on Bloomsburg despite Pitt’s upcoming match against No. 10 Edinboro. Pitt, which entered the season ranked No. 14 in the nation, defeated Bloomsburg 35-3, losing only one bout in the whole match. Pitt redshirt senior Max Thomusseit won the 184-pound bout . He entered the season with a 66-26 career record, including a 21-4 record last season. Freshman Dom Forys began the match at the 125-pound weight class and won his first collegiate bout from a 22-6 technical fall. Pitt’s only loss came in the 141-pound bout, when BloomsACROSS 1 Physicist for whom a speedof-sound ratio is named 5 Steamers in a pot 10 Post-WWII commerce agreement acronym 14 Toast topping 15 Lose one’s cool 16 Eight, in Tijuana 17 __ and rave 18 Stars, in Latin 19 What winds do 20 Book spine info 22 Acid indigestion, familiarly 24 Snigglers’ catch 26 Not feel well 27 Serious play 28 San Francisco transport 33 Daring 34 Ottoman governors 36 Chip away at 37 Prefix with lateral 38 Auto wheel covers 40 Fishing tool 41 Henry or Jane of “On Golden Pond” 43 Kal Kan alternative 44 0 45 Area where goods may be stored without customs payments 47 Oozy stuff 49 NRC predecessor 50 Scotch __ 51 Go-between 57 Performed without words 60 Mesozoic and Paleozoic 61 More pathetic, as an excuse 63 Four-legged Oz visitor 64 No longer here 65 Pacific, for one 66 Russia’s __ Mountains 67 “Puppy Love” singer Paul 68 Campground sights
burg’s Tanner Cahill beat freshman Ben Ross, 9-3. Pitt redshirt freshman Nick Zanetta won in a one-minute overtime over Andy Schulz of Bloomsburg with a takedown to win the bout 6-4 “Some young guys performed well for their first time out,” Pitt head coach Jason Peters said via a press release. “It was a good way to get the season started.” Bloomsburg, which lost nine of its starters to graduation last year, finished last season with a 9-8 overall record. For the fifth straight season, Pitt began the season ranked in the National Wrestling Coaches Association top-25 poll. Last season it entered the season ranked No. 15 and finished that season 13-3, with a 6-0 ACC record. Pitt next plays at No. 10 Edinboro University Thursday in a top-15 matchup.
11/17/14
By Timothy L. Meaker
69 War journalist Ernie DOWN 1 Satirist Sahl 2 Jai __ 3 Stripe that equally divides the road 4 Detective’s breakthrough 5 Tax season VIP 6 Mascara target 7 Start the poker pot 8 Actress Sorvino 9 Sacred Egyptian beetle 10 Male turkey 11 Rights org. 12 Son of Odin 13 Chrysler __ & Country 21 Nightmare street of film 23 Mah-jongg pieces 25 “Elephant Boy” actor 27 Blood bank participant 28 Washer phase 29 Manager’s “Now!” 30 Early computer data storage term
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
31 Be wild about 32 Update, as a kitchen 33 Physically fit 35 Israeli diplomat Abba 38 Brownish-green eye color 39 Blog update 42 Scrolls source 44 “Pipe down!” 46 Spotted wildcat 48 Hightail it
11/17/14
51 Million: Pref. 52 Golfer’s choice 53 Unpleasantly moist 54 Medieval spiked club 55 Prayer finish 56 “No ice, please” 58 And others: Lat. 59 Clinton’s 1996 opponent 62 BP checkers
Larry Fitzgerald led the Cardinals in receiving yards again on Sunday MCT Campus
Brandon Duerr For The Pitt News Sunday’s week nine NFL games started out with a thriller in Houston as the Philadelphia Eagles won 31-21 with a backup quarterback. When starting quarterback Nick Foles broke his collarbone in the first half, former Pitt running back LeSean McCoy stepped up to help lead the Eagles to victory. McCoy finished with 23 carries for 117 yards in the win, and he had his longest rush of the day go for 26 yards, helping to set up a second half scoring drive. With his performance, McCoy moved himself to fourth in the league in rushing, and he is second only to DeMarco Murray of the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC in that category. Another big game involving NFC playoff contenders came when the Cowboys hosted the Arizona Cardinals and former Pitt wideout Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals, who now boast the best record in the NFC at 7-1, have increased their offensive production over the past five weeks since quarterback Carson Palmer returned from an injury. One of the main reasons for this is the connection that Palmer has had with Fitzgerald. A week removed from a 160-yard and one-touchdown performance against the Eagles, Fitzgerald was again Arizona’s leading receiver, catching five passes for 70 yards, including a 31-yard play that keyed Arizona’s first touchdown drive. Fitzgerald also extended his impressive streak of games with at least one reception to a remarkable 157 straight games. The Cardinals did not give up an offensive touchdown
until the final minutes of the fourth quarter in the 28-17 win. The St. Louis Rams and former Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald took the field against the San Francisco 49ers yesterday in a divisional matchup in San Francisco. The Rams stunned last year’s NFC runner-up with a goal-line stand in the final seconds, forcing quarterback Colin Kaepernick to fumble on third down after halting his progress with a good push from their defensive line, led by Donald. To go along with the push in the final seconds, Donald posted solid numbers again in his “push” to become defensive rookie of the year. He had two tackles, a sack, another tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries, giving the 49ers and Kaepernick fits all day long. The Rams now sit at 3-5 after the impressive 13-10 win. Former Pitt defensive back Darrelle Revis and the New England Patriots foiled the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning’s thoughts of coming into Foxborough and stealing a win Sunday night. Revis covered star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas most of the night and held him without a touchdown, though Thomas did end the night with 127 receiving yards. Revis also tallied five tackles and a pass defended in the game. The Browns improved to 5-3 with a 22-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Linebacker Jabaal Sheard helped to hold the Bucs offense to a minimum, going for two tackles and a deflected pass at the line of scrimmage. Defensive back K’Waun Williams played some key moments on special teams as well in the victory.