1-18-18 by The Pitt News

The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | january 18, 2018 | Volume 108 | Issue 91

PITT, COMMUNITY PUSH OPIOID CRISIS SOLUTIONS Sid Lingala Staff Writer

derfunded public school. She also came from a single-parent household. “I somehow stumbled my way up through Penn State and onto Howard Law and through that. Nobody in my family has done any of that so I understand generational poverty and generational inequality, and that’s kind of where I come from with everything I do,” Lee said. She also said the solution to getting more people who come from impoverished and underrepresented backgrounds like hers involved in politics is to elect more people who relate to them and communicate with them regularly about their needs. “But the problem is that we have this system where we have candidates who have been in office for so long that no one even knows who they are,” Lee said. “And we have politicians who come into our community and they ask us for our votes and then we never hear from them again.”

Nearly 3,000 Pennsylvanians died of opioid overdoses in 2015, according to the Pitt Public Health Dynamics Lab. But researchers at Pitt are working to change that statistic. Michael Mallon, the project coordinator for Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health’s Opioid Initiatives, helps arrange research projects to learn more about the opioid crisis. He said the opioid crisis can be traced back to 1979 and has grown significantly since then. “Pennsylvania is one state that is being hit harder than others. The number of overdoses almost doubles every eight or nine years,” he said. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf declared the heroin and opioid epidemic a statewide emergency to promote research efforts and treatment response to overdose cases Jan. 10 . The Pennsylvania drug-related overdose death rate in 2016 was 36.5 per 100,000 people, an increase from 26.7 per 100,000 people in 2015, according to a 2016 report prepared by the Pitt and the Drug Enforcement Administration Philadelphia Division. The researchers identified opioid traces, obtained through illicit means or prescribed by a doctor, in 85 percent of drug-related overdose deaths in PA in 2016. “I am taking this step to protect Pennsylvanians from this looming public health crisis, and I am using every tool at my disposal to get those suffering from substance use disorders into treatment, save more lives and improve response coordination,” Wolf said. To fight the increase in overdose deaths locally, Pitt and community groups are working together as part of this campaign to stop opioid overdose. Currently, the Franklin County Overdose Task Force is preventing opioid usage by hosting speaking events and sending people to

See Progressives on page 3

See Opioid on page 2

Pennsylvania House District 34 candidate Summer Lee discusses community issues with members of Pitt Progressives Wednesday night. Thomas Yang VISUAL EDITOR

Pitt Progressives host state House candidate Summer Lee

Madeline Gavatorta Staff Writer

When asked what was distinct about her campaign, Summer Lee said she isn’t running on anything that isn’t “basic human stuff.” “I don’t see that I’m not running on anything that isn’t common sense,” Lee said. Lee is a Democratic candidate for District 34 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives primary election May 15 — challenging Paul Costa, D-Braddock. She joined 35 students at the Pitt Progressives’ weekly meeting in David Lawrence Hall and spoke about the importance of everyday people being politically active. Pitt Progressives Co-chair Sean Bailey, a sophomore computer science and philosophy major, was able to convince Lee to come through her campaign manager, who he is friends with. Bailey himself is a fan of her policies since she is running on “a platform of fairness and economic opportunity for all.”

“I think she is probably the most, or one of the most, gifted speakers I have ever heard running for local office in Pittsburgh,” Bailey said. She supports universal healthcare, improving public education and raising the minimum wage to $15. But she focused much of the talk on moving toward more diversity in politics. Lee said one of her biggest priorities is to support people from impoverished or underrepresented communities running for office. She said the public doesn’t want a situation where seats are vacant or where those in power can “appoint their friends.” She also wants to better educate eligible voters. “We have to be able to reach back and support other folk who share our values and who share our perspective, making sure we are fostering a pipeline for them to also get in,” Lee said. Lee discussed how she came from North Braddock and Rankin and went to Woodland Hills High School, what she described as an un-

News STRONGR, FASTR AND INDIVIDUALIZED: Sid Lingala

PITT ALUMS DEVELOP FITNESS APP

“Strongr Fastr” is an app that helps formulate good meal plans and workout routines. Courtesy of Strongr Fastr

Strongr Fastr, released on mobile app stores Jan. 4, is a fitness app that combines efficient meal planning and precise workout routines. Based on personal information — including height, weight, dietary restrictions, grocery budget and fitness goals — the app generates different meal plans and workout routines specific to each user, ranging from “beginners” to “experts.” Pitt alum Philip Schinis created the app in 2017. Schinis was motivated to create Strongr Fastr because he was dissatisfied with the fitness apps available and noticed other fitness lovers were too. People on the internet fitness forums he frequented, such as bodybuilder.com, complained that the apps available to them couldn’t meet their specific needs. He then decided to make an app where people at different fitness levels could have a proper platform to manage all their fitness needs.

“Unlike other apps, this app caters to different levels of people,” Schinis said. “A lot of apps out there cater to more casual fitness users who are trying to stay healthy and maybe work out at home, but there aren’t a lot of apps for people who are looking to train more seriously.” The free version of the app offers workout routines, but only one day of meal planning each week. Users can upgrade to the premium version for full meal-planning access in addition to the workout aspect. For premium access, users can pay $13 a month for a three-month period or $5 a month for a 12-month period. Schinis quit his software developing job in early 2016 to pursue developing Strongr Fastr. Last year, Schinis released a beta test of the web version of the app to test the viability and usability

overdoses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania has the fourth highest rate of overdose mortality rate in the nation, with Allegheny county ranked sixth in the state. “What we are trying to do is get the same individuals to work together so that they can collaborate, join resources and be able reach a greater number of individuals who are at risk,” Pringle said. TAC uses the collected data from opioid overdose cases to advise Pennsylvania counties on how to better address the epidemic through newly created strategies. Since its implementation in early 2016, TAC has helped county task forces establish various strategies such as law enforcement development, continual addict treatment and campaigns focused on eradicating stigmas surrounding drug users. According to Pringle, TAC has successfully standardized opioid overdose death data collection across different counties in Pennsylvania and has improved those counties’ responses to overdose cases. TAC’s use of anecdotal evidence from cases, Fogal said, helped the task force utilize demographic data to determine groups of people most at risk. TAC also assisted the task

force with identifying grants to help fund the task force. While TAC is using overdose death data to better approach the crisis, Gerald Cochran, an associate dean for research at Pitt’s School of Social Work, received a $426,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health in 2017 to fund a research study that will test the effectiveness of Brief Intervention Medication Therapy Management in preventing and treating opioid medication abuse. BI-MTM is an intervention method where “patient navigators” meet with patients to identify and treat behaviors causing the misuse of prescription opioid medications. “Patient Navigators help [patients] identify health concerns that they may have such as depression, PTSD, chronic pain, and we help the person find a care provider,” Cochran said. “Our goal is to help activate the patient in the management of their own health condition.” In the study, when patients who are filling their opioid prescription score positive for misuse on a universal screening process, they have a 30 minute discussion with their pharmacist about adhering to the prescribed treatment plan. Patients randomly selected for the BI-MTM intervention will then be transferred to the patient

navigators, who they will meet with for several sessions to discuss resources and options to prevent opioid misuse behaviors. The pilot study of this project positively screened 17 percent of 350 patients for opioid misuse behavior across five pharmacies, and since the project began in May 2017, 20 percent of patients have been screened positively. When confronted with the issue of people falsely screening negative by lying about their usage to get access to opioid medication, Cochran said that, though he can’t prevent people from lying, he still feels satisfaction when helping people who do screen positive. “We do know people are not telling the truth in some cases, but if we can help 20 percent of people, we think we are doing something that’s worthwhile,” he said. Pringle said the University’s efforts in trying to reduce opioid overdose in Pennsylvania are a product of the University’s many resources and its role as a community leader. “We have a lot of resources that can be very helpful,” Pringle said. “With an emphasis on us being a good community partner, we embraced the role of trying to reduce opioid overdose rates in Pennsylvania.”

Staff Writer

As a person without a strong interest in fitness, Eric Lutz had trouble figuring out what constituted a good workout and a healthy meal — and sticking with the exercise and diet plans he came up with. “I would try to go the gym, but would eventually end up not going,” Lutz said. “I really wanted something like a personal trainer, but I couldn’t afford one.” Lutz, a 27-year-old planning on returning to the Community College of Allegheny County for music technology, eventually found a solution to his problem in the form of an app called Strongr Fastr. “Strongr Fastr has really given me an idea of what to do in terms of fitness,” Lutz said. “I’ve been sticking with the app for the past few months.”

Opioid, pg. 1 local hospitals to meet with patients to assess their needs. Despite the rising opioid usage rates in the state, Matthew Fogal, Franklin County district attorney and chairman of the task force, said his team is making progress in curbing overdoses. Fogal said the demand for naxolane, a drug often used by first responders to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, has decreased in the area as a result of the team’s work. He said the task force was able to reach this level of impact with the help of the Pennsylvania Opioid Overdose Reduction Technical Assistance Center. “TAC has been very helpful,” Fogal said. “They are facilitators that work selflessly behind the scene.” TAC is a state-funded county outreach project that unites the opioid overdose data collection efforts of local coroner offices, public health and safety groups, police departments and substance abuse treatment services to decrease overdose incidents. Janice Pringle, an epidemiologist from the Graduate School of Public Health at Pitt, developed TAC in response to Pennsylvania’s rising

pittnews.com

January 18, 2018

See Strongr on page 3

Progressives, pg. 1

Strongr, pg. 2

Junior anthropology major Becca Tasker, a member of Pitt Progressives, is working on Lee’s campaign as a fellow and attended Wednesday’s meeting. “Everytime I hear her talk I just fall a little bit more in love with the campaign and it reassures me that the work I’m doing is like good work and that getting her into office is worthwhile and beyond what we need right now,” Tasker said. Tasker said the American people need young progressive candidates and politicians from underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities and people of color. She also said the people need more candidates that care about their constituency beyond “getting votes.” “We really need to be pushing candidates that not only care about their constituency but live in these communities and know what life in these communities are like,” Tasker said. Lee said a problem she sees with the Democratic party today is people are too willing to compromise. She said this needs to change because it limits the potential benefits of constituents. “I hope that people get from that that you need to be courageous in your pursue in your values and your platform and your agenda,” she said.

of the app, making alterations based on feedback from beta testers. Since its recent release date, Strongr Fastr has accumulated between 500 and 1,000 users across web, Android and iOS platforms. Mary Weidner, another Pitt graduate, joined the project on the business and marketing side. Weidner said she started working with Schinis on the app because she wanted push herself out of her comfort zone. “I’ve never really thought of myself as being a risk-taker,” Weidner said. “I really liked the idea of learning and being in a position that would be hard to find in the real world.” Schinis found the meal-planning aspect to be the main problem with the available fitness apps and decided to emphasize that feature in the app’s online description. Schinis said the app works to ensure that the user’s overall diet fits within the nutionital parameters that they are aiming for. It also allows the user to insert their own preferences for when they want to eat and what types of food they prefer. “There are only a few apps that plan out what you should grocery shop and what recipes you should cook in advance each day, but they lack on the workout side,” Schinis said. “There’s not

an app that does good meal planning that also matches you with quality workout routines.” The meal-planning aspect of the Strongr Fastr app considers the user’s health goals when creating daily diets. It then creates grocery lists based on the suggested meals to guide the user’s shopping trips. Other problems that Schinis and Weidner found with other apps’ meal planning were long and expensive grocery lists as well as useless meal suggestions. Weidner said Strongr Fastr looked for high-rated recipes online and then simplified them to cut the cost and time to make them. An example of a meal includes eggs with tomato and avocado for breakfast and a tuna salad wrap for lunch. “A lot of our recipes are very basic, standard — and don’t require crazy ingredients. We wanted them to be very realistic,” Weidner said. Lutz found the customization and thoroughness of the meal planning in Strongr Fastr to be effective compared to other apps that simply track calories. “I never eat breakfast, so I can take that off and the app doesn’t even consider breakfast for the meal plan,” Lutz said. “There are actually pretty good recipes. They really vary, so you’re not just eating a plain chicken breast, which is great.” Schinis also described how the app’s meal

planning is accurate in adhering to nutritional parameters and diet goals. “The app is pretty smart in making sure your overall diet fits within the nutritional parameter that you’re aiming for, and those parameters by default are based on the latest scientific research,” Schinis said. Schinis and Weidner also expanded on the workout aspect of the app by further accomodating user experience. Lutz described how he found the breakdown of exercises into levels and video demonstrations of exercises very useful. He also appreciated the ability to easily switch between easier or harder modes. “A big benefit is seeing the exercise,” he said. “It shows you exactly how to do it or how to have proper form or any variations on it so that you can feel comfortable in the workout that you are doing.” Schinis and Weidner also plan to integrate third parties such as Fitbit or MyFitnessPal to increase the number of users and improve the app. Beyond those plans, Weidner said she and Schinis hope Strongr Fastr will go on to surpass other apps in the market. “Our mission is to help people cut through all the noise in the fitness industry and give them plans that just work and are backed by science,” Weidner said.

The Pitt News SuDoku 1/18/18 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

pittnews.com

January 18, 2018

Opinions p

column

from the editorial board

PG publisher silences staffers, increases tension

One of our newspaper’s daily features is the editorial — a short piece briefly discussing an issue our community is facing and presenting the editorial staff ’s collective point of view. Editorials are deliberately not credited to any specific author. This isn’t meant to be a way for the writer to hide their personal beliefs behind the paper’s reputability, but rather a means of giving readers an understanding of the editorial staff ’s opinion. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette owner and publisher John Robinson Block seems to have fundamentally misunderstood the editorial’s role in his paper. After publishing an editorial Monday defending President Donald Trump’s racist immigration comments, Block faced strong disagreement from his editorial staff. The Executive Committee of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, the union that represents much of the Post-Gazette staff, submitted a letter to the editor explaining its disagreement with hopes of it running in the Post-Gazette Wednesday. But Block decided to keep the response out of the paper, according to editorial page editor John Allison. It’s unacceptable for an individual to masquerade personal opinions as the beliefs of an institution, regardless of what position of power they may hold. But Block went further, denying his staff the right to have their own opinion heard, though his paper printed several other letters responding to the same issue. On a point where he could have acknowledged that his actions were wrong, he has yet to make things right. The Guild sent the letter to The Pitt News after Block denied them a voice in the PostGazette. Here’s the letter in its entirety:

pittnews.com

To the Editor: The Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, the union representing 150 reporters, photographers, copy editors, artists and other editorial employees at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is collectively appalled and crestfallen by the repugnant editorial “Reason as Racism.” As a matter of course, the Guild does not weigh in on editorial positions, but this piece is so extraordinary in its mindless, sycophantic embrace of racist values and outright bigotry espoused by this country’s President that we would be morally, journalistically, and humanly remiss not to speak out against it. This editorial is a blight on the 231 years of service the Post-Gazette has provided its readers. Over its long life, it has railed against racism and supported civil rights and justice for all. Given this history, the shameful and unconscionable editorial that ran on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, of all days, is an abomination that cannot go without condemnation from journalists committed to fairness, accuracy and decency. To be clear, no member of the Newspaper Guild had anything to do with that editorial and we stand together in solidarity against the bigotry, hatred and divisiveness it engenders. Our hope is that, like us, readers of the Post-Gazette will decry this lapse in promoting common decency, equal opportunity and justice across our great land and the world. This editorial and its sentiments solely represent the opinions of the Block family, owners of the PostGazette, and not their loyal employees who use our talents to fight against what this editorial stands for. Sincerely, The Executive Committee of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh Michael A. Fuoco, Jonathan D. Silver, Ed Blazina, Joe Smydo, Melissa Tkach, Patti Sabatini, Dan Gigler, Zack Tanner, Alyssa Brown Courtney Linder, Erin Hebert

Logan Paul leaves low-quality mark on YouTube

Thomas Wick Columnist

Since the beginning, the internet has been home to the most disgusting parts of pop culture. But recently, a crackdown on bad behavior on one of the internet’s biggest sites seems to be sparing its stars. Popular YouTube vlogger Logan Paul posted a video Dec. 31 of him and his friends exploring Aokigahara — a forest in Japan where people often travel to commit suicide. While exploring, Paul found a man who had killed himself — the video’s thumbnail even showed the body. The video quickly trended on various social media sites. The internet was furious about the video. “The worst part is Logan Paul’s cult fan base is little children. Who just watched their idol laugh and joke as someone ended their life. Garbage person,” Scottish actor Francis Maxwell said on Twitter. Before Paul removed it, his video managed to remain trending on the platform for a full 24 hours. However, the website’s guidelines don’t allow for disturbing or disgusting content without at least some age restrictions. As public outcry intensified, YouTube cut business ties with Paul, removing him from the upcoming season of the web series “Foursome” and a premier ad service called Google Preferred. Obviously, Logan Paul’s actions were disrespectful and stupid. Paul may have the freedom of speech to upload a video of a dead body, but he faced the consequences for that decision. Yet YouTube is still allowing high-profile bloggers, such as Paul, to get off too lightly for misbe-

January 18, 2018

havior. The people running the website need to do more to uphold the site’s quality standards and a basic level of decency. Smaller YouTubers agree that the site has a lenient attitude toward the platform’s biggest stars. Pitt marketing major and YouTuber Ekeni Abakah suggested in an interview that YouTube’s response to Paul’s indiscretion wasn’t one of sincere disapproval. “I’ve felt that YouTube’s response was solely based on public backlash,” Abakah said. “Now that the backlash has stopped, I feel like the bleeding for Logan has ended, and it’ll be a slow return to normalcy.” It’s not just Paul who is at fault for this. YouTube should have known better than to let a video of a dead body stay up. The fact that this video was trending for several days with no attempt from the company to take it down shows that YouTube was more concerned about money than basic decency. YouTuber Samuel Weber, an English and communication major at Pitt, agreed with Ekeni in another interview. “For the blatantly wrong stuff, I believe there should be hard guidelines,” Ekeni said. “YouTube should be held accountable for making the video as popular as it was, though,” Weber added. Paul may be the face of the issue right now, but he is not the only problematic user on the video-sharing website. Other YouTubers have landed in scandals that are just as bad, if not worse. Zoella, Sam Pepper and DaddyOFive have all taken See YouTube on page 5

YouTube, pg. 4

which channels receive “top-tier” in-video ads, but it appears it had the opposite effect and has harmed smaller channels. Unless a video’s publisher has “at least 1,000 subscribers” and “more than 4,000 hours of their content viewed by others within the past 12 months,” they will not have ads for the video. Although targeted at what the company calls “spammers, impersonators and other bad actors,”

Raka Sakar SENIOR STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

this change has actually made things worse for small content creators. Ekeni expressed serious concern about the change, as her channel will no longer be monetized. It won’t be long before another famous YouTuber does another irresponsible thing on the internet and the loop of apologies and broken promises repeats itself. While elite users like Paul need to use more common sense with their content and statements, YouTube can do a lot to improve its platform so that YouTube monetization does not result in smaller channels having to abide by unreasonable standards that will cripple the success of small YouTubers such as Ekeni. YouTube can affect what kind of videos are popular on its platform by picking and choosing which channels to give top-tier ads. Instead of giving the ads to the platform’s celebrities regardless of behavior, administrators should work to ensure that the best content — not simply the most shocking clickbait — rises to the top. Thomas primarily writes about visual media and gaming for The Pitt News. Write to him at tmw79@pitt.edu.

The Pitt news crossword 1/18/18

flak from the internet over poor decisions and controversial statements. Despite this, YouTube has allowed their channels to stay up — with little or no official repercussions. Another famous YouTuber, Swedish gamer PewDiePie, landed in hot water last year after repeatedly posting videos containing anti-Semitic attacks and racial slurs — but he still made $12 million last year from his posts on the website. YouTube ignored its own standards and let PewDiePie go unpunished, while at the same time continuing to profit from ad placements on his video channel. Of course, ad revenue from YouTube alone is not enough for most people to make a living. Most of the money YouTubers earn — and consequently the biggest incentive for good behavior — comes from monetized in-video ads placed by YouTube’s administrators. But all of the YouTubers I interviewed agreed the monetization system is flawed and allows for abusive and vulgar content to remain prevalent on the site.

“The reality is that it’s not good enough to be a ‘YouTuber’ anymore, especially since YouTube is becoming more corporate,” Ekeni said, suggesting that greater concern for profit has made the site too focused on profits and not focused enough on actual content. Earlier this month, YouTube promised to enforce higher standards through a stricter vetting process for deciding

pittnews.com

January 18, 2018

Culture

ASA BREAKS DOWN THE BAMBOO CEILING

Shahum Ajmal For The Pitt News

Albert Tanjaya encouraged the discussion of Asian stereotypes Wednesday night, evoking a feeling of acceptance from the group gathered in room G8 of the Cathedral. “We are talking about the journey of self-identity, self-discovery and what it means to be an Asian-American,” Tanjaya said. Tanjaya led 30 members of Pitt’s Asian Students Alliance on an interactive journey in an event titled “Above and Beyond the Bamboo Ceiling,” — ASA’s first advocacy workshop and general body meeting of the semester. The workshop brought together individuals from all groups under ASA — an umbrella organization comprised of the Chinese American Students Association, the Vietnamese Student Association, the Filipino Students Association and the Korean Student Association. Though they Rukmini Foundation liaison Bhakti Patel discusses the importance of women’s education in Nepal at the Asian expressed different viewpoints, the event Student Association’s “Above and Beyond the Bamboo Ceiling” event Wednesday night. encouraged them to open their minds to Thomas Yang VISUAL EDITOR a host of new questions surrounding the Asian-American “Now as president of ASA, I am excited minor, organized the event and led the identity. workshop throughout the night. As advo- to see my board members so enthusiastic ASA is focusing cacy chair of ASA, Tanjaya is responsible about his position,” Yu said. “Hopefully it this year on comfor creating content and planning events can continue.” paring past and Tanjaya divided the audience into five that expose Asian-American struggles present events to and values in a changing time — citing groups at the beginning of the event — observe how treatintersectionality as one way to better un- asking the participants if they have a firstment of minorities generation immigrant parent, their high derstand these issues. has advanced or “Today, we can look at how Asian- school was diverse and they were raised failed to improve in Americans in the community are working in either the city, suburbs or a rural area. social and political together with the African-American com- The questions were designed to encourcircumstances — in munity,” Tanjaya said. “Compare and con- age audience interaction among different one instance comtrast past and present to see what we can people, according to Tanjaya. Albert Tanjaya work on, change and strengthen.” paring the Chinese The groups then discussed their ASA Advocacy Chair Exclusion Act of Courtney Yu, a junior political science thoughts and concerns when it came to 1882, which prohiband economics major, was advocacy chair their personal family dynamics and how ited Chinese labor last year and hosted a similar workshop their past has shaped their future. MemMuslim-majority countries. immigration into for ASA. Yu said she was proud to see the bers shared personal information about Tanjaya, a sophomore computer sci- direction Tanjaya has taken in bringing their families, discovering a common the U.S. for 10 years, to Trump’s recent executive order to ban travel from several ence major and comparative politics new ideas to the position. See Bamboo on page 7

“

We are talking about the journey of self-identity, self-discovery and what it means to be an Asian American

pittnews.com

January 18, 2018

The Pitt News

Editor-in-Chief ASHWINI SIVAGANESH

Managing Editor JOHN HAMILTON

editor@pittnews.com

manager@pittnews.com

News Editor MACKENZIE RODRIGUES

Bamboo, pg. 6

Opinions Editor HENRY GLITZ

news@pittnews.com

opinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor GRANT BURGMAN

Culture Editor CAROLINE BOURQUE

sports@pittnews.com

culture@pittnews.com

Visual Editor THOMAS YANG

Layout Editor ELISE LAVALLEE

visuals@pittnews.com

layout@pittnews.com

Online Editor MATT CHOI

Copy Chief KYLEEN PICKERING

tpnonline@gmail.com

copy@pittnews.com

Kim Rooney | Assistant Copy Chief Copy Staﬀ Alexa Marzina Amanda Sobczak

Kelsey Hunter Mia DiFelice

Rachael Crabb

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

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.

Business Manager JILL BALDAUF advertising@pittnews.com

Sales Manager MATTHEW HOUCK

Marketing Manager KATIE BOZZO Production Manager MAYA PUSKARIC Account Executives

Rachel Buck Kavi Galal Isabel Scrabis James Gavaghan Andrew Restrepo Dave Barone Paige Franjione Sean Hennessy

pittnews.com

struggle in finding their place in new surroundings while staying in touch with their cultural heritage. Tanjaya then reintroduced the title of their workshop — “The Bamboo Ceiling” — by asking the groups to discuss what they thought the term meant. Many audience members drew comparisons to the “glass ceiling” — an intangible yet widely acknowledged barrier women face in the workplace — and said the word “bamboo” was mainly derived from preexisting Asian stereotypes, a suspicion Tanjaya reinforced. “Being Asian-American is not bad, because you have an understanding that you have the best of both worlds,” Tanjaya said. “To be Asian-American is also not to focus on the stereotypes, because those are not the stories that define you.” He built upon the bamboo stereotype by then asking audience members to yell out stereotypes they have personally encountered. The crowd responded by calling out, “you’re going to be a doctor,” “you’re bad at driving” and “Asian women are submissive.” As the workshop began winding down, Tanjaya left the groups with thought-provoking questions about the factors that shaped them, their values and how much they know about their family. “Have you ever felt alone or different because you’re Asian?” he asked. Audience members’ answers varied given where they were from, but all groups voiced similar sentiments that having organizations like ASA helps void the feeling of being alone. One member in attendance, Diya Goyal, a first-year psychology major on a premed track, said as a person of South Indian and Asian descent — which does not fall into the category of a typical Southeast Asian — it was nice experiencing and relating to other Asian cultures. “You don’t see people like me in the Asian Students Alliance, but everyone did make me feel welcome,” Goyal said. Goyal said after leaving the workshop, she hopes that a more diverse group of ethnicities will come together to experience Asian culture and educate themselves. “Don’t feel like you don’t belong, because we accept everybody,” Goyal said.

January 18, 2018

Sports TAKE 5: COORDINATORS, ‘CUTCH, CAVALIERS

The Pitt News Staﬀ

The nonstop news cycle of the modern world keeps churning out more headlines than anyone can keep up with. That’s why The Pitt News sports desk is back for a second week in a row with five takes on five stories from this past week of sports news. One Down, One to Go Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have officially parted ways with offensive coordinator Todd Haley, it is time for the team to do the same with defensive coordinator Keith Butler. His defensive allowed 45 points in the playoffs to the Jacksonville Jaguars — that’s unacceptable. The team has continued to underperform and not make a Super Bowl appearance, with the poor defense being the main reason. With Le’Veon Bell’s contract negotiations becoming a distraction and Ben Roethlisberger’s career winding down, head coach Mike Tomlin gets one last chance next season to at least win the AFC with a future Hall of Fame quarterback, running back and wide receiver on the roster. — Colin Martin, Staff Writer Rivals No More With another loss to the Golden State Warriors Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers proved they have no shot if the two square off for the fourth straight year in the NBA Finals. Not only have the Cavs lost six of their last seven matchups against the Warriors, but this year’s squad is without Kyrie Irving — the all-star guard who averaged 29.4 points per game in last year’s finals. Offense aside, the real reason the Cavaliers struggle against the Warriors is because they can’t match up defensively. Beyond Lebron James, the Cavaliers have not been able to contain Golden State’s four all-

PANTHER SPOTLIGHT Dominic Campbell

Staff Writer

The Pitt women’s gymnastics and track and field teams were both in action over the first weekend of the new semester. One of the program’s most established stars lifted the Panthers on the track, while a fresh face provided a boost for the Panthers in the gym. Haley Brechwald Despite losing a close competition with Oregon State, the Pitt women’s gym-

Haley Brechwald

Despite it being her first collegiate meet, first year Haley Brechwald gave an outstanding performance in the gymnastics home meet against Oregon State last Saturday See Take 5 on page 9 night. Thomas Yang VISUAL EDITOR

pittnews.com

nastics team posted its best season-opening score in program history Saturday night, thanks in large part to first year Haley Brechwald. The team scored 194.125 total points, 38.925 of which came from Brechwald’s performances. The team total is almost a whole two points above the total the Panthers posted in last year’s opener. In her first collegiate meet, Brechwald won both the vault and floor events. In the vault, Brechwald posted an average score of 9.825 in her two trials, surpassing Oregon State Mary Jacobsen by .050 points in the event. Brechwald was the best Panther on the floor as well, tying Oregon State sophomore Sabrina Gill with a score of 38.925. Brechwald and the gymnastics team will have another home meet this Saturday, Jan. 20, against New Hampshire at 2 p.m. Andin Fosam Following up on last year’s victory at the Nittany Lion Challenge, senior women’s hammer thrower Andin Fosam once again took first place at University Park over the weekend. Coming off her junior year during which she broke the school record in the same event and made it all the way to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Fosam won the meet for a second consecutive year with a throw of 19.50m. Fosam’s throw eclipsed the distance she posted to win the Challenge last year, which was at 19.31m. Fosam’s performance at the Nit-

January 18, 2018

tany Lion Challenge puts her back on track to represent the Panthers once again in the NCAA Outdoor Championships this season. The track and field team will travel to Youngstown, Ohio, to compete in the YSU College Invitational Jan. 19.

Andin Fosam

Track and field senior Andin Fosam continues to impress in the women’s hammer throwing event. Courtesy of Andin Fosam

Take 5, pg. 8 star players. New additions to the Cavaliers in the form of Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Dwyane Wade, among others, were supposed to provide the depth to defend against Golden State this season. But after two losses this year, it looks as though Cleveland misses the elite offensive ability of Kyrie Irving, and the team still can’t stop the Warriors. If these two see each other in the finals again, it may be the least competitive matchup yet. — David Leftwich, Senior Staff Writer End of an Era Former National League MVP and Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen has been traded away to the San Francisco Giants. Who did the Pirates get in return for one of the most beloved players, not only in the franchise, but in the MLB? Relief pitcher Kyle Crick and minor league outfielder Bryan Reynolds. McCutchen hasn’t been great these last two seasons, but he is still a franchise player, and trading him away is gut-wrenching to a fan base that was close to being a consistent contender a few years ago. McCutchen wasn’t the only departure this week: only two days before the McCutchen trade, star pitcher Gerrit Cole was traded to the Houston Astros for another

pittnews.com

bunch of no-name players. The organization still says they want to give the city a championship team, but when? They had a window, and instead of spending, they kept their money and threw any chance of being a good team out the window. All this organization wants to do is make money and spend as little as possible. Bob Nutting is more interested in making money at his Seven Springs Mountain Resort than he is in providing this City and its die-hard sports fans a championship or, at minimum, a winning team. —- Dominic Campbell, Staff Writer The (Almost) Rumble in the Tunnel One of the most interesting stories of the week comes from Monday’s Houston Rockets versus LA Clippers game. The Clippers won, 113-102, but the story does not come from anything that happened on the court. Clippers point guard Austin Rivers, on the sidelines due to injury, dressed in a suit, talked trash to the Rockets’ Trevor Ariza in the waning minutes of the game. Ariza chirped back, Blake Griffin rushed to Rivers’ defense and both Ariza and Griffin were ejected for the incident. After the game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Rockets players Ariza, Chris Paul, James Harden and Gerald Green pushed into the Clippers’ locker room post-game via

Andrew McCutchen TNS a back tunnel connecting the home and visiting locker rooms. Later, details emerged that Rockets center Clint Capela served as a decoy for his teammates’ “attack.” Capela reportedly knocked on the front door of the Clippers’ locker room entrance while his teammates sought to sneak in from the back. No one was hurt in the near-altercation, but the incident was intriguing nonetheless. For starters, Paul seemingly used his knowledge of Staples Center to lead his new team through a tunnel to confront his former coach’s son, among others. Then there’s the imagery of Capela being used as a Trojan horse for the whole operation. Did Capela volunteer for that position? Was he chosen? Does

January 18, 2018

his stance of neutrality and nonviolence have anything to do with his being a native of Switzerland? No one can say for sure, but the whole thing is fun to think about. — Trent Leonard, Staff Writer Cleaning House With the Pittsburgh Pirates commencing an all-out fire sale, the next player to go will likely be infielder Josh Harrison, who requested a trade Tuesday. The perfect marriage for Harrison is awaiting him in Flushing, New York. The New York Mets have been rumored to be searching for an infielder this off-season via trade. Harrison plays multiple positions, provides a solid bat and has great speed — which New York needs desperately. The Mets finished 27th in total stolen bases last season, and their baserunning in general has been abysmal. New York has been craving a speed threat on the bases for years and Harrison would immediately fill that gap. It seems as though the only thing that has been holding the Mets back from making an impact move has been their worry of delving into an already thin farm system. However, based on the Pirates’ deal of Andrew McCutchen, the Mets may be able to make a deal without breaking the bank. — Adin Link, Staff Writer

I N D E X

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

For Rent North Oakland 2BR apartment on N. Dithridge St., available Aug. 2018. A/C, dishwasher. $1050/ mo. + gas & electric. 412-818-2626 3 bedroom/1 bath. Fully renovated, new windows. $1295+utilities. Washer/dryer, granite countertops, off-street parking, dishwasher, backyard. Walking distance to campus. Available August 1st. Call 724-309-4193. 3 BR Apartment. Available August 1, 2018. $1320-$1620 +gas & electric. 412-441-1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesmanagement.net. 3BR apartment on N. Dithridge St., available Aug. 2018. A/C, dishwasher. $1575/ mo. + gas & electric. 412-818-2626 4BR house, 2 bath. Newly remodeled, wall-to-wall carpeting, equipped kitchen, on busline, 15 minute walk to campus. $250/ person+ gas/electric. Call 412-548-2214. 6BR house on N. Dithridge St. Available Aug. 2018. A/C, 2 kitchens, 2 dishwashers. $2970/ mo. + gas & electric. 412-818 -2626

pittnews.com

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

Classifieds

For sale

• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS

notices

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER

South Oakland

1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments. $1015 + electric, $1599 + electric respectively. Available August 1, 2018. Louisa St. 412-441-1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesmanagement.net.

Before signing a lease, be aware that no more than 3 unrelated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Permits, Licensing & Inspections. 412-255-2175.

Various 1-bedroom apartments on Meyran, Pier and Ward Streets. Starting from $765-$850. Available August 2018. Call John CR Kelly Reality. 412-683-7300 Visit: www.jcrkelly. com

2-3 BR apartments. Central AC. Free laundry on-site. Call 412-38-LEASE.

M.J. Kelly Realty. Studio, 1, 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes and Houses. N. & S. Oakland from $750-$2500. mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412-271-5550. www.mjkellyrealty. com

Ward & S. Bouquet Streets - Studio, 1, 2 & 3BR apartments. Free parking. Move in May 1 or Aug. 1, 2018. Call 412-361-2695

Numerous 2 bedroom apartments located on Bates, Ward, and Dawson Streets. Starting from $865-$1,395. Available August 2018. Call John CR Kelly Realty. 412-683-7300. Visit: www.jcrkelly.com

1 bedroom luxury apartment. 2 apartments available in a beautiful brick home with private entry, private laundry, off-street parking or garage, newly remodeled throughout. Kitchen w/ Dishwasher, Granite countertop & more! Located on Morewood Avenue, 15 minute walk to Pitt/ CMU, Walnut Street. 5 minutes to UPMC Shadyside, West Penn Hospital. One block to Buses, hospital/ Pitt/CMU shuttles and many restaurants. Available August 1st, 2018. No Pets. $1195+ g/e. Call Jason at 412-922-2141. Pics/info: tinyurl.com/ morewood1br

3 & 4 Bedroom Apartments on Semple, Bates, & Juliet. August availability. $1425-$2600. Call John CR Kelly Reality. 412-683-7300 Visit: www.jcrkelly. com 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, and 4 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 Atwood Street. STUDIO & 1BR available. Both include utilities. Immediate availability. (412)-561-7964.

Oakland Apartments Available Immediately: Completely remodeled. Includes laundry, dishwasher, off- street parking, all utilities, cable and internet. 2BR $1400. 3BR $1800. Contact Jarred Brown 814-403-2798. STUDENT HOUSING. Updated 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 Bedroom Houses. 4-6 Bedroom Units w/ multiple baths. Dishwasher, laundry, some w/ air conditioning and/or parking. August availability. 412-445-6117.

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$27.00

$30.20

+ $5.00

16-30 Words

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

$29.10

$32.30

+ $5.40

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978

Squirrel Hill

Shadyside

Add.

3 bedroom/1 bath townhouse on Murray Avenue across from Starbucks. $1295+utilities. Washer/dryer, granite countertops, off-street parking, dishwasher, backyard, and covered front porch. Available August 1st. Call 724-309-4193.

Employment Research Studies Participants Wanted for Paid Psychology Research Participants wanted for an alcohol research study at Carnegie Mellon University To be eligible for this study, you must: •Be 21-25 yrs. old and own a smartphone •Drink alcohol at least weekly •Be able to show valid photo ID •Be willing to consume alcohol

January 18, 2018

You may earn up to $365 for your participation in this multi-session study. For more information, call The Behavioral Health Research Lab (412-268-3029) Note: Unfortunately, our lab is not wheelchair accessible.

Employment Other Appointment Setter **Part time EVENINGS Monday - Thursday 4:00pm 8:00pm** Setting appointments for utility customers. THIS IS NOT A SALES POSITION customers are not charged for this utility service. Candidates must have good computer, communication and organizational skills and a history of excellent attendance. Must pass background check and drug test. Responsibilities include inbound and outbound telephone contacts, data entry, and filing. $11/hour

send resume or work history to jobs@ traceservices.com

(412) 621-7215 for more information. Contact within.

Comfort Keepers, a Post-Gazette Top Workplace, is seeking caring individuals. Caregivers work alongside seniors to provide companionship, light housekeeping, personal care services. Flexible hours available. If interested call 412-363-5500

Employment Other

Delivery Driver job in North Oakland. Mon-Sat 8-5 pm. $12/ hr. 313 North Craig St. Contact

Join KEYS Service Corps, AmeriCorps. Mentor, tutor, and inspire Pittsburgh area youth. Summer and fall positions with bi-weekly stipend and education award. Full and part-time. Possible internship credit. Call 412-350-2739. www.keysservicecorps.org

Employment Other Office and retail job in North Oakland Mon-Sat 8-5 pm. $12/ hr. 313 North Craig St. Contact (412) 621-7215 for more information. Inquire within. OFFICE INTERN Shadyside Management Company seeks person w/min 2 yrs. college, for upcoming spring semester to interview & process rental applicants, do internet postings & help staff our action-central office. Part-time or full time. AVAILABLE NOW; full time over summer. $13/ hour. Perfect job for current sophomores & juniors, graduating seniors set to enter grad school, returning grad students, and first-year law students! Mozart Management 412-682-7003 thane@ mozartrents.com Top Student Sales Person Wanted

For Sale Merchandise AWESOME GIFTS for that special someone, perfect for Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and special days. Visit our website at www. FantasiaGreetings.com

Services Parking GARAGE PARKING available in the heart of Oakland. Protect your car while parked. Only $80/month! Call 412-692-1770.

Notices Adoption ADOPTION: Loving, stable family hopes for one more blessing to join us in our adventures! Please call Heather/Chris 1 (800) 444-3089

Why work minimum wage in a restaurant? Sell Advok8 student coaching service to your peers. Can make up to $1,200 per month, and you can become a Advok8 Student:Client as a benefit. Better GPA, Less Anxiety, Higher Scholastic Success with Advok8 â&#x20AC;Ś AND get paid!! Prefer Juniors and Sophomores. Must have great people and social skills. 100% Commission. Training provided. Call 724-544-1490 for interview, or email steveaday@gmail. com. Provide letter of interest after looking at www.advok8.life.

pittnews.com

January 18, 2018

pittnews.com

January 18, 2018