12/8/2014 by The Pitt News

Volume 105 Issue 84 The Pitt News

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Table of Contents

Cover by Theo Schwarz | Visual Editor

Student Protests.....................................................4 SGB wrap up..........................................................5 Student athletes and fi nals..........................6 Craig: Sexism and the hollidays............6 Pitt football by the numbers...................8 Finals advice, Pokemon style..............10 Talbert: War on Christmas..........................11

THE PITT NEWS Natalie Daher Editor-in-Chief editor@pittnews.com

Cristina Holtzer, News Editor news@pittnews.com

Nick Voutsinos, Opinions Editor letters@pittnews.com

Shawn Cooke, A&E Editor

aande@pittnews.com Chris Puzia, Sports Editor sports@pittnews.com

Theo Schwarz, Visual Editor photos@pittnews.com

Ellie Petrosky, Copy Chief tpncopydesk@gmail.com

Stephen Caruso, Layout Editor tpnlayout@gmail.com

Winter break football schedule.............13 Copy Chef.................................................................15 Glenn: What finals really say....................17 Unconvential holliday traditions...............18 Charity in Pittsburgh..........................................20 Study music...............................................................21

E S T A B L I S HE D 1 9 1 0

Mahita Gajanan, Managing Editor manager@pittnews.com

Danielle Fox, Assistant News Editor Harrison Kaminsky, Assistant News Editor Matt Barnes, Assistant Opinions Editor Dan Sostek, Assistant Sports Editor Jeff Ahearn, Assistant Visual Editor Zheru Liu, Multimedia Editor Joelle Smith, Social Media Editor Becca Nagy, Assistant Copy Chief Emily Hower, Assistant Layout Editor

Copy Staff

Sarah Choflet Anjuli Das Kinley Gillette Johanna Helba Emily Maccia Sam McGinley

Bridget Montgomery Sarah Mejia Shivani Pandit Michelle Reagle Michael Wilson Megan Zagorski

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 writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

advertising@pittnews.com

Kevin Vanover, Business Manager Advertising@pittnews.com

Kelsey McConville, Inside Sales Manager

David Barr, Sales Manager

advertising@pittnews.com

Account Executives Maxwell Hine Allison Soenksen Robert Capone Alex Kanner Antonio Blundo Joe Leone Joe Kloecker A.J. Campli Sean Leone Franny Tish Kaitlin Kramer

Matt Reilly

Inside Sales Jordan Bullock Victoria Hetrick Julia McKay

Digital Manager Stephen Ellis

Marketing Manager Kristine Aprile

Senior University Account Executive

Marketing Assistant

Ad Designer Mark Janavel

Rachael Hoge

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

“i can’t breathe”

Pitt students take a stand against police brutality Hundreds of Pittsburghers set out to show the city “what democracy looks like,” on Friday night, Photos by Theo Schwarz | Visual Editor marching for eight miles in the December rain. Roughly 400 protesters with signs, posters, megaphones and banners gatheredin Schenley Plaza, around 5 p.m., according to police. It was a mix of high school and college students, Pitt faculty and community members. Some had their faces covered in Guy Fawkes masks, bandanas and ski masks. Others’ faces were unobstructed and warped only by their emotion. Immediately after the first protest rallied and finished,, a smaller group of about 200 protesters proceeded down Forbes Avenue onto Parkway East to Downtown, South Side and then back to Oakland at around 9 p.m. Many of the protesters attend school at Pitt, local high schools and surrounding colleges. The anti-police brutality rally was Pittsburgh’s fifth in three days, and police did not interfere with any of the protests. Joan Mukogosi, 16, a Winchester Thurston School student from Squirrel Hill, said she and her high school friends were discussing recent events in Ferguson, Mo., and the Eric Garner case in Staten Island, N.Y., in which the police officer who placed Garner in a fatal chokehold was not indicted. Wanting to “do their part,” Mukogsi said they began organizing Friday’s protest. Mukogosi is listed as a host with four others on a Facebook event created two Saturdays ago, which garnered more than 1,000 RSVPs by the day of the protest. Pittsburgh Students Against Police Brutality is listed as the organization responsible for running the protest. Mukogosi led the first wave of the protest, which began at 5:54 p.m. and ended at 6:02 p.m. The marcherslooped around Bigelow Boulevard, Fifth Avenue, South Bouquet Street and back to the original meeting spot in Schenley Plaza. Traffic was not stopped in Oakland because of Pitt police detours. “This will not be a violent protest. That is not for us,” Mukogosi said, addressing the crowd. As Mukogosi began to dismiss the protesters, a portion of the group began a die-in, lying down in the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard. She instructed the crowd to get up, adding through a megaphone, “We’ve got to peacefully disperse. I don’t want conflict.” At this point, the crowd split in two; one half left the area, and the other half reformed to return to the streets. Mukogosi did not lead this second wind of protests. Police trailed the second group. As street signs fell behind them, it became unapparent where their march would end. At 6:13 p.m., the protesters neared the end of Forbes Avenue, shouting to each other to “tighten up” and “prepare to take the freeway.” Although the mood was initially tense, after five or six protestors secured Parkway East ahead, the rest of the group exuberantly barrelled down the ramp that led to the road, preparing to “shut it down.” Despite the heavy rain, energy was high throughout the night. Each new road or neighborhood the group overtook on their four-hour march became a victorious battle ground, and the group stopped several times to dance on their spoils, while singing the chorus from DMX’s “Ruff Ryders Anthem,” “Stop, drop, shut ‘em down, Protest 14 open up shop. Oh, no. That’s how ruff ryders roll.”

Harrison Kaminsky and Danielle Fox The Pitt News Staff

“This is not a moment. This is a movement. You took the city back tonight, but it’s not done” Julia Johnson

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

End of the road: Board members reflect on initiatives Abbey Reighard and Emily Ahlin The Pitt News Staff

While the majority of the Board spent their terms trying to pass campaign initiatives, almost half the members passed in their resignation letters. During the SGB term, which began Jan. 6, 2014, and ends Jan. 5, 2015, four of the nine Board members resigned. With only five of the original elected members left, the Board members spent a portion of their terms — including more than 20 hours of interviews, according to Board member Andrew Abboud — appointing replacements. Mike Nites Student Government Board President Mike Nites said the resignations delayed his campaign initiatives but didn’t keep him from completing them. “With every person we lost, we became stronger,” Nites said. “We had to work together, and we have a great team now.” Nites’ campaign initiatives included creating a student advisory council, revising the Allocations Manual and increasing collaboration between Board members and transparency with the student body. The Board introduced the advisory council, called the student assembly, at public meeting on Nov. 5 and passed a resolution to put the assembly up to a student vote. The student body voted on and passed a referendum on SGB election day, Nov. 11. Nites said he wanted to introduce the student assembly last spring, but had to delay the project after three Board members resigned in the first three months of the term. Nites said it’s “hard to measure” the ways he’s worked in the past year to make SGB more transparent. The Board voted to publicly approve their own budgets at the Board’s weekly public meeting on Jan. 7. The Board also voted to make all student group budget requests public at itspublic meeting on March 25. Nites said some other changes included meeting with students about student gov-

ernment bills and resolutions before voting, which did “a lot to gather more student input.” Some of those meetings, Nites said, included four he held in September, October and November with club sports leaders about Bill 0025, which will limit club sports allocations. The Board passed the bill on Dec. 3. Andrew Abboud Andrew Abboud’s campaign platforms included lowering book prices at the University Bookstore, increasing fitness facility hours and increasing study space on campus. After he met with officials from the University Store on Fifth , Abboud said, he discovered that lowering the costs of textbooks would not be feasible during his term. It will require more academic departments’ involvement and discussions with Pitt administrators, he said, which will be easier now that the SGB term is aligned with the academic calendar. The student body passed the term change on Oct. 10. Abboud said he instead focused on enhancing communication between the bookstore and the student body. He said Robert Sica, previous academic affairs committee chair, nominated a n other memb e r last March, Nayanika Basu, as the bookstore liaison. Abboud said he originally intended to create a group of student liaisons, but decided one person would be enough. In the last few months of his term, Abboud announced that fitness facilities, including the Baierl Recreation Center and space on the third floor of the William Pitt Union, would be open for 16 more hours weekly as of Oct. 16. Abboud said he spoke with members from the Facilities Management Department about repurposing campus space, adding that he

thinks the need for more study space is on tinue to work on as the Board’s president next Pitt administrators’ “radar.” term include looking into the University’s Abby Zurschmit tobacco usage policy and “improving access” Zurschmit joined the Board with ideas for to resources, including adding preventative riding safe and eating well. Zurschmit, who measures for assault victims both on and off previously served as the safety and transpor- campus. tation committee chair, said she wanted to For the tobacco policy, Meyer said he concreate a SafeRider app and increase student tacted organizations like Pitt’s Student Health usage of the William Pitt Union, specifically Service and the Allegheny County Health Deby extending dining hours. partment and conducted a survey regardZurschmit said she discussed ideas for the ing student opinion of smoking on campus.. app,before she joined the Board and in the Meyer said he “hope[s]” to introduce a formal first few months after she joined the Board, proposal next semester. with Kevin Sheehy, director of the Parking, For assault victims, Meyer said he looked Transportation and Services department, and into expanding the blue light system, but, they found it overlapped with the University’s after conversations with Officer Johnson of work on an app, the current status of which the Pitt police, he realized that wasn’t feasible. Zurschmit said she doesn’t know. Instead, Meyer said he has been working to Zurschmit shifted her focus to bringing introduce a blue light safety app through a more students to the William Pitt Union by third party vendor. Meyer said he will show extending the Schenley Cafe’s dining hours. a demo for the blue light safety app during She announced on Oct. 8 that the Pizza Hut the second week of next semester. and Taco Bell would be open for Nick Hufnagel an additional nine hours on the Hufnagel joined the Board on March 18 weekends. to replace Jake Radziwon, who resigned “I wanted to extend the on Feb. 27. dining hours so more students Hufnagel said his initiatives included felt that was a place they could opening up office and storage space go to eat and study on in the O’Hara Student Center the weekends,” Zurand storage space in the Wilschmit said. liam Pitt Union for SORCGraeme recognized student orgaMeyer nizations, and bringing Board mema TEDx talk to Pitt. ber Graeme The process of getMeyer said he ting space is “ideally “ran on some easier,” Hufnagel said, large initiatives.” with an online appli“I knew I Photos by Heather Tennant | Staff Photographer cation available on would be on SGB’s website on campus for Oct. 22. many years to come, so I planned to utilize Additionally, Hufnagel said he’s been this time to attack some larger initiatives,” working on what he called the “TEDx projMeyer said in an email. ect,” which aims to host a TEDxtalk on Pitt’s Meyer completed his initiative for the Cri- campus. sis Relief Fund to fund students who encounIn order to host a TEDx talk, Hufnagel ter an unexpected emergency, like a house needs to obtain a license from the non-profit fire, providing them with “essentials” to “get organization TED. Hufnagel said he turned in back on their feet,” he said. a third application for a license, because TED “Although I hope no one has to use it, I denied his first two proposals. Hufnagel said think it is a great resource to have available for our students,” Meyer said. SGB 16 Other initiatives Meyer said he will con-

6 FEATURE

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Athletes find ways to cope with practice, finals schedule Alex Fischbein and Brandon Duerr The Pitt News Staff

Chuck Knoles, the head coach of Pitt’s swimming and diving team, picks up his phone. On the other line was Tony Galante, a sophomore diver, who requested off of practice to Knolesso he could work on a final project. Normally this would be an issue, as missing practice in a varsity sport is generally disallowed. But finals week changes some priorities for players and coaches, as the week is packed with late nights, high stress, and —for the student-athletes on campus — a tough balancing act between schoolwork and sports, For one example, the swimming and diving team has the Christmas Meet from Dec. 11-14 to prepare for on top of finals. As a result, some Pitt student-athletes

Xxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx. Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor

must make some sacrifices during finals week and prioritize.

COLUMN

Unwrapping sexism Gender roles in holiday advertising are alive and well Holiday commercials targeting women generally depict mothers in a frenzy to buy gifts, wrap presents, bake cookies, clean the guest bedroom for the in-laws or decorate the Christmas tree as perfectly as the one on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens. “Mom, you own this season,” says a Wal-Mart holiday TV ad. Holiday commercials geared towards men, on the other hand, focus on buying the perfect gift. The ad dictates: buy the perfect diamond necklace, and reawaken

the sex life that’s gone dormant after child No. 2. Despite the many positive traditions of the holiday season, holiday-based advertising continues to highlight a gender divide running through America since the 19th century: Men make the money and bring the gifts to a perfectly clean, peppermint-scented home, where women await to greet them. The responsibility of holiday festivities falls on women, but the financial pressure for gifts and other material items fall on

Many athletes use their sport as a sanctuary where they can let go of any men. Or, more simply, women are the homemakers, while men are the money makers. What is more worrisome is that gender roles duri during the holiday season seem to parallel their repJe C o ssi resentation in advertising. resentati lu ca A 2006 study by the m Cr ni American PsychoA s t aig logical Association lo on gender-related stress during the holiday sseason found that women w are “particularly vulnerable.” “It is women who shoulder the majority of the family burden for shopping and holiday celebrations and they feel particular stress from the time crunch required to get everything done,” the study said. Of course, stereotypical gender depictions are not new to holiday advertising. Whether this stress is society-imposed or self-imposed, the gender divide during holiday preparations — and moreover the lack

worries or stress. Harris Bergman, a senior diver, uses these practices as a way to get away from all the stress that finals bring. According to Berman, Knoles told the team to set aside time from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. just for diving. But, outside of the pool, he still sees his academics as a competition. “When I come to practice, I focus on becoming a better diver and how I’m going to beat people in the ACC. When I’m in the library or the Cathedral studying, I just look at the book and think, ‘Here’s how I can beat divers in the pool and out of the pool,’” Bergman said. Schoolwork can become stressful, but working to become the best in your sport can also be taxing. When practices and schoolwork become a routine, however, remembering to find time to relax can be difficult.

Athletes

of awareness about that divide — seems misaligned with the recent expansion of the global feminist movement seen in some workplaces and across the media. While women make up nearly half of the workforce in this country, ads still capture the traditional stereotype of women as homemakers and men as the breadwinners and providers. This type of advertising should be hurting business because it’s blatantly misleading. Most women should be opting not to shop at particular stores because of these discriminatory ads, right? Unfortunately, this is not likely, as businesses would be quick

“The responsibility...is on women, but the financial pressure...fall on men. Or, more simply, women are the homemakers, while men are the money makers.”

Craig

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

FOOTBALL

A 6-6 record is just our thing: Six takeaways from Pittʼs season Alex Wise Staff Writer

College football’s regular season is over and — for the fourth time in as many years — Pitt finished the season with an even .500 record. On the bright side, the Panthers showed promise and can now rely on a quarterback with a year of experience and an arsenal of weapons at his disposal. On the downside, we lost to Akron — and LeBron didn’t even play. But calling the 2014 season “average” or “an underachievement” would be an insult to the style with which Pitt reached its level of mediocrity. So, to prove Pitt’s season was anything but ordinary, here are my season takeaways. There’s one for each win – or, for the “glass half empty” people, one for each loss.

Pitt and Duke Have Established an Annual Shootout

Two hundred twelve. That’s the number of points for which Pitt and Duke have

combined during their meetings this year and last. Three points decided both games, with last year’s game landing in Pitt’s favor and this year’s in Duke’s. I think this calls for a clever nickname for the matchup, and, since I’m not clever enough to think of one, I’ll leave it to the public to get creative. My only stipulation is that the name must in some way reference the Big 12 Conference, because the Big 12 is the only place where averaging more than 100 combined points is acceptable.

212

The Chain of Beats Doesn’t Work

Five. That’s the minimum number of times you’ve tried using the “Chain of Beats” to make Pitt seem better than it is. If you’re not familiar with the Chain of Beats, that’s probably because I just made the name up. Here’s an example: Pitt beat Boston College, and then Boston College

beat USC, so Pitt must be better than USC. Made-up studies reveal that fans’ hopes increase by 50 percent when the Chain of Beats is implemented, but these hopes are fictitious creations meant to torture the mind. For a better example, Pitt beat Virginia Tech after Virginia Tech beat Ohio State, so Pitt must be better than Ohio State. There are two reasons this is illogical. First, it just is. Second ...

Pitt Just Can’t Handle Ohio

One. That’s the number of times Pitt has beaten a team from Ohio in my four years at Pitt. That’s one win in five opportunities (six, if you count the Chain of Beats matchup with Ohio State as an opportunity). The only win? Bowling Green in the 2013 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Losses came after facing Cincinnati (twice), Youngstown State (come on) and, most recently, Akron. By the grace of God we’ve

managed to evade Toledo and Kent State, two opponents bound by the laws of history to beat Pitt. Unless something turns around soon, our only good memories involving Ohio will be figments of our imagination implanted by the Chain of Beats.

Pitt’s Games vs. Georgia Tech Should Be Shortened By Five Minutes

Fifty. That’s the number of times I shook my head in disgust and “gave up watching” Pitt’s game against Georgia Tech, only to be sucked back in by another fumble or Yellow Jacket touchdown or referee getting stiffarmed by a running back. I truly believe that the beginning of the GT game was the worst five minutes of football I’ve ever witnessed in my 21 years, which is saying something, because I’ve

Numbers

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

9 Fatima Kizilkaya | Staff Cartoonist

James Conner had a 2014 for the record books Heather Tennant | Staff Photographer

FROM PAGE 9

NUMBERS

watched a lot of Big Ten football. On the plus side, however, the remaining 55 minutes of that game were competitive and enjoyable. Therefore, my proposal is this: each time Pitt and Georgia Tech play, the game starts at 0-0 with 10 minutes on the clock. The first five minutes of the game, by rule, don’t exist.

Rushel Shell: Gone and Yes Forgotten

Zero. That’s how much fairness opposing defenses possess when trying to stop James Conner. He’s a massive downhill runner with abnormal strength, which led to him accumulating nearly 1,700 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. At one point during his 263-yard performance against

Numbers

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Gotta catch ‘em all

How to keep yourself healthy for finals, Pokémon-style drinks full of caffeine. Keep everything in moderation.

Stephanie Roman Staff Writer Finals week looms ahead like the Elite Four, and the path there is the same: Victory Road. In between studying and playing the new Pokémon games, recall the lessons you learned in Trainers’ School. With these tips, you will easily overcome your exams and become Champion.

ZZZZZ...

Burn

If you’re writing research papers, don’t wait till the last second to burn them out in one all-nighter. The same goes for studying. Cramming is less effective than cumulative, dedicated study practices. When suffering from a burn, your Pokémon take residual damage every turn. Your best bet to avoid this affliction is to choose to study or research early and often, or you’ll be the one suffering from burnout. Establishing consistent study habits is a super effective way to prevent procrastination Easy — don’t harm your body with too and laziness. much debilitating stuff during exam week. Carefully monitor substance intake, because it’s going to affect your ability to study and the amount of work you can get through. As much as you might want to play the new Pokémon games, there is a time and place for them, and it’s definitely not finals week. The same goes for alcohol, caffeine and candy. Finals aren’t about partying. The celebration comes after the grades are in — not before.

Poison

Freeze

Take the time to chill out every once in a while. Six days of uninterrupted stress will detrimentally affect your mental health. After a satisfying study session, put on some calming music, do some yoga or watch TV or a movie. Reward diligent work with some relaxation. Similarly, concoct a cup of cocoa, coffee or tea to fend off the cool temperatures, but recall rule No. 1: don’t overindulge in

Sleep Paralysis Test anxiety leads to massive grade and GPA drops. Succumbing to it can be painful. Learning how to avoid or negate these effects is paramount to the nervous test-taker. Get into a comfortable place — like the library or a nice chair — and review flash cards and notes. Practice meditation or focus on controlling your breathing — create a mantra and say it in between deep and slow breaths. Make sure to go into the exam w i t h a full stomach, and those jitters will be pulverized for good.

Designs by Emily Hower | Assistant Layout Editor

Make sure to get some! Eat balanced meals three times a day, stay hydrated and sleep during nighttime hours. Exercise if there’s time. All the health lessons you’ve been inundated with for years still apply during finals week. All-nighters harm your ability to focus during the day and generally lead to irritability, loss of appetite, headaches and grogginess. Be sharp for your exams. You don’t want to be ready to faint when that shiny Pokémon leaps out of the tall grass. Take each battle as it comes, and don’t run away — each encounter gains you more experience. Soon you’ll gain the skills nece s sary to challenge the Champ. With all these new moves, finals week is yours for the taking.

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

THE TALBERT REPORT

‘Merry Christmas’ vs. ‘Happy Holidays’: The war worth having Eli Talbert Columnist

With finals upon on us, nothing seems more important than figuring out where to study or what exactly we need to score on a final to pass a class. Of course, this is not the only thing that matters in the month of December, compared to more pressing annual debates like whether or not we should say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.” Your choice has dramatic implications. The former choice indicates that you are a backwards philistine, who is insensitive to other religions, while the latter marks you as a hapless conformist brainwashed by the liberal media. On the surface, the debate seems irrational. Why would the choice schools, stores or people make to use “Merry Christmas” or the more politically correct “Happy Holidays” mean so much?

T P N S U D O K U

The answer lies, as always, in the power of words. When you choose to utter the words “Merry Christmas,” you are secretly endorsing the Christian agenda. A Pew research study conducted last year found that 46 percent of Americans don’t care what seasonal greeting they receive, with 42 percent preferring Merry Christmas — but this is still a major issue. Just stop to consider the constitutional implications if public schools once again referred to the break traditionally starting in December as “Christmas Break.” Doubtlessly, this connotation would remind a Muslim or an atheist kid that they don’t have a holiday that involves spending excess amounts of money on material things. They’d convert to Christianity out of sheer despair. Conversely, if everyone shifts to using “Happy Holidays,” how will we remember what holidays we are actually celebrating? Who’s to say that I am not simply lazy and am actually wishing you a Happy Easter,

Today’s difficulty level: Medium Puzzles by Dailysudoku.com

Hanukkah, Christmas and/or Fourth of July? Plus, consumers might begin to forget that Christmas is coming, despite department stores’ helpful displays of Christmas decorations that they put up immediately after Halloween. If the word Christmas becomes taboo, how will stores stay afloat? Still, we do have to consider the psychological damage those who say “Merry Christmas” inflict on people who do not actually celebrate Christmas. They might feel negative emotions from the fact that someone stereotyped them as a celebrator of Christmas. While a Gallup poll in 2009 placed 93 percent of Americans as Christmas celebrators, it is simply unacceptable to stereotype the remaining 7 percent. This leaves us at an impasse. How will regular Americans decide if they are allowed to wish people a Merry Christmas if the media doesn’t take a clear stance on its political correctness? The answer is simple. Each side of the debate should use

their preferred greeting and then complain whenever someone uses the other. Whoever complains the most and the loudest would win by sheer annoyance. This would not only be fair, but consistent with the American ideal that whoever has the most hurt feelings wins. The dispute over “Merry Christmas” might not be as hard-hitting as the controversy over racial profiling by police and might not be as interesting as a debate over whether Superman or Batman would win in a fight, but it’s important. Whether the debate is framed as a freedom of speech issue, getting back to our Christian values or an issue of religious sensitivity, this controversy is the perfect example of why it is great that the media gets to control exposure of issues. So this Christmas — er, I mean, holiday — season, think long and hard about the C-word, and don’t forget to share your thoughts on Facebook. Write to Eli at ejt26@pitt.edu.

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

FROM PAGE 9

NUMBERS Duke, I was completely convinced that Conner morphed into a rhinoceros and stampeded 11 (this is where the African safari analogy breaks down, because I don’t actually know what rhinoceros stampede over) Blue Devils. Thank the heavens Conner has at least one more year in a Pitt

uniform, because he’s the glue of this team.

Chad Voytik Will Be Fine

Two thousand eleven. That’s the number of passing yards that first-year quarterback Chad Voytik threw for. While his stats aren’t through the roof, Voytik showed glimpses of brilliance. While there are a number of things that need improvement, such as his Tyler Boyd Tunnel Vision (patent denied), we all have to admit that we didn’t see his

2,011

running ability coming. After all, he isn’t exactly built like a track star, but he runs with confidence, power and surprising pace. I don’t want to sound too optimistic, but I think we might have something working here! As a bonus, Pitt is being rewarded for its 6-6 season with a bowl game. So cozy up to the television with a few Busch Lights, grab a few more Busch Lights when you finished the original few, say a prayer that @FauxPelini lives on, and, as always, never stop hailing.

FROM PAGE 6

CRAIG

to change this practice if it were unsuccessful. Women should avoid shopping at stores guilty of this kind of discriminatory advertising, at least until the businesses begin to target women’s money just as equally as they do men’s. Yet, to most Americans, this may seem like an impossible task, since the traditional mother-centric image of the holidays is so ingrained in our culture and advertising. This portrayal of holiday shopping is simply outdated. In recent years particularly, celebrity support, protests, congressional hearings and policy change have reinvigorated the feminist movement. Contemporary American citizens have proved that they are willing to be outspoken and sacrifice for change. For instance, American consumers boycotted Amazon for its unfair treatment of authors, and Ferguson, Mo., residents refused to participate in Black Friday following the failure to indict the police officer who shot Michael Brown. Companies that perpetuate unfair stereotypes against women should face similar treatment from consumers. Perhaps then women will see a Christmas miracle next year — advertising that displays women for what they are: equal. Write to Jess at jnc34@pitt.edu. FROM PAGE 6

ATHLETES Lauren Mills, a senior swimmer, said finding time to relax is key to avoiding overwhelming stress during finals. She said she likes to talk to her teammates, read a book or bake to relax. “It’s easy to think I can go from practice to class to taking the exam, and keep doing that over again, but I have to remind myself every day to at least take a few minutes for myself and breathe,” Mills said. Pitt wrestler Tyler Wilps, a redshirt senior captain, said the key to balancing the demands is focusing on the task at hand. “I compartmentalize. When I’m studying, I’m studying. When I’m wrestling, I’m

Athletes

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Playing in a winter wonderland Armed Forces Bowl, Louisville end a busy holiday schedule for Pitt sports Chris Puzia Sports Editor

The Pitt News Crossword, 12/8/2014

Pitt has been selected to play in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl against The University of Houston in Ft. Worth, Texas. The game is scheduled for Jan. 2, according to a 5:20 p.m. announcement on Sunday. Houston (7-5, 5-3 AAC) is led by running back Kenneth Farrow, who rushed for 939 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. has accumulated more than 2,000 total yards this season with 15 total touchdowns (nine passing and six rushing). Pitt has now played in a bowl game for seven straight years, as the team’s 5-7 finish in 2007 marked the last time the Panthers have missed out on a bowl game. This season was Pitt’s fourth straight 6-6 regular season finish, and the third straight of head coach Paul Chryst’s tenure. ACROSS 1 Go figure? 10 Scented candle option 15 One may become an exurb 16 Carew’s Twins roommate 17 Monopoly duo 18 Inspiration for some Yahtzee categories 19 Reasons for handshakes 20 Large volume 22 Alt-rock subgenre 23 Material for Caesar 24 Russian crepes 26 Egyptian __: cat breed 27 Warm time for Nancy? 28 Nursery nourishment 29 Slinky ad feature 32 1970 Top 40 song with the lyric “And I’m lucky that you’re mine” 34 Restraining device 37 Numskull 38 Nickname for the NFL draft’s last pick 40 High regard 41 Alice’s workplace 42 1956 milestone for Ford: Abbr. 45 __ anglais: English horn 46 Actor Ken and others 48 Hitch 49 Its Batman version contains a Joker 50 Like some annoying blog posts: Abbr. 51 Coming-out party? 52 Quality of a good math proof 54 Zen-like “Caddyshack” mantra 57 Grenoble’s river 58 Hoops matchups 59 Former lab heaters 60 Like many lotteries

PITT’S BOWL HISTORY UNDER PAUL CHRYST 2012 (6-6)

BBVA Compass Bowl vs. Ole Miss (6-6)

Final: 38-17 Ole Miss 2013 (6-6)

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl vs. Bowling Green (10-3)

Final: 30-27 Pittsburgh 2014 (6-6)

Armed Forces Bowl vs. Houston (7-5)

To be played Jan. 2

12/20/14

By John Lieb

DOWN 1 Lowly worker 2 Best in a mess 3 ER protocol 4 “Vapor Action” brand 5 2013 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey champs 6 Place to wrestle 7 George W.’s first press secretary 8 Driver’s appointment? 9 Sports 10 Make big strides 11 U.N. workers’ gp. 12 2002 Lil’ Bow Wow film 13 Prayer sung by Desdemona in “Otello” 14 Carried on 21 Makes bad calls? 24 Hall of Fame pitcher who managed the Yankees to a 1978 title 25 Tag 28 Ill-gotten loot 30 Chances 31 Vier times zwei 32 Special 33 Poetic rapper

Friday’s Puzzle Solved

34 Only woman with two Nobel prizes, formally 35 Insurance fraud perpetrator, perhaps 36 Ammonia component 39 Distinguished 42 Historic island palace 43 __ pork 44 Uncreative threat

12/20/14

47 Latin rock group Los __ 48 First sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy 50 “Iliad” war god 51 Factor opening 53 Mouths, anatomically 55 See 56-Down 56 With 55-Down, sore throat soother

Heather Tennant | Staff Photographer

A Schedule for the rest of them Men’s basketball: St. Bonaventure (6-1) — Dec. 13 Manhattan (1-5) — Dec. 17 on ESPNU Oakland (4-5) — Dec. 20 Holy Cross (4-3) — Dec. 23 Florida Gulf Coast (7-1) — Dec. 30 Women’s basketball: Drexel (3-2) — Dec. 14 Ball State (3-3) — Dec. 18 Youngstown State (7-0) — Dec. 21 Saint Francis (Pa.) (0-6) — Dec. 28 Delaware State (1-7) — Dec. 30 No. 7 Louisville (8-0) — Jan. 4 Wrestling Southern Scuffle — Jan. 1-2 (Chattanooga, Tenn.) Swimming and diving Senior Nationals — Dec. 16-21 (Columbus, Ohio) Track and field Penn State relays — Jan. 10

14 FROM PAGE 4

PROTEST Davon Magwood, 28, a comedian from Bloomfield and protest organizer, said the protest would move out of the way in case of an emergency, and would not interfere with response services, such as ambulances or fire crews. “We don’t want to stop services. That is an excuse they use to keep us down,” Magwood said.

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com Officers were also prepared to escort an emergency vehicle through the protest if necessary, according to Pittsburgh Police spokeswoman Sonya Toler. Pittsburgh city police allowed the protest to carry on for the length of time and distance that it did, Toler said, because it is the department’s policy to allow protesters to exercise their First Amendment right of freedom of speech. Toler said there were no arrests, and no confrontations or incidents were reported. Overall, she said the department did a great

job handling the protest. While proceeding toward Downtown, the protesters stopped traffic on the Parkway around 6:40 p.m. At 7:20 p.m., the protesters reached the Smithfield Street Bridge, chanting, “Take the bridge! Take it back!” and moved toward Carson Street. Although on the move, the group took several moments to stop, catch their breath and raise morale. Julia Johnson, one of the protest leaders, delivered a speech about America’s “system of oppression” as the

protesters stood outside the Allegheny County Jail. “We see you! We see you!,” the group turned and shouted to the barred windows before continuing on their route. Community members greeted the protest largely with claps of approval, confused faces or, occasionally, a fist raised in solidarity. At one point,two girls even jumped off a bus to join the protest as it reached South Side. More than five police cars rode ahead of the group as they took E. Carson Street, chanting “indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail” and “Whose street? Our street!” The group stopped on 12th Street, danced on 16th Street and held a moment of silence at the intersection of S. 18th and E. Carson streets, as bar patrons watched. Here, Johnson told the crowd to look around them and “Look who is fighting for your life,” at 8:09 p.m. before the protesters crossed the Birmingham Bridge back to Oakland. Enjoying their “victory lap”, as Magwood put it, protesters reached the Pitt police outpost across the street from the Litchfield Towers on Forbes Avenue at 8:50 p.m. A protest leader called out, “We are at the Pitt police station. Do we have a message for them?” The crowd began chanting, “No justice, no peace, no racist police.” Chancellor Patrick Gallagher directed a statement to the University community regarding the recent demonstrations on Dec. 4, in support of the students, faculty and staff who are “channeling their anger and outrage in positive ways that can and will make a difference.” “As Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’ Gallagher quoted, then continued. “Injustice is a cause for outrage. Certainly, I feel that way.” Although in support of student demonstrations, he asked students to forgo easy anger that brings distrust and fear to the cause. “Through peaceful demonstrations, open dialogue and discussion and through community service,” Gallagher said, “our students are highlighting this important issue for others and advancing understand-

Protest

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

COPY CHEF

TPNʼs Copy Chef tackles quick recipes to save time for studies Ellie Petrosky Copy Chief

As final exams and deadlines approach, spending time in the kitchen is the last thing on my mind. Trust me — I’m definitely the type of person who prefers making a run to Chipotle or to pick up Chinese over spending valuable study time in the kitchen. It only took a week of eating out for practically

every meal to whittle my bank account to nearly nothing. In the grand scheme of finals week, it’s hard to prioritize eating well with studying hard. I still find it difficult to take a half hour or so away from the books to whip up a meal. I have, however, figured out a few tips to make eating over finals week less of a chore. Perhaps the most important thing to do is to plan ahead. Pick a day early in the

week and make something that will yield a lot of leftovers, like stew or lasagna. Take a half hour and make up Tupperware containers to take along to the library. If you’ll be back from the library early, set your slow cooker up before you leave. One single day of preparation will save you tons of time and money in the long run. If you find yourself with enough time to eat, but not enough time to cook a full meal, fall back on the old college standby — ra-

Beef Stew 1 package of stew meat 3 cans (6 oz.) of tomato sauce 1 potato, cubed 3 carrots, sliced 1 cup green beans, canned or frozen 1 cup corn, canned or frozen 1 cup peas, canned or frozen Any other preferred vegetables Enough water, broth or beer to cover Garlic, salt, pepper and onion powder to taste

men. Instead of mixing the noodles with only the seasoning packet, dress it up. My favorite twist on ramen is to stir in a spoonful of peanut butter and a squeeze of sriracha to make spicy Thai peanut noodles. Or mix in some taco seasoning and a spoon of salsa for a Mexican take. There are countless ways to keep ramen from getting boring. Below are two recipes for finals food: one to make ahead and reheat, and one that can be eaten hot or cold.

Mexican Quinoa Heat your pot on the stove on medium. Cut stew meat into bite-sized pieces, put into pot and sprinkle spices on top of meat. Stir occasionally and cook until browned all over. Add tomato sauce, vegetables and liquid to cover (my favorite liquid to use is a dark beer, like a stout). Turn heat to low and simmer uncovered while you study for your next exam, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are tender, you’re ready to go.

1 cup quinoa 1 can black beans 1 can corn 1 jar salsa Shredded cheddar cheese to top Cook quinoa according to package directions. Study. When quinoa is finished, add beans, corn and salsa. Mix thoroughly. Separate into several Tupperware containers and top with

cheese. You can eat this dish either hot or cold, and it travels well, making it a great meal to take to the library. Eating well during finals week is a cinch if you do a bit of planning ahead. Hopefully these recipes inspire you to save your bank account for holiday gifts instead!

16 FROM PAGE 12

ATHLETES wrestling,” Wilps said. “I like to clear my head and focus on the task at hand.” Wilps’ coaches make sure the players have the easiest schedule at the end of the semester, he said, in order to succeed in academics and athletics. “Coaches understand and know when finals week is, so they try to schedule our matches in a way so they aren’t on top of

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com each other,” he said. Wilps has learned to manage his academics well enough that he is now receiving the Rande Stottlemyer Endowed Scholarship award for being the best student-athlete on the team. Stottlemyer was both Tyler’s and his father’s coach. “I’m honored. He was a coach and a role model for me,” Wilps said. Nick Bonaccorsi, a four-year veteran on the wrestling team, said that, as a student athlete, you have to know when it’s time to be serious and when it’s time to have fun.

“On the weekends, when other people are relaxing or out, we have to study, plain and simple,” he said. Student-athletes are no exception when it comes to balancing and relieving stress in college. Finals and competing in a sport can carry equal amounts of stress, and Bonaccorsi added that budgeting time is the key to success during the semester’s toughest days. “You know, the main thing is you got to study between classes and not wait around,” he said.

FROM PAGE 14

PROTEST ing in productive ways that can start to heal and make a difference.” Protest leaders had planned for the participants to enter the Hillman Library silently, keeping their hands in the air in protest, but a security guard would not allow entrance at the main door on Bigelow Boulevard. “This is for your security,” he shouted, as he struggled with a few protestors to shut and lock the doors. After failing to enter the library, the protesters held hands once more on the Hillman Library steps, singing the words “Organize, organize, organize.” “You are cold and tired, but you are alive,” Johnson said to the protesters before dismissing them for the night, at approximately 9 p.m. “This is not a moment. This is a movement,” Johnson said. “You took the city back tonight, but it’s not done.” Magwood said he was proud of the protest, and its length said “a lot about our generation.” “People say we are lazy. They say our generation doesn’t work for anything,” Magwood said. “And, here we are putting in the work for justice.” FROM PAGE 5

SGB

TED denied his first proposal because of an issue with the wording and denied the second proposal becaue TED needed a more complete list of speakers. Hufnagel said he will continue to work on this project after his term ends with another collaborator and incoming Board member Jacky Chen. Sara Klein Sara Klein’s initiatives included increasing gym hours and increasing campus safety. Safety Week, according to Klein, was a week-long event facilitated by SGB and the Pitt police, as well as the Oakland Transportation Management Association, PennDOT and the PA DUI Association. “In the long run, I hope the safety week initiatives will really take off,” Klein said, adding

SGB

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

COLUMN

High-pressure situations: What do finals really measure? Adrianne Glenn Columnist

Feel the cold in the air? The coffee pumping through your veins and that maddening pressure on your temples? Those are the telltale signs that finals week is upon you. Year after year, students meet finals week with crazy amounts of stress and emotional chaos, but to what gain? Final exams are meant to gauge a student’s knowledge and show what the student has retained from the course — not to measure how well they do in high-pressure situations. Simply put, making cumulative finals worth a large percentage of a student’s grade is inconsistent with the actual objectives of the test. In light of this realization, some professors assign projects or papers, which are a more outside-the-classroom assessment, in place of the traditional test final. This benefits students, as high-pressure exams raise the possibility of choking. This often causes students who fully understand the material to do poorly — not to mention all the unnecessary and undeserved stress they experience as a result of this possibility. The reason people that choke or underperform on final exams — regardless of their preparation levels — is that they get too caught up in irrelevant worries about the situation. Students in these situations will often consider everything that could go wrong, the likelihood of failing, the ramifications of failing or a number of other stressors, instead of focusing on the material itself. When students concentrate on these anxieties, rather than on the test, they misuse a considerable percentage of the working memory capacity that it takes to answer the questions adequately. Exams then become basic measures

of how much a student relies on working memory. Additionally, students with higher working memory capacities use more complex strategies in problem-solving. The pressure of the situation most significantly affects those who would ordinarily score higher on the test because of their high working memory capacity.

in depth and truly apply the information they know. Conversely, traditional exams

Dylan Fisher | Staff Cartoonist

Therefore, these tests are not only unable to provide a clear view of a student’s mental ability, but they also hurt those who do not work well in a formal test environment. On the other hand, project-based finals allow students to work outside of class in a lower-pressure situation, use all of their working memory capacities and focus entirely on applying the information they learned in some way. The application aspect of outsidethe-classroom assessments shows another pitfall of traditional exams. That is, writing papers or doing a research project of some sort allows a person to go more

“Education is a ... representation of individual growth that no time-condensed exam can accurately reflect ...”

prevent students from correctly applying the information even in the case of essaybased exams because of time limits. Taking time to think about the material and shape it to form an essay or any type of more complex project demonstrates a more complete and dynamic understanding of a subject than simply taking a 50-question multiple-choice test in the course of about an hour. There are educational benefits that accompany strictly project-based exams as well. Hands-on and learn-by-doing assessments are not only better reflections of what students know, but they also act as a way for students to gain a variety of skills and develop a deeper understanding of the material. Studies by the U.S. Department of Labor have shown that project-based learning helps students expand their critical

thinking abilities, reasoning skills and overall creativity. “One of the major advantages of project work is that it makes school more like real life. It’s an in-depth investigation of a real-world topic,” education researcher Sylvia Chard said. P r o j e c t- b a s e d learning also helps students with social skills, visualization and decision-making. This type of assessment allows professors to evaluate students in a way that forces them to learn more, which is not something that can be done using traditional exams. T r a ditional exams also lack value because they do not accurately reflect the type of scenario most students are likely to use information in the future. Students will not have to separate themselves from their resources and spout off everything they know about photosynthesis. Students may, however, eventually have to use this information in an applicational sense as they work towards a bigger goal, which is exactly what project-based learning replicates. Clearly, education should not be simply a test of retention. Education is a more encompassing representation of individual growth that no time-condensed exam can accurately reflect — which is why our traditional, stress-inducing notion of finals must change. Write to Adrianne at adg79@pitt.edu.

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Unconventional holiday traditions take hold at Pitt Meagan Hart Staff Writer Alex Andrea’s family sacks Secret Santa each holiday season in favor of Fat Santa. “Anybody that wants to come to our family Christmas party is welcome. We have an open door policy for family, friends, anyone,” Andrea, a senior information science major, said. “But if you want to receive a gift, you have to bring one.” Each year, instead of distributing practical gifts, Andrea’s family buys gag gifts that correspond to a theme. “The funniest part is when people don’t know that the gifts are supposed to be funny,” Andrea said of the Fat Santa. “When non-family members, like friends and neighbors, come to the party, they expect a normal gift exchange.” According to a 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center, 86 percent of adults said they exchange gifts with friends and family for the holidays. For Pitt students, who come from a variety of backgrounds, tradi-

tions and religions, holiday festivities can be vastly different from exchanging gifts on Christmas morning. About 50 people come to Andrea’s family gathering every year, he said, and his family has carried on this tradition for the past five years. Last year, Andrea said, one of his new neighbors came to the party with a set of kitchen knives to exchange, unaware of the gag gift tradition. “[She] left with a kitchen apron with a picture of a naked fireman on the front. I don’t think she’s coming back this year.” This holiday’s theme is “as seen on TV,” he said. “I bought a Shake Weight this year,” Andrea said. “Hopefully, I’ll get a Snuggie.” Other students follow traditions based on their heritage or background. Matthew Piamonte, a sophomore emergency medicine major, follows a Filipino Christmas tradition with his family. “We hang lanterns outside of our houses. The lantern is star shaped and made of metal and bamboo. It’s called a parol, and it rep-

resents the star that led the three kings to Jesus on Christmas,” Piamonte said. Piamonte’s family also participates in what they call Simbang Gabi, a Filipino tradition that originated during the early Spanish rule of the Philippines. On each of the nine days before Christmas — Dec. 16 through Dec. 24 — Piamonte’s family goes to Mass for special services. “Following Christmas Eve Mass, we have a huge feast called the Noche Buena feast,” Piamonte said. The family eats family usually eats lechón, a roasted pig, which is a traditional Filipino food. Piamonte’s parents were both born in the Philippines, and they continued their traditions when they came to the United States in the 1980s. “Simbang Gabi really brought a lot of the local Filipino community together to make new friends and celebrate Christmas together,” Piamonte said. Sophia Cothrel’s family, on the other hand, does not have a Christmas feast. In-

stead of a homemade Christmas Eve dinner, she said, they dine out. “Ever since I was pretty little ... we’ve always gone to a Japanese restaurant,” Cothrel, a sophomore pre-pharmacy major, said. When they lived in Indianapolis, she said, her family’s favorite was a hibachi restaurant. “The chefs would cook in front of you,” she said. “[They would] do tricks with their spatulas and flip shrimp into your mouth.” At the hibachi restaurant one year, when the chef approached with his pan, Cothrel’s mom convinced him to fling a piece of shrimp into her mouth. “It bounced off her face. We got a good laugh out of that. Cothrel said she doesn’t feel like she’s been missing out by not having a typical family dinner. “We’ve always left happy and full, ready to sleep before Christmas morning. It’s a tradition that has made for some good memories over the years,” Cothrel said.

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 16

SGB

that she’d like the event to occur annually. Other initiatives Klein ran on included extending gym hours, which she said she worked on with Board member Abboud, as well as “a student voice initiative.” She said she emailed the student groups for which she’s a liaison and met with the ones who responded. As a result, Klein said she was able to provide aid to the groups “with issues that they needed help with” as well as with their larger projects, some of which are ongoing. Klein declined to identify the groups or their projects because she doesn’t know if the groups want their project ideas made public. “The main thing I wanted to do was make sure that we represented the students,” Klein said. Mona Kazour Mona Kazour’s initiatives included promoting cultural awareness and establishing a relationship between Pitt students and Oakland residents. Kazour said she has made progress this

semester on a Service Learning Certificate,a program which merges classwork with volunteer work, which she said will be housed in the School of Social Work with financial backing from the University Honors College. Kazour said she created a list of 15-16 courses so far that could count toward the certificate, including Seminar in Composition: Service Learning and a geology class titled “Sustainability.” Additionally, Kazour said the certificate is projected to require 160 hours of community service and an independent project. Kazour said she has

yet to officially determine the independent project’s requirements. Kazour said she will continue working on the certificate next semester. She said she has also worked with the Allocations Committee to make the process “more digestible for students” and sat in on meetings with Nites and club sports teams about the allocations cap. “There’s always work to be done with allocations,” Kazour said. Kazour did not make much progress on hisinitiative to increase cultural awareness.

19 Kazour said she was in contact with Tia Key, the international programming coordinator and adviser from Pitt’s Office of CrossCultural and Leadership Development, but that the initiative “wasn’t on the forefront.” Ben West Ben West joined the Board on April 6, filling one of the two vacancies left by former Board members Ellie Tsatsos and Brandon Benjamin, who both resigned on March 25. West’s initiatives during his second in-

SGB

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

City raises money, hope for charity this season Nerine Sivagnanam Staff Writer

While most Pitt students are thankful that final exams are over, some in the Pittsburgh community would be thankful simply for having a winter jacket. Pitt students are working to make that happen. According to spokesman John Fedele, Pitt is attempting to break a world record with its “Give a Thread” project, which began on Dec. 5. If the Pitt community can collect more than 150,000 “large” articles of clothing for charity, including pants, shirts, jackets, suits, dresses, shorts and skirts, Pitt will hold the world record for most items collected in a clothing donation campaign. Other divisions at Pitt, including Student Affairs, Residence Life, faculty and First Year Experience are also working on the clothing drive. “Give a Thread” represents one of many on-campus charity efforts this season. Throughout the remainder of 2014, several Pitt groups will work

toward helping those less fortunate with donations, charity events and holiday gifts for those who cannot afford to buy them. “PittServes came up with the idea,” said Kacy McGill, the Student Government environmental committee chair. “They thought it would engage the community and would be good for sustainability.” Organizers, including McGill, will donate clothes collected from the drive to organizations such as Dress for Success or Goodwill. They’ll recycle the clothes they don’t donate, McGill said. If all undergraduate students donated eight articles of clothing, Pitt would beat the world record for most clothing collected in a drive. McGill said she isn’t sure of how many articles the drive has collected so far, but the world record attempt will be on Jan. 9, 2015, when the drive ends. Whether or not Pitt breaks the record, McGill said she hopes that the effort will have a positive effect on students by making them feel good about the fact that they are giving during the holiday season.

“We hope students will come out of the event realizing why it is so important to give to the poor,” McGill said. In addition to the clothing drive, some Pitt organizations are looking to help others during the holiday season. The Office of Community and Governmental Relations coordinates several efforts to help those in need, according to its director, Kannu Sahni. “Christmas Day,” a Dec. 25 meal in Market Central for those in need of food, is a partnership between the University, Sodexo and the Salvation Army, Sahni said. “Guests enjoy a traditional holiday feast and a day filled with cheer,” Sahni said. “Market Central is decked with decorations, Santa and Mrs. Claus take photos with families and a band plays holiday music.” According to Sahni,the event has been very successful in the past. The first dinner, which was held in 2006, served 300 people. The Tower C Candygram sale, through which students send $2 candygrams to

anyone, also supports Christmas dinner. “Perhaps most impressively, on Christmas Day more than 200 staff and faculty volunteer to serve food and pass out gifts,” Sahni said. “We receive emails starting in November asking when sign-ups begin, and we’ve even had to ask people to take a year off so that everyone has the opportunity to volunteer!” Sahni’s office also hosts the Winter Apparel Drive and the Holiday Gift Drive, which make the “Christmas Day” event possible. Pitt students can donate to either drive, according to John Wilds, assistant vice chancellor of community relations. Donation bins for the Winter Apparel Drive are all over campus, and students may drop off gifts at 710 Alumni Hall, Wilds said. The University even brought a few guests to campus to inspire students to donate. The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

Drives

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Forget Mozart: Studying doesn’t need classical music backdrop worse. Any album with strong visceral demands does not blend well with studying, but, unfortunately, they can provide the most catharsis. Clearly these are not the most optimal choices for study music — if studying is intended to be the primary focus, that is. Numerous studies have been conducted on the cognitive benefits of classical music, and some have questioned the Mozart Effect’s validity. While consensus on the issue is fuzzy at best, few dispute that classical music presents a superior study option to its vocal pop, rock or rap counterparts. But going to the symphony isn’t necessary for a successful study playlist. Several contemporary electronic and ambient artists are just as effective when trying to lock in for a finals’ week cram session. Oneohtrix Point Never and The Haxan Cloak are two of the best current examples of drone and dark ambient music. Some of their material, particularly

Shawn Cooke A&E Editor Some subscribe to the belief that classical music can boost intelligence — the “Mozart Effect.” I’m not here to bust myths, but, when it comes to studying, I’ve almost always favored rock bands over symphonies — and it’s made life impossible. The life of an avid music fan can often mirror that of an alcoholic, complete with an unrelenting internal voice. “You can have one more,” it whispers, unclear as to whether it refers to just one song or another full album. Much like any other addiction, music can assert itself into any situation, especially those, like schoolwork, which demand the utmost productivity. Studying for finals and writing term papers can be challenging enough as it is, but the temptation of Deafheaven, Run the Jewels or “Blank Space” tugging at your eardrums can only make matters

Most of Sigur Rós’ discography is mellow enough to study with. | Photo courtesy of Sigur Rós’ Facebook

Study Music

22 FROM PAGE 20

DRIVES kicked off the “Give a Thread” clothing drive by bringing a penguin to campus on Dec. 5. To enter the “Give a Thread” kickoff event and get a chance to see the animal, students had to bring one article of clothing to donate. Pitt charities aren’t forgetting about nature’s more domestic animals either this winter. FROM PAGE 21

STUDY MUSIC The Haxan Cloak’s, can be downright terrifying, but it still serves as urgent backdrop for studying. Whereas ‘90s electronic pioneer Aphex Twin’s more mellow work (particularly the Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2 collection) pares away sounds to their bare minimum, leaving a tasteful undercurrent of background noise. Some post-rock acts may also be

December 8, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com The Animal Lover’s Club is also hosting an ongoing blanket drive for the holidays, according to Kelsey Hooker, the group’s business manager. Members collect blankets, towels, pet food, dog beds, sweaters and toys for animals in the Pittsburgh area. The collected items will go to the Animal Lover’s Club affiliated shelters: the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania and Animal Friends. The cold weather during the holiday season increases the demand for blankets at the local animal shelters, Hooker said. Collec-

tion boxes for pet supplies are “all around campus,” Hooker said, including Hillman Library and the William Pitt Union. “Every donation makes a difference,” Hooker said. The response from the Pitt community for charitable causes on campus, Sahni said, is “incredible.” “Everyone deserves to have a holiday season full of good food, laughter, joy and most importantly, the hope that comes from knowing that their community cares about them,” Sahni said.

strong options for a study playlist. Instrumental, guitar-driven band Explosions in the Sky’s (and sometimes their genre antecedent, Mogwai) songs shift between soothing lullabies and towering emotional anthems — often in the span of one sprawling ten-minute track. Many of Explosions’ songs have the power to give ordinary tasks an extraordinary sense of purpose, which can either be a motivating force or simply overwhelm the studies. Icelandic trio Sigur Rós specialize in an ethereal brand of post-rock, which can sometimes be mellow enough to accom-

pany your reading and studying. Since nearly all of their tracks are sung in an entirely made-up language, Hopelandic, the lyrics are rarely a distraction — and render sing-alongs nearly impossible. But like Explosions, song selection is crucial, since many tracks contain widescreen and awe-inspiring moments that demand a minute or two to stop and reflect. And, if none of these artists can improve the studying process, then it may be time to do the unthinkable: take off the headphones. Or, find a new major.

FROM PAGE 19

SGB

terview with the Board included creating an online calendar of on-campus and offcampus events and improving the transition for students from living on-campus to living off-campus. West said he spoke with Kannu Sahni, director of community relations, and John Wilds, assistant vice chancellor for community relations, over the summer and during this semester, to discuss the resources Pitt has available for off-campus students, many of which he “didn’t realize.” West decided to shift his focus to publications racks, a project the Board started discussing at a weekly public meeting in February. “I didn’t want the publication racks to fall through the cracks,” West said. The Board approved a bill on Oct. 28 to purchase seven publication racks for $1,486.70, to put in on-campus buildings. West said he expects the racks to be available for student publications next semester. Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.