2-11-20

The Pitt News

T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | February 11, 2020 ­| Volume 110 | Issue 218

CORRECTION

In our Jan. 30, Best Of edition, we made two errors in naming the winners of our Best Of survey. The winner of our Best Class category was misidentified as Russian Fairy Tales, when it should have been History of Jazz. We also mistakenly put down two winners in the Best Adult Entertainment category. The sole winner was Cheerleaders Gentlemen’s Club. The Pitt News regrets this error.

CAUTION! SURFACE SLIPPERY

INSIDE 7 SOLUTIONS FOR CAMPUS MISCONDUCT

Elise Roessner and Neena Hagen The Pitt News Staff

The University awarded funding in midJanuary for seven “innovative solutions” to A Port Authority bus splashes through the puddles outside of the Cathedral on Monday afternoon. prevent sexual misconduct on campus, sev- Thomas Yang assistant visual editor eral months after Chancellor Patrick Gallagher called the University’s current approach to preventing sexual misconduct “insufficient”.

The release of a 217-page report last Octocollecting anecdotal data related to hu- at the national level is getting popular Katie Sottile ber by the Association of American UniversiFor The Pitt News man rights in the city of Pittsburgh. The groups into the process of thinking about ties examining current rates of sexual assault conclusions drawn from the study will be what story needs to be told about the state Though treating others the way you and misconduct on 33 university campuses, compiled as a part of the Universal Peri- of human rights,” Smith said. “It’s not just want to be treated might seem elementaincluding Pitt, prompted the changes. The odic Review, a report that is published ev- about saying what’s wrong and where the ry, a Pitt professor is vying to uphold that report found that one in six Pitt students had ery four years to depict the human rights gaps are. The goal is to put forward some standard. experienced nonconsensual sexual touching records of 193 United Nations Member recommendations for what changes would Jackie Smith, a sociology professor at at least once since entering college and one States.

Pitt, serves as one of several researchers See Misconduct on page 3 See Human Rights on page 2 “What we’re doing in Pittsburgh and

PROFESSOR COLLECTS CITY HUMAN RIGHTS STORIES

News

Pitt, FHP to discuss housing discrimination allegation Benjamin Nigrosh and Jon Moss The Pitt News Staff

After a Pitt student filed a complaint against the University for alleged housing discrimination last September, all parties have agreed to hold a conciliation meeting to discuss the issue at the end of the month.

The Pitt student, whose name was redacted in the complaint, is represented by the Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh, a local nonprofit that focuses on housing discrimination cases in western Pennsylvania, and will meet with University officials and representatives from the building’s owner. Although the student eventually received approval for their disability accommodation, they claimed their request for an emotional

Human Rights, pg. 1 improve human rights conditions.”

Smith and her colleagues gathered individual testimonies and analyzed secondary data provided from external organizations, such as the Pittsburgh Gender Equity Commission. The team is responsible for synthesizing its arguments to reflect key issues in Pittsburgh, then submitting it to the federal government. The United States will subsequently receive a review from the United Nations in May for the core human rights concerns facing the country.

“We’ve submitted our report and have a general sense of the key concerns we have in this data, but the fact that we put our report in doesn’t mean those things will automatically be in the report that the United States government gets,” Smith said. “Other governments have to pick up the things that we have documented and lift it up at the formal session at the U.N.” Racial equity in Pittsburgh is at the forefront of Smith’s project. She collaborated with researchers in Chicago, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., to illustrate a decreased level of human rights for African Americans. By banding together,

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support dog for their dorm room was subject to “invasive requirements and obstacles as a deterrent” by the University.

Megan Confer-Hammond, the FHP program director, said FHP is using this opportunity as an attempt to reform University housing accommodation policies.

“We’re looking to do a whole host of things that not only address the singular action that began the case, but that addresses it wholly and systemically and as a community, so that Pitt can be an example,” Confer-Hammond said.

After the federal government accepted the complaint on Dec. 20, 2019, it was then referred to the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, a City agency that investigates claims of discrimination within the City. After PCHR began

an investigation into the Pitt student’s claim, the University and the building owner agreed to the February conciliation meeting.

Confer-Hammond said FHP has written a conciliation proposal that will present revisions to the University’s disability accommodation policy.

“What we’re going for is not some massive financial compensation, but for the substantial change to their policies in how students with disabilities can access accommodations in their housing, primarily in the dormitories,” ConferHammond said. “As long as you meet the requirements of the Fair Housing Act, you should be able to receive the accommodation without the additional optics that the University student that filed their complaint had to go through.”

If both sides agree to the terms of the concili-

ation agreement, the PCHR investigation will be terminated. But if a concilliation agreement is not signed, and the PCHR investigation finds the University guilty of disability discrimination, the investigation will advance to federal court.

According to Confer-Hammond, FHP hopes to use the conciliation meeting as an opportunity to collaborate with the University to create substantial programs that will educate students on their protections outlined by the Fair Housing Agreement.

“I am excited at the prospect of being a partner with the University of Pittsburgh on this,” Confer-Hammond said. “In order to ensure that, as a community in Pittsburgh, as a city that has been amongst the most livable cities, that it is livable for all of us.”

cities make their proposals stronger, especially when pitching them to other governments.

“We’re going to lobby those governments — reach out and say this is happening in Pittsburgh and these are the real stories,” Smith said. “They don’t want numbers, they want to see what this means for real people and why it should be emphasized over the hundreds of human rights issues that might be raised.”

According to Smith, incongruencies of human rights have strong racial and economic ties, particularly in the city of Pittsburgh. She cites the modification of the Pittsburgh housing market in addition to rising costs of living as problems that disproportionately affect African Americans.

“There was a study that showed that in the last four years, 7,000 African Americans in Pittsburgh were displaced, especially in black neighborhoods like East Liberty,” Smith said. “This is directly linked to the rising housing costs and the loss of support for public housing.”

Michael Goodhart, a political science professor at Pitt and member of the steering committee for Smith’s project, agreed that this disparity in human rights exhibits financial undertones.

“Wealthier people enjoy more of their

human rights, and they enjoy them more securely, than do impoverished people,” Goodhart said. “The reasons for this are pretty straightforward — the richer one is the more likely one to have good health care and adequate nutrition and housing.”

While human rights can provide insight into the relationship between society and the economy, they also be utilized for political gain, Goodhart said. In the wake of major crises, including the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the global financial crisis of 2008, human rights data is used by social movement groups to challenge inequality.

“Human rights evolve in unexpected and unanticipated ways. Part of what makes human rights such a useful political tool for people involved in various kinds of social movement struggles is that they are so versatile and adaptable,” Goodhart said.

“A huge academic debate has opened up about whether human rights are adequate for tackling social and economic inequality.

Whether they succeed or not remains to be seen, but it’s not a question for academics to answer — the proof is in the pudding.”

Smith’s team works closely with the Pittsburgh Gender Equity Commission to analyze data that has already been reported. anu jain serves in Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s cabinet as the executive director of the Gen-

der Equity Commission, where she works with other commissioners within city government to challenge discrimination on the basis of gender.

As executive director, jain also collaborates with Pitt to ensure the continued rejection of inequality. She collects proposals for how to improve human rights conditions in Pittsburgh, including a pitch from a Sara Goodkind, a professor in Pitt’s School of Social Work. Goodkind’s team was awarded a $45,000 contract for its work in September 2019.

“The GEC is required by the local ordinance that created it to undertake a city-wide Gender Analysis,” jain said. “The Pitt team is continuing to work in parallel with the GEC to engage diverse local communities in talking about the implications.”

Upholding and protecting human rights conditions can be daunting in modern society, Smith said. Regardless, she wants to reiterate the importance of treating everyone equally.

“Human rights is a language that is not partisan. I think it is radical and it demands some fundamental changes in policy, but it doesn’t fit neatly into a Democratic or a Republican platform. Everybody wants rights to themselves,” Smith said.

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2

Misconduct, pg. 1 in nine had experienced forced penetration.

Gallagher announced after the report’s release that the University will take several measures to address the issue as part of a community-driven response. The actions include creating a dedicated education and prevention unit within the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and allocating $54,000 in Pitt Momentum Fund grants for research into preventing sexual misconduct. The University also launched a special cycle of Pitt Seed funding in October, making up to $250,000 available for “innovation solutions” to the issue proposed by faculty and staff.

The Pitt News talked to several of the people leading the seven projects, which were awarded funding in mid-January.

Many details about the projects are not currently available due to the recent release of funding. Here’s what each project hopes to accomplish: Title IX/Green Dot Initiative for PittBradford and Pitt-Titusville The Title IX/Green Dot Initiative will implement sexual misconduct training programs for faculty and staff on Pitt-Bradford and Pitt-Titusville campuses, according to Christy Clark, the head of the initiative and chief of staff to Pitt-Bradford President Catherine Koverola. Green Dot is a nationally recognized bystander intervention program for preventing sexual assault.

Faculty and students who participate in these programs will learn to recognize behaviors that constitute sexual violence and intervene accordingly.

The funding will also allow Pitt to enhance its anonymous reporting website, which serves as the primary way Pitt com-

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munity members can report sexual assault without going directly to the police.

“Outcomes will be measured by the number of additional Green Dot instructors that become certified and by the number of workshops and trainings conducted with the faculty, staff and students,” Clark said.

Clark said she will review Pitt’s annually reported statistics on sexual assault to determine whether or not the the additional training causes a decrease in rates of sexual misconduct.

Encouraging Faculty, Staff and Student Participation in Primary Prevention This project, developed by the Committee for Gender Equity, aims to cut down on gender-based violence in the University community. Faculty and students who want to have classroom conversations about the root causes of gender-based violence will receive special training materials, according to Sheila Confer, the project head and PittGreensburg Academic Village director.

“We need to educate our community more about the root causes of gender-based violence and help people … [discuss] difficult topics such as sexism, misogyny, unhealthy gender roles and expectations, objectification of women and victim blaming,” Confer said.

Confer said these issues contribute to a culture where violence against women is normalized.

To measure the project’s success, Confer said she will administer a pre- and posttraining survey to incoming first years and graduating seniors. The survey will assess students’ attitudes toward gender roles and gender-based violence.

Translating TGQN Campus Climate Findings into Practice Transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary

and gender nonconforming students face significantly higher rates of sexual violence than their cisgender peers. Rachel Gartner, an assistant professor of social work and head of the TGQN initiative, wants to change that.

Gartner has researched violence and victimization of gender and sexual minority youth, as well as advocated for sexual violence survivors in the aftermath of sexual assault. She will utilize her research experience to conduct listening sessions with TGQN students on campus to understand their experiences and get their thoughts on possible interventions.

The project will conduct community feedback sessions with various campus groups and community organizations. They will put together a report identifying problems and suggesting best practices for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Culturally Sensitive Sexual Misconduct Prevention Programming for International Graduate and Professional Students A three-person team of administrators from across the University is working to educate Pitt’s international students on their rights and resources with regard to sexual misconduct. The team includes Holger Hoock, associate dean for graduate studies and research, along with Mary BesterfieldSacre, associate dean of academic affairs and director of the Engineering Education Research Center and Adam Lee, associate dean for academic programs in the School of Computing and Information.

The project description noted that resources specifically relating to sexual misconduct involving international students are limited and that female international students in male-dominated fields may be at higher risk of being targets of this behavior.

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In an attempt to combat this lack of information, the project is focused on creating online training materials for international students to understand the United States’ laws and cultural norms.

LGBTQIA+ Empowerment Self-Defense Pitt Queer Professionals, a Pitt community within the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, created the LGBTQIA+ Empowerment Self-Defense Program to educate LGBTQ+ students on self-defense. PQP is working with SETpoint, a local nonprofit, to organize self-defense training sessions geared toward Pitt’s LGBTQ+ community beginning this fall.

The training sessions will instruct students on how to stay aware of their surroundings, as well as teach de-escalation and resistance techniques that can be used if a situation becomes dangerous. The classes will also offer resources aimed to empower students who may have experienced trauma.

Exploring Black Undergraduate College Women’s Experiences with Sexual Misconduct: Knowledge of Resources, Barriers to Access and Strategies to Improve Engagement and Outcomes Three medical researchers will work to research sexual misconduct victimization of black undergraduate women at the University. The team includes the principal investigator Lynissa Stokes, a pediatrics postdoctoral student in the School of Medicine, Ashley Hill, a pediatrics postdoctoral student, and Liz Miller, the director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine within the School of Medicine.

Find the full story online at

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3

Opinions

BoJack Horseman eloquently conveys the realities of depression at pittnews.com

column

TRUMP’S ACQUITTAL CHANGES NOTHING Paige Lalwer

Senior Staff Columnist It is a fairly well known fact that on Wednesday, Feb. 5, President Donald Trump was acquitted of his impeachment charges.

While his acquittal was certainly a disappointment — both for me personally and for liberals and anti-Trump people everywhere — it was not exactly a surprise. The public had suspected Trump would be acquitted from the start of his impeachment investigation due to the Republican-controlled Senate — the GOP holding 53 seats in the Senate compared to the Democrats’ 45 — and the fact that 67 votes would be required to convict Trump.

While the acquittal is perhaps not an earth-shattering event, and America can certainly manage through the end of Trump’s term — we’ve made it this far, at least — we absolutely cannot let him secure a second term. It is vital that, in the wake of Trump’s acquittal, Americans stick together and vote him out of office in the 2020 general election.

President Donald Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives on Dec. 18, 2019. The articles of impeachment charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and were passed by a vote that was almost strictly partisan.

The partisan voting continued through the impeachment trial, with Republicans finally acquitting Trump of both charges in a vote that was split cleanly down the party line, save for a singular vote. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was the sole Republican who voted to convict Trump, specifically on the charge of abuse of power.

While there was convincing evidence to support both of the charges against Trump, several Republicans stated they would not remove him from office because they didn’t think it would be in the best interest of the

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President Trump holds up a newspaper with the headline that reads “ACQUITTED” at the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast.

Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS American people. This is somewhat understandable — convicting and impeaching Trump might have caused more political turmoil than it would have been worth.

However, it worries me that politicians can justify ignoring actual evidence of crimes in favor of maintaining continuity and order in political offices.

Something that is infinitely more worrisome than this, however, is the fear-based influence Trump may hold over GOP members. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, suspects fear may have played a large role in the vote to acquit Trump, speculating that “fear is the motivator. They are afraid that Mr. Trump might give them a nickname like ‘Low Energy Jeb’ and ‘Lyin’ Ted,’ or that he might tweet about their disloyalty.” This line of thought is equally worrying — if not more so — than the idea that senators were voting solely along the party line, or ignor-

ing evidence and refusing witnesses in an impeachment trial.

It seems ridiculous that politicians would be afraid to vote for what they may feel is the right thing for fear of being ostracized or otherwise alienated by the president. This leads me to believe that Trump is ultimately unfit to remain in office — though I was never really behind his position in the first place.

Another unsettling aspect of the impeachment trial was Trump’s response to it.

Impeachment is a serious process and one that should indicate that a politician has done something gravely wrong. Historically — though there have only been two previously impeached and acquitted presidents — the responses of the impeached have been largely remorseful. For example, after his acquittal from charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, Bill Clinton gave

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a short speech in which he apologized to the American people for his actions and urged the country to move toward “reconciliation and renewal.”

While Clinton and Trump were impeached for vastly different offenses, in both cases their actions fundamentally reflected a failure to serve the American people.

While Clinton showed an appropriate sense of respect and regret upon his acquittal, Trump’s response was quite the opposite.

In lieu of an apology, Trump gave an hour long speech in which he claimed “[he] did nothing wrong” and said of the impeachment proceedings, “I don’t know that other presidents would be able to take it.”

Even after his acquittal, Trump owes Americans an apology simply because enough evidence was gathered to launch an impeachment trial and sustain impeachment proceedings. If he had truly done nothing wrong as he claims, there likely would not have been evidence or a list of witnesses to testify. The absence of Trump’s apology demonstrates an almost appalling sense of apathy and should leave Americans seriously considering whether or not he should be elected for a second term.

While Trump certainly has a large following and is almost assured the Republican nomination — considering that there is only one candidate running against him — it would be dangerous and irresponsible for America to re-elect him in the 2020 general election. After seeing a strong demonstration of partisan unity on the part of the GOP, as well as the ability to rise above a clearly suboptimal situation, it is time for Democratic voters — or all voters who disagree with Trump’s politics and views — to rally behind the candidate who secures the Democratic ticket. It is vital that we do not allow Trump to remain in office for a second term.

Paige Lawler writes primarily about environmental policy and politics for The Pitt News. Write to her at pml36@pitt.edu

4

Culture

BARBARA WEISSBERGER CREATES NEW LIFE IN ‘MOTHER’ ART EXHIBIT

Beatrice McDermott For the Pitt News

An array of disembodied, floating eyeballs watched from above as people of all ages cradled squishy, handmade fabric intestines in their arms at the Silver Eye Center for Photography in Bloomfield Friday night.

The eyeballs and intestines are all part of a new exhibit by senior lecturer in the studio arts department Barbara Weissberger. Weissberger’s exhibit “Mother” explores the connection between artwork and body, and consists of photographs and objects that viewers can touch and hold. Drawing on her experience as a sculptor, she said she wanted to combine bizarre shapes constructed from fabric and cardboard with her work as a photographer.

Weissberger encourages viewers to seek out the relationship between her artwork and their own bodies, and allow themselves to become conscious of the way they perceive the world. She also said she wanted to offer a playful take on the idea of seeing body artwork from inside one’s own body.

“I wanted this show to really foreground the body. I want it to feel like you were in this world of body fragments,” Weissberger said during her gallery talk. “You’re inside the body, like when you’re inside your mother. I really felt like these images were preverbal in a lot of ways. It’s the infant’s view.”

Weissberger said she hopes to expand upon the various meanings of the word “mother” in her work. She constructs collages of “humble material” — like cardboard, window film and emergency blankets — then photographs and edits the results, which were on display in the exhibit.

Sometimes, she even combines multiple photographs into a single piece, which she said was similar to how Frankenstein combined dozens of body parts to bring his monster to life in Mary Shelley’s eponymous novel.

“There’s a fraught relationship between the creator and creation,” Weissberger said. “The hand is stitching the hand.”

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Barbara Weissberger’s artwork in her “Mother” exhibit mimics the human form using bizarre fabric shapes. Beatrice McDermott contributing writer Kate Joranson, the head of the Frick Fine Arts Library, was one of the many people who attended the opening reception at Silver Eye on Friday night. She also drew a comparison between “Frankenstein” and “Mother.”

“I loved the discussion in the artist talk about ‘Frankenstein.’ I found that really interesting.

You’re making something that then has life beyond what you’ve put into it,” Joranson said.

The photographs in the exhibit were hung at varying heights, so viewers were forced to crouch or stretch to view the artwork. Joranson, an artist and librarian, said one of her favorite parts of the exhibit was the way Weissberger utilizes the unconventional space of the gallery.

“I feel like she was really engaging our bodies as viewers, because we were leaning, or crouching, or dealing with our own symmetry,” Joranson said. “There was something very body and physical in her choices.”

Weissberger also discussed how the gal-

lery space impacted the methodology she used to display her artwork. The Silver Eye Center is divided into two distinct areas — the spacious, well-lit gallery in the front, which solely exhibits photographs and tapestries, and the darker, more intimate room in the back that contains the tactile sculptural elements. Weissberger said viewers should take some time to appreciate the juxtaposition between the areas.

“I really thought about this particular gallery, and this situation where there’s a large public space and a smaller more private space in the back,” Weissberger said. “That definitely influenced the type of work I made for these rooms, these galleries.”

According to plaques posted around the gallery, viewers are welcome to hold the artwork and feel the way it fits within the shape of their body.

They’re also encouraged to find their own meaning in the artwork — for example, it can symbolize a mother holding her child in her arms, or

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even the vasiform intestines of the inner body.

Joranson said she was fascinated by Weissberger’s artistic process and the friendly presence of the artwork.

“She had these photographs printed on fabric and then she sewed them into soft sculptures that we could hold, and to be able to cuddle with a photograph is pretty unique,” Joranson said. “It’s not typical in that photography space to be able to touch and engage with the work so directly.”

Kate Kelley, the assistant curator at Silver Eye, provided her own perspective on the work that featured the stuffed objects, entitled “Hold Me” in her essay, aptly titled “Mother.” The essay was available to viewers in the gallery guide.

“It is always clear precisely what kind of body or bodies are being created,” Kelley wrote.

“Instead, there is a suggestive ambiguity to how ‘mother’ functions here, as forms and shapes slip into one another, disturbing any clear reading of how they come together to form a whole.”

At the end of the article, Kelley maintains that “Mother” isn’t a question that viewers need to — or even should — solve. She said the exhibit is confusing and weird, but more importantly, it’s open to interpretation.

“Weissberger has made a space to get cozy with the uncomfortable and the unknowable, and to enjoy feeling unmoored, at least a little, as we entertain new ideas about creation and creators,” Kelley wrote. “Weissberger offers us an enigmatic narrative of both fact and illusion, mystery and humor.”

“Mother” will be open and free to the public until March 21. Before the exhibit leaves Pittsburgh, Joranson said that she recommends students attend the gallery and experience the weirdness for themselves. And, if that seems enjoyable, she also asks students to consider applying Weissberger’s techniques in their own work.

“I think it would be fun. There’s a generosity in her work that makes it really accessible to students. She shows you how she made the photo, in the photo. She’s not trying to set up illusions,” Joranson said.

5

review

‘P.S I Still Love You’ opens its heart to more than romance Diana Velasquez Staff Writer

Teen movies, especially teen romances, tend to be either instant hits or bombs that fade away from notoriety after a month of release. In 2018, Netflix hit a home run with “To All The Boys I Loved Before,” based on the novel of the same name by Jenny Han. Praised by critics and audiences, the film is one of Netflix’s most-watched original films ever.

Its sequel, “To All The Boys I Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You,” which will be released on the platform on Feb. 12, might not promise the notoriety that its predecessor carries, but heralds just as many fun and heart-warming moments.

“To All The Boys I Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You” carries on the story of Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) who, after the last movie’s conclusion, is finally starting her new relationship with certified heartthrob Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), one of the most popular boys at school.

But their newfound happiness comes into question when one of Lara Jean’s love letters, mailed out to five boys by her sister in the previous film, yields a response from John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher), her other middle school crush.

The movie lacks that nail-biting anticipation of the original — the wait for the happily ever after — and loses some of the excitement because of that, but it succeeds in other ways. It’s not a story of love, but heartbreak in the 21st century, complete with a damning Instagram story.

Stormy (Holland Taylor), a new character who serves as a kind of wizened love guru to Lara Jean, gives her some rather spectacular advice on the subject. When Lara Jean tells Stormy that she and Peter promised they would not break each others hearts, Stormy tells her that in love, if you’re not getting your heart broken, you’re not doing it right.

This is the essence of the movie — heartbreak. High school for many teenagers is about getting your heart broken. It’s almost

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a rite of passage, because heartbreak doesn’t just disappear once you’ve escaped teenagedom, and you better learn how to deal with it early on.

And in today’s internet and social mediadominated world, high school doesn’t stop at the physical school campus. All of its hate extends into your cell phone, your house, with every like and status update.

“P.S. I Still Love You” looks like an Instagram feed. It’s colorful, everyone’s wearing trendy outfits and Lara Jean is always frosting some beautiful cupcakes or something. I like to think baking is her stress relief.

I think having “P.S. I Still Love You” set in the present day makes it even more appealing to Netflix’s audiences. It speaks to the millions of viewers who waver on that line of a world without the internet, a time when half your life wasn’t put on display for the world. I was born in 2001, and I don’t remember a time without the internet, because it was created before I was.

For Lara Jean, this is also true. A moment of tension arises between her and Peter in the movie because of something put out on social media. Together they have to decide whether or not past posts and past decisions matter in the present.

Of course you don’t have to be born after 1995 to enjoy “P.S. I Still Love You.” It’s still, at its bare bones, about being a teenager, and, well, we’ve all been there. Some of us are still crawling our way out of it.

One of the things that “P.S. I Still Love You” does well is capture the real intricacies of high school relationships. Not everything is dialed up for the drama of the movie screen — it’s kept real and awkward and intimate. There is much secondhand embarrassment to be had in this movie, and Lara Jean and Peter sabotage themselves quite often.

In one scene, Lara Jean gets together with a bunch of her old middle school friends — including Peter and John Ambrose — to open up an old time capsule they buried beneath a tree house in the seventh grade. This gathering is filled with passive-aggressive quips from both boys and awkwardness from

friends on all sides who have grown apart from one another.

Now I don’t know about anyone else, but that’s how my high school experience was.

Good things about it aside, there was a lot of toxic and stifled history buried between me and old friends. This made run-ins in the hallway and unexpected encounters at the grocery store weighted and uncomfortable.

After this gathering, Lara Jean and Peter stay to clean up. They get into a fight, but it’s not anything explosive. It’s subdued, they jab at each other, and it’s so painfully clear how young they are.

My favorite scene in the movie by far happens toward the end, where Lara Jean is probably at her lowest. She invites someone up to the infamous time capsule treehouse, whose identity the audience is not made aware of, to clear the air between them. We assume it’s Peter or John Ambrose or anybody but who it actually turns out to be.

Spoiler alert — the guest is Gen, Lara Jean’s ex-best friend and Peter’s ex-girlfriend who in the last movie had been the catalyst of Peter and Lara Jean’s fake-dating arrangement, until they actually fell in love with each other. It’s weird to have a conversation with someone like that, who at one time meant the whole world to you, but now wavers in this kind of in-between.

Gen and Lara Jean exchange stilted words with one another about Peter, about some rumors, about themselves. They achieve a truce, and I got a warm feeling in my stomach watching it happen.

Behind the lovey-doveyness of Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship, the movie shines in its connections between people.

Some fans may like this movie less than the first installment because of how the sequel focuses more on the healing part of love than the chase.

But sometimes that’s something that we need and don’t ask for — a clean slate with someone, putting the past behind you and trusting yourself not to look into the rearview mirror quite so often.

February 11, 2020

6

Sports

Pitt basketball needs to embrace the stretch-5 revolution at pittnews.com

panther spotlight

SOFTBALL, WRESTLING ATTRACT KINDRED SPIRITS

Stephen Thompson Assistant Sports Editor

Pitt softball and wrestling are at two very different places — in their seasons and status as programs.

The No. 10 ranked wrestlers are in the thick of conference play and championship contention, trying to keep pace with their storied program history. The Panthers boast 16 individual national champions over their more than century of existence, good for 13th among Division I schools.

Now, led by a former Panther and 2008 national champion Keith Gavin, the Panthers are poised to return to — and maybe even surpass — the success of the program’s post-World War II glory days.

Softball, on the other hand, is still in the middle of a program renaissance. After decades of mediocrity, the program’s trajectory shot upward as Holly Aprile stepped into the head coaching job in 2009.

Aprile led the Panthers to winning seasons in each of her first three years at the helm and had Pitt in the conference tournament championship game two years after the school’s move to the ACC. Pitt earned its first NCAA Tournament bid in program history that same year.

She guided Pitt to unprecedented success, but in 2018 Aprile left for the head coaching job at Louisville. And now her successor, Jodi Hermanek, is five games into the 2020 season and eager to improve on a disappointing first year in Pittsburgh.

But for all the striking differences between the two teams, they are both led by a pair of transfers whose journeys mirror the history of the programs they represent.

The top 10 wrestlers are led by the nation’s No. 6 133-pound wrestler, redshirt sophomore Micky Phillippi. Like the program he competes for, Phillippi is a proven winner. A trio of state championships in high school preceded a 55-14 record through his three years at the college level.

But Phillippi’s record in his first two years, while outstanding, did not count toward team success. After redshirting his first year at Virginia,

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Redshirt sophomore Micky Phillippi recorded his fifth major decision of the year during Sunday’s 51-1 victory over Davidson. Joy Cao staff photographer he transferred to Pitt the following summer and was forced to sit out of dual meets due to NCAA transfer rules. But still, his record in open tournament competition, highlighted by a defeat of previously undefeated then-No. 2 Dalton Fix from Ohio State last January, proved his metal.

And now, in his first year of full college competition, Phillippi has not missed a beat. He owns a team best 18-1 overall record, owns a five-match win streak and, in the dual meets that have eluded him his entire career, is undefeated through nine matches.

There are certain tangible skills that come across clearly when watching Phillippi. His intensity is paired with an outstanding recognition of an opponent’s weaknesses. It’s channeled through explosive quickness and strong technique, which resulted in the piles of wins he accrued through his still-young career.

But while Phillippi is leading an elite squad fighting to summit the nation’s team rankings, a fellow transfer on the softball team is building a foundation that already existed in the wrestling program.

Junior infielder LoLo Sanchez can count on one hand how many games she’s played in a Pitt uniform, but she has already established herself as a stalwart in the batting order, following sophomore leadoff hitter Katlyn Pavalick and in the field at second base.

Before transferring to Pitt this past summer, Sanchez was an up-and-coming star at Mercer University. In her first year for the Bears, she posted a strong .290 batting average and .386 on-base percentage while finishing second on the team in doubles and third in hits.

Sanchez was named to the SoCon AllFreshman team after starting all 52 games that

February 11, 2020

year, but in 2019, her playing time decreased as the year went on and the infield became more crowded.

Like her new team, Sanchez has a proven track record, but faced some adversity. The Panthers slogged through a 13-41 2019 that included a 7-17 mark in conference play. As 2020 arrives, so does Sanchez with a chip on her shoulder.

She leads the team in average, runs, hits, slugging and on-base percentage through a handful of games, but the Panthers still sit with a sub .500 record after their first weekend of the season.

Phillippi has more to prove as he gears up for the postseason, while Sanchez has everything yet to prove. Wrestling is looking to push forward, while softball waits to break through. The two teams are on opposite ends of the success spectrum, but that gap is bridged by star athletes with eyes toward more.

7

I N D E X

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

For Rent North Oakland Apartments for rent. 2 and 3 bedroom apart‑ ments available. Some available on Dawson Street, At­wood Street, and Mc­kee Place.

Newly re­modeled.

Some have laundry on site. Min­utes from the Univer­sity. For more info please call Mike at 412‑849‑8694

South Oakland **August 2020, Oak­land Square. We have Studios, 1, 2 & 3BR apartments avail­able. Clean, walking distance to campus. Great location. $600‑$1300 ALL UTILITIES IN­ CLUDED! Off‑street parking available.

No pets, smoking or parties. Call 412‑882‑7568 or email tsciul­li123@ gmail.com 1‑2‑3 bedroom apart­ ments available for August 2020. Owner Managed. 40+ years on campus. Fully fur­ nished or unfur­nished, most units are newly remodeled Kitchens and baths , located

pittnews.com

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

on Atwood, Semple, Oakland Ave., Ward, Mckee Place, Juliet.

Call or text Tim @ 412‑491‑1330 www.­ TMKRentals.com 264 Robinson St. 2 BR, 3 bath, $1000+utilities.

Available August 1st.

412‑884‑8891.

2BR houses and apart­ ments available in August. Unfur­nished, no pets. At­wood/S. Bouquet. Call 412‑492‑8173 322 S. Bouquet.

Huge 2 BR apart­ ments. Available May 1, 2020 or Au­gust 1, 2020. 412‑361‑2695 3322 Hardie Way. 2 BR, 1 bath. $1100/mo. w/s incl. Call/Text 412‑953‑3295 3444 Ward St. We have studios, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments.

Bright and spacious.

Free heating and free parking. Move May 1, 2020 or August 1, 2020. Call 412‑361‑2695 3BR house, South Oakland Niagara St. Central Air, Dish­ washer. $1350+ utili­ ties. Available Au­gust 2020. 412‑276‑6974.

4909 Centre Ave. Great location for this spacious 1BR apart‑

Classifieds

For sale

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

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

ment located be­tween Pitt and CMU. On buslines, near restau‑ rants, a block from Shady Side hos­pital.

Rent includes heat.

Laundry, stor­age & parking avail­able.

Updated kitchens and hard­wood floors.

Avail­able spring, sum‑ mer and fall. Contact Sue at 412‑720‑4756 daily between 8:00 and 6:00 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.

Dawson Village Apts. near CMU and Pitt.

One bedroom apts. $935 + electric. Avail‑ able for immedi­ate move in. On bus line, close to restau­rants and shops. Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546 Now renting for Fall 2020. Apartments and houses of all sizes.

Conveniently located throughout South Oakland. Rents start‑ ing as low as $620.

John C.R. Kelly Realty. Call to­day at 412‑683‑7300 www.jcrkelly.com Pet Friendly!!

notices

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

Studios ‑ $695‑$705 1Beds ‑ $795‑$815 2beds ‑ $975‑$995 3beds ‑ $1,245 412‑455‑5600 or www.pghnexus.com Spacious, well‑main­ tained S Oakland 3BR house, $1875/ mo + utilities. Central AC, DW, W/D. Large kitchen, pantry, high ceilings, decorative FP, out­door space.

Close to Pitt & shut‑ tle. Off‑street parking avail. Panther Proper‑ ties, 412‑328‑6236, pan­therproperties2@ g­mail.com. pan‑ ther‑life/oakland Studio, 1, 2, 3, and 4 BD apartments avail­ able in South Oak­land from $800‑$2500 M.J. Kelly Real Estate mjkellyrealty@gmail.­ com. 412‑271‑5550.

Shadyside Brett/Thames Manor Apts. (Ellsworth & S. Negley Ave.) near CMU and Pitt.

Stu­dio, One, Two bed­ room apts. Thames Ef‑ fecency: $790 Thames 1BD: $990 Brett 2BD: $1600 Available for immedi­ate move in.

On bus line, close to restau­rants & shops.

Con­tact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546

Rental Other In historic area, near waterfront. Just re­ modeled, carpeted, large 2 BR, with equipped kitchen. No

R A T E S

Insertions

1X

2X

3X

4X

5X

1-15 Words

$6.30

$11.90

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16-30 Words

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6X $30.20 $32.30

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(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

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

pets or section 8. $825 plus electric, heat included.

Call 412‑600‑1383.

Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2020 & sooner. Oak­land, Shadyside, Friend‑ ship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availabil‑ ity online, check out www.forbesmanage­ ment.net, or call 412.441.1211

Employment Employment Other Medical and Heart Care, Students Welcome, 155 N. Craig Street, Dean Kross, MD, 412‑687‑7666 OFFICE INTERN Shadyside Manage­ ment Company seeks person w/ min 2 yrs. college, for upcom­ing spring semester, to interview & pro­cess rental appli­cants, do internet post‑ ings & help staff our action‑central of­fice.

Part time or full time OK starting now; full time over the summer. $13/hour. Perfect job for current sopho­ mores & juniors, graduating seniors set to enter grad school, returning grad stu­ dents, and first year law students!

Mozart Management 412.682.7003 thane@mozartrents.­ com

February 11, 2020

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