2-12-15 by The Pitt News

Vol. 105 Issue 112

@thepittnews

Off and running

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Pittnews.com

KUNG FU PANTHER

Harvey joins Pitt track team after Tennessee turmoil Chris Puzia Sports Editor When Morgan Harvey walked into her track and field coach’s office at the University of Tennessee, she didn’t expect to leave the room without an athletic scholarship. Yet, the tissues that head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan laid on a table warned her that this wasn’t a standard player-coach meeting. David Tringali of Harrisburg shows members of the Kung Fu Club how to do a hip throw in the basement of Trees Hall. Christine “They just told me that I didn’t fit their Lim | Staff Photographer ‘model,’ but they still haven’t really told me what that ‘model’ was,” Harvey said. “Then she told me that she wasn’t renewing my Pittsburgh, who might otherwise eration of clothing. He wanted to wear his Meagan Hart scholarship next season.” not be well-known by current Pitt uniform but this was not the time. In fact, Staff Writer Harvey was just starting her freshman students. most of the staff did not want to meet him season at Tennessee as a part of the wom- Editor’s Note: This profile of former In order to become chancellor of the because he was [in the military],” Mildred, en’s track and field team, but on Sept. 24 Pitt Chancellor Wesley Posvar is the University of Pittsburgh, Wesley Posvar had Posvar’s wife and a world-renowned opera first in a series on individuals who to let his wife handle his interview attire. Posvar 4 Feature 11 helped shape the history of Pitt and “He had the most God-awful conglom-

Wesley Posvar: A man of finance, football, family

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Vagina Monologues offer perspective on sexual violence Elizabeth Lepro Staff Writer Onstage Thursday night in the ballroom of the William Pitt Union, four students will answer the question, “If your vagina could speak, what would it say?” The Campus Women’s Organization at Pitt has staged a production of the Vagina Monologues for roughly eleven years, according to CWO Vice President Suzanna Hinkle, who is also the producer of this year’s performance. However, for the first time, the proceeds from this year’s show will benefit Pittsburgh Action Against Rape. According to its website, PAAR’s mission is to respond, educate and advocate to end sexual violence. The show will also include American Sign Language performers for the first time. CWO will perform at 7 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with a suggested donation at the door. Hinkle said the 11-year-old show is still culturally relevant because violence against women is still an overwhelmingly common

issue. “The show addresses the attack on women at a personal level,” Hinkle said. According to Hinkle, the monologues direct the audience’s attention toward prevalent issues in society that perpetuate sexual violence and abuse. These issues include a lack of informative sexual education and a culture of silence on issues that affect only women, Hinkle said. Director Desta Gebregiorgis, a senior psychology major and community outreach co-chair for CWO, said women face violence and internalized hatred because of their placement in the societal hierarchy. “I also see women’s strength and endurance in the Vagina Monologues,” Gebregiorgis said, “This show makes me feel even more proud to be a woman.” In a powerful and graphic monologue, a Bosnian woman describes her experience at a rape camp during the Bosnian War in the 1990s. The monologue, performed by two women, shifts between her perception of her vagina before she was brutalized — describing

it as a picturesque stream that flowed and babbled freely — and after, as a place she no longer dared to think about or look at, much less discuss openly. The stigma around discussing the trials and tribulations of being a woman drove Eve Ensler, the show’s creator, to conduct the interviews and create the production in 1996. In an interview with the Guardian in 2014, Ensler said, “I think we have to create a space for the over 3 billion women who have vaginas to talk about vaginas.” Ensler rails against violence toward women around the country, including the prominence of female genital mutilation worldwide as well as female burn victims in Pakistan. Additionally, the World Health Organization reported in 2014 that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence, and 71 percent of women in Ethiopia have been victims of intimate sexual violence. The monologues address the shame women often feel regarding their “down-theres” with a script that fluctuates between comical and bone-chilling in each performance.

T P N S U D O K U

“Shame is a result of feeling alone,” Gebregiorgis said. The show grows each year to include a wider spectrum of women. In a monologue about transgender women added in 2004, according to Hinkle, the performers are depicted as a Greek chorus, allowing them to be one united voice. The women describe having “the girl beaten out of their boy.” The violent language is dramatized by American Sign Language performers standing beneath the stage. The inclusion of members of the ASL Club will be a new addition to CWO’s performance this year. The idea began a couple of years ago when one student asked her friend to translate her reading into ASL onstage. At the group’s practice Tuesday night, the performers stood beneath the actresses and mimicked being punched in the face during a monologue from four other performers on being a male-to-female transgender woman. The addition made the violence that noncisgendered people face become more real. Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.

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

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 1

POSVAR

The Pitt News Crossword, 2/12/2015

singer, said. Mildred called up Brooks Brothers in New York City, as she was in town, singing at the [Metropolitan Opera] and “people knew me.” “I told them I needed an instant-suit. We dressed him in a pinstripe suit, and he looked almost decent. So, we let him go,” she said. Perhaps because of his wife’s special-ordered suit, Posvar became the 15th chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating first in his class from West Point in 1946, Posvar became a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. He received his bachelor’s degree from Oxford in 1951 and his Ph.D. from Harvard in political science in 1964. After Pitt offered him the position of chancellor in 1967, he served until his retirement in 1991. Following his death in 2001, his wife found a note that Posvar had written when he was 15 years old. It stated: “What good is life without a purpose? I, Wesley Posvar, on this the 17th day of February in the Year of our Lord 1940, pledge that I will Wesley Posvar, Pitt’s 15th chancellor, was a family man and football endeavor to fulfill any task that will be beneficial fan. Courtesy of Pitt Library Archives. to and to pledge every color ever existing in the ACROSS 1 Mutinous Kubrick computer 4 High-end violin 9 Sextet for Henry VIII 14 British verb suffix 15 “Some glory in __ birth ...”: Shak. 16 Ginsburg associate 17 Sprightly dance 18 Shepherdess’ movie role? 20 Sharpwittedness 22 Gore, once 23 Jeweler’s movie role? 29 Met previously 30 “I’m listening ...” 31 Delta deposit 32 False flattery 34 Robbins’ ice cream partner 36 ER personnel 39 Horse trainer’s movie role? 41 Org. concerned with the AQI 42 Crankcase component 44 Sends out 46 Boyfriend 47 Bearing 48 Meat pkg. letters 52 Weightlifter’s movie role? 56 Chamber group often including a piano 57 Under control 58 What 18-, 23-, 39- and 52Across exemplify? 63 Loafer front 64 Madison Square Garden, e.g. 65 Cookbook verb 66 Decorative vase 67 H.S. hurdles 68 Heavy metal cover 69 Del. clock setting DOWN 1 Take by force 2 “... based on my abilities” 3 Peanut, for one 4 Fifth cen. pope called “The Great”

control of my own hands including the sacrifice of life and fortune to those immortal ideals of liberty, justice, fellowship, equality, education and the preservation of a democratic America and world. I will eradicate every influence contrary to those ideals with ruthless determination.” Mildred said the note provides an accurate representation of Posvar’s character. “He was a public servant. He gave all of himself to whatever it was, and it just happened to be education,” Mildred said. He stayed true to his stated childhood goals, and when Posvar became chancellor, Pitt needed help dealing with many internal and external problems. Pitt had accumulated a $27 million debt through endowment funds, life insurance, research grants and construction capital, according to a book by Robert C. Alberts, titled “Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh, 1787-1987.” There had also been student unrest and nonpeaceful protests on many campuses around the country, starting with the University of California at Berkeley in 1964, due to Vietnam War protests and a lack of student involvement and power in schools.

Posvar

2/25/15

By Jeffrey Wechsler

5 “Come to think of it ...” 6 Stephen of “Breakfast on Pluto” 7 Succor 8 Hungry for success, say 9 Track transaction 10 “No thanks” 11 Google Maps directions word 12 Sea-Tac approx. 13 Protein-rich bean 19 Org. that funds cultural exhibitions 21 Litter peeps 24 Cruise stop 25 Italian archaeological attraction 26 Puma competitor 27 Paper holder 28 Italian tourist attraction 33 CFO’s degree 34 Invite as a member of 35 Verizon competitor 36 Unruly groups 37 The Lord, in Lourdes

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

38 Response to freshness? 40 “You got that right!” 43 Campsite sight 45 Very 47 Peak near Olympus 49 Lincoln Memorial feature 50 Bloodmobile visitors

2/25/15

51 Zealous 53 Black-andwhite sea predators 54 Narrow inlet 55 __ management 58 Bug on the line 59 Timeline parts: Abbr. 60 Shooter lead-in 61 Sealing goo 62 Periodic table suffix

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 4

POSVAR In addition, many school administrators weren’t too sure about Posvar due to his military background, as his views might have clashed with the many anti-war mindsets at the school, according to his wife. Despite doubters, Posvar got to work. Fiscal problems took first priority. By personally controlling the allocation of funds and budgeting, updating the operating systems and procedures and finding non-state benefactors, Posvar eradicated the debt. He replaced the School of Liberal Arts with the School of Arts and Sciences to include all social sciences, natural sciences and humanities under one dean. He did the same with the Office of Student Affairs, according to Alberts’ book. According to his wife, Posvar believed that improving Pitt’s sports teams would raise funding from alumni. His son, also named Wesley Posvar, who has been a football season ticket holder since 1975, remembers how passionate his father was about Pitt sports. “If Pitt lost, I didn’t call home that night because I knew how strongly my dad felt about it,” he said. “He almost took it personally. He was very focused on making Pitt known for sports. He talked about wanting [championship] gold watches up and down his arms.” Soon after Posvar became chancellor, students began to demand more power in decision-making and government. In response, according to Alberts’ book, Posvar told the students in 1968 that he “strongly believes in student participation in the decision-making and formulating policy. Students are underrepresented. Many questions facing us could be better answered with a continuing input of student opinion and advice.” Posvar followed his words with actions. In September 1968, he announced that deans must allow the student cabinet to give policy-making and curriculum advice. Student academic councils were also formed to meet regularly under the chairman of an assistant provost. A chancellor and a father, Posvar had to meet the needs of the kids at home in addition to the students at work. He met his wife when Mildred was studying to be an opera singer in Bos-

ton, Mass., and Posvar was a test pilot in Florida. “He flew up with a whole crew. The crew was bragging about the girls they knew that they were going to call up in Boston,” Mildred said. “He didn’t know any, so he called up his friend who told him that Milly Miller was studying there.” Posvar called Mildred, and she came with the crew to get Chinese food. “Turns out, he was the only one of them who could get a girl to come,” she said. “I remember his commanding officer telling

him ‘You’re gonna marry that girl.’” A few years later, he proposed to Mildred on New Year’s Eve in Munich. They married in Germany in 1949 and were married for 52 years until he died from heart failure while swimming with his grandchildren in 2001. “He supported me without trying to force me into any particular dream,” his son said. “My mother was often travelling a lot due to her profession, so there were times when he was the primary parent. He was also very supportive of my mother,

5 which influenced our view of her time away from home.” Posvar instilled his love of Pitt and Pittsburgh in his children, as they all still live in the city and have children of their own. “It meant the world. He was very proud of Pitt. Proud of the advancement that it had made in his tenure. He came when it was totally bankrupt, and in the two or three years, the debt was paid,” Mildred said. “We were very happy to move here. We had moved 13 times. When we came to Pittsburgh, we felt we had come home.”

EDITORIAL

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

OPINIONS

Celebrate Jon Stewart, but continue his legacy

After 16 years, Jon Stewart is stepping down as host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” the nightly program that uses satire to hold media and politicians accountable while entertaining the usually unconcerned citizen. As we say our goodbyes, we should celebrate duo comedians/ newscasters such as Stewart and Stephen Colbert, who signed off of “The Colbert Report” in December, for their achievements in informing young people of national and global affairs. With that said, we must emulate Colbert and Stewart’s example and continue our awareness and activeness in world affairs. Public figures like Stewart have helped to keep even the most apathetic college students informed and bring about positive social change. Perhaps one of his greatest achievements as host of “The Daily Show” was putting pressure on Congress to pass the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act in 2010. The bill pledged federal funds for the healthcare of Sept. 11 responders, and President Obama signed it into law on Jan. 2, 2011. A large percentage of “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report’s” 2.5 million and 1.9 million total views, respectively, came from our generation. A 2012 Pew Research poll found that the 18-29 year-old demographic constituted about 40 percent of each program’s viewership. So, with Colbert gone and Stewart on his way out, young people may wonder where they will find their hu-

morous, biting interpretations of news coverage. We say, use Colbert and Stewart’s exit as a reason to become more informed than ever. As responsible citizens, we cannot neglect the importance of forming an educated electorate. Satirists such as Stewart and Colbert are brilliant entertainers, but they should not be the only news source upon which one relies. Regardless of age or political affiliation, we urge that every citizen open their eyes, read newspapers, listen to broadcasts, understand biases and simply learn what’s going on in the world around them. Colbert and Stewart have taught us to look deeper into issues of the day. They showed us how to question our leaders, while also supporting and respecting them. And of course, they have showed us never to take ourselves, and those with whom we may disagree, too seriously. While the 2016 election will surely be less entertaining without Stewart and Colbert’s clever and witty commentary, we must carry on their legacy by remaining informed, staying active and holding media and politicians accountable in our own right. Stewart’s time on the show may be wrapping up, but his legacy will live on in how we continue to critically approach current affairs. It is now our turn to make the most of our world and strive for fairness and accountability from our media and leaders, while cracking a few jokes, too. He’s done his part — now let’s do ours.

COLUMN

The importance of keeping high school friends

Cecile Truong For The Pitt News It’s important to keep in touch with your high school friends throughout college. I may have teared up saying goodbye to my best friends last summer before I started my freshman year at Pitt. I wasn’t going to see them for another four months — which felt like forever at the time. “We’ll keep in touch!” “I’ll call and text you everyday!” “I’m going to miss you so much!” we said to each other tearfully. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with,” meaning that the people we surround ourselves with make us who we are. I owe a lot to my high school friends. They supported me throughout my hardest classes, they helped me find activities I truly enjoyed and they’ve even encouraged me to follow through with my dream of going to medical school. I dreaded the last day of summer before we left for college. College just seemed so uncertain while everything at home seemed so comfortable. In 2011, the American College Health Association–National College Health Assessment found that about 30 percent of college students reported feeling “so depressed that it was difficult to function” at some time in the past year. It’s true that college can get overwhelming with the pres-

sure of keeping a high GPA, the endless applications to resumébuilding internships and the little time you have to get a good night’s rest. Sharing these daily stresses with your friends may not seem that important, but in the long run, it helps a lot with keeping a positive outlook on life when things get hard. All of us are guilty of being too busy and forgetting to respond to texts every once in a while. My first week of fresh-

Your high school friends once were one of the biggest parts of your life and shouldn’t be forgotten. man year, I was shuffled from event to event, barely having enough time to check my phone and respond until I was in bed at night. Once classes started, it became even more of a chore to balance my high school friends with my classes, homework and new friends. I found excuses for not replying. “Sorry, I was in class the whole day!” or “My phone died!” I felt like my high school friends were from a completely different part of my life from which I just wanted to distance

myself. I was surrounded by so many new people that I ended up spending more time making new friends than keeping up with my old ones — and enjoying it. My high school friends were joining new clubs, seeing new sights and making new friends — just like me. We just didn’t prioritize each other anymore. Yet once the semester ended and I went back home for winter break, I realized my high school friends were the only friends I had. As much as I love free food, a large bed and having my car with me, things weren’t the same without my friends. I felt this difference right away and immediately texted them to let them know I missed them and wanted to see them. After all, you should never trade high school friends for college counterparts, since more friends means a healthier life. A research study by the Centre for Ageing Studies showed that people with a large network of friends outlived those with the fewest friends by 22 percent. Your high school friends once were one of the biggest parts of your life and shouldn’t be forgotten. One day, you’re going to check Facebook and see that one of your friends from high school is engaged, or that someone you’ve been meaning to catch up with moved across the country or even that someone you haven’t talked to in

Truong

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 6

TRUONG years has passed away. Sixty-seven percent of social media users report that they use sites like Facebook and Twitter to stay in touch with friends and family members, and about 50 percent use them to reconnect with old friends. There’s a point to the current technology takeover. I know it’s hard enough to keep up

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

Harrison Kaminsky, News Editor news@pittnews.com

Matt Barnes, Opinions Editor letters@pittnews.com

Shawn Cooke, A&E Editor

aeeditors@gmail.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

with your own life and your own problems while also trying to keep up with everyone else’s. It’s especially hard to keep up with people who you don’t see in person daily. But if you think about it, picking up your phone to hold a conversation with your friend during your 30-minute lunch break is only 2.08 percent of your entire day. Of all the investments you make in your life, sustaining friendships is the most important. “Friends help you face adverse events,” Sheldon Cohen, a psy-

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

Danielle Fox, Managing Editor manager@pittnews.com

Abbey Reighard, Assistant News Editor Dale Shoemaker, Assistant News Editor Courtney Linder, Assistant Opinions Editor Dan Sostek, Assistant Sports Editor Jeff Ahearn, Assistant Visual Editor Mason Lazarcheff, Multimedia Editor David Gardner, Social Media Editor Sam McGinley, Assistant Copy Chief Emily Hower, Assistant Layout Editor

Copy Staff

Sarah Choflet Anjuli Das Kinley Gillette Johanna Helba Emily Maccia

Bridget Montgomery Sarah Mejia Michelle Reagle Megan Zagorski

chology professor at Carnegie Mellon University, said. “They provide material aid, emotional support and information that helps you deal with the stressors. There may be broader effects as well. Friends encourage you to take better care of yourself. And people with wider social networks are higher in selfesteem, and they feel they have more control over their lives.” It may take a lot of time and effort, but it’s worth it. No amount of money or success will make up for the loneliness

you’ll feel during big events in your life if you have no true friends to celebrate them with. Whether it’s sharing a funny video on your friend’s Facebook wall, sending someone a text wishing luck on finals or setting aside time to make a call, just try not to lose one-fifth of who you are. Cecile Truong primarily writes about social and campus issues for The Pitt News. Write to Cecile at @cet41@pitt.edu.

Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns,- car toons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter - in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left. The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is-pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer. Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations -Com mittee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260. The editor in chief has the final authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor in chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, - fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

advertising@pittnews.com

Kevin Vanover, Business Manager Advertising@pittnews.com

David Barr, Sales Manager advertising@pittnews.com

Account Executives David Barone Allison Soenksen Robert Capone Alex Kanner Antonio Blundo A.J. Campli Franny Tish Kaitlin Kramer

Marketing Manager Kristine Aprile

Ad Designer Mark Janavel Genna Gincel

Kelsey McConville, Inside Sales Manager advertising@pittnews.com

Senior University Account Executive Matt Reilly

Inside Sales Molly Emerick Victoria Hetrick Danielle Murphy

Digital Manager Stephen Ellis

Marketing Assistant Ally Stevens

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT Pittsburgh Glass Center melts hearts for V-Day Elaina Zachos For The Pitt News

If you dropped most valentines into a 2,000 degree flame, it would be the worst-case scenario. But for couples on a date at Pittsburgh Glass Center this Valentine’s Day, it’s a necessary part of the art. The East End’s PGC hosts its seasonal Make-It-Now workshop for glass-art amateurs to make their own glass-blown flowers, fused valentines or pendants on Friday, Feb. 13, from 4 to 9 p.m. This beginner workshop, which costs $25 per person, is just one of the many classes that PGC offers throughout the year. “Our mission is glass art,” marketing director Paige Ilkhanipour said. “We teach it, we create it, we promote it and we support those who make it.” The PGC opened its own glass doors in 2001 to start teaching glass-blowing classes to the experimental artists and glass-enthusiasts of Pittsburgh. The studio is comprehensive, housing the entire production process of glass-art from start to finish. The PGC hosts a hot shop with furnaces for glass-blowing, a flame shop

Ryan Reed (left) watches as Andrew Tischler (right) manipulates glass over a torch. Photos by Elaina Zachos

to manipulate smaller pieces over a torch, a kiln shop to fuse glass and cast pieces and a cold shop to finish, polish, etch and grind any final details. “There’s almost anything [in glass] you can do in this building,” Ilkhanipour said. Today, the PGC is still mainly a school that offers classes almost every day — ranging from quick Make-it-Now sessions to eightweek courses — but it also has a gallery and lends its studios to local artists who don’t have their own workshops. Glass-artist and youth education coordinator Jason Forck teaches and demonstrates

techniques in glass-blowing at the PGC. Forck has worked with glass for over 12 years. In the toasty upstairs hot shop, Forck demonstrated the process of making a glass flower, similar to the ones that will be offered during the Valentine’s Day workshop. First, he dipped a metal cane into molten glass, which congealed into an orb-like mass at one end. Forck then lifted the glass-dipped end of the pole into a furnace, which reaches temperatures hovering around 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Forck rotated the pole to heat the congealing glass from all angles. “It takes a long time to kind of get comfortable with your hands that close to the heat,” Forck said. “[But there’s an] excitement or danger aspect with working with fire.” Metal-and-glass scepter in hand, the artist quickly stepped over to a small metal work bench before the molten glass could cool. Two metal bowls filled with colorful, room tem-

perature crushed glass sat on the table. Forck dipped the glass mass into the bowl that had yellow-red flecks in it. The colors began to meld together to form a miniature, mandarin orange sun. Forck jumped back over to the furnace and repeated the heating process, rotating the sun-on-a-stick back and forth over the flames . Though exciting to watch, a mini jeweltoned sun did not really resemble a flower. But then Forck was on to the next step. As if he were about to impale his workbench, Forck pressed the orb face down on the metal surface. The mass now resembled a glowing, vaguely mushroom-like shape. To form petals, Forck pulled at the top perimeter of the glass shape with a pair of extra-large metal tweezers, called jacks. The form blossomed into a vibrant tiger lily. Forck then held the pole vertically with the newly-formed bloom facing downward. The heavy bloom began to rapidly slip to the floor. The bud threatened to slide right off the pole, but the glass was cooling too quickly. Before the blossom could hit the ground, the stem began to harden and take shape. “It’s kind of a strange sensation to feel it get rigid in your hand,” Forck said.

Glass

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

REVIEW

ʻSeventh Sonʼ an abysmal attempt at striking fantasy gold Matt Maielli For The Pitt News “Seventh Son” Directed By: Sergey Bodrov Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore Rated PG-13 for intense fantasy violence and action throughout, frightening images and brief strong language Grade: D

Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) is the seventh son of a seventh son. It’s supposed to be what makes him special. This fact leads the last legendary Spook (a skilled fighter of supernatural evil), Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges), to find Tom, train him and aid him in his destiny of stopping the evil witch queen, Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore). They plan to foil her vague diabolical plan after a Blood Moon increases her power

— at least that’s what the trailers would have you believe. “Seventh Son” is based on the medieval fantasy novel “The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch,” the first in a series by Joseph Delaney. The film seemed to hold hope that “Seventh Son” would spawn an adapted series, similar in style to “The Lord of the Rings,” but director Sergei Bodrov falls far short of that epic franchise. “Seventh Son” is more in line with fantasy B-movies, such as “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “Eragon,” which is also adapted from a book series that hoped to hit it big on the silver screen. The filmmakers were probably counting on a “Game of Thrones” connection, too — which is strange, since Kit Harington’s (Jon Snow of “Thrones”) character is killed off within the first five minutes, along with any hopes that the film would be anywhere near the same caliber. The film itself shows no clear evidence

Seventh Son

10 Barnes and Bridges get caught in the mess of “Seventh Son.” TNS

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

FROM PAGE 8

GLASS Forck twirled the metal pole, letting the flower’s stem twist into a gentle curlicue. The flower cooled enough to hold its shape, and he freed it from the pole with a large pair of pliers. It rested bloom-down on the metal table. A glass-artist would then grind down the broken-off tip of the stem in the cold room, and, in 14 hours, this little flower would be fully set, cooled and bloomed. “They all make it look so easy,” Ilkhanipour said. Forck said glass-blowing is an atypical and social art form. The craft involves a lot of physical back-and-forth work, and many of Forck’s friends are also glass artists. Typically, large-scale glass-art production involves a team of four or five glass-artists. Each artist has a specific role to make production run like clockwork. Sam Foreman, another glass-artist, has worked at the PGC for the past five years. He teaches workshops, mainly in making glass paperweights, pumpkins, ornaments and flowers. He also instructs private lessons and TAs a beginner class with fellow artist Zack Layhew. Foreman graduated from Lycoming College in Williamsport in 2010 with his Bachelor of Fine Arts, focusing in painting, print-making and ceramics, but not glass. His interest FROM PAGE 9

SEVENTH SON that Tom is greater than any other medieval man. He is subject to visions — specifically of Gregory and Malkin — but these are later explained by the fact that his mother is a witch, not that he’s a seventh son. There’s simply nothing special about the seventh son, and the same can be said for his movie. The cast itself has been described as a humble reunion of “The Big Lebowski,” this film being the first time that Moore and Bridges have shared the screen since “Lebowski” debuted in 1998. It’s just a shame that their reunion had to be wasted in this mess. Moore delivers a trite and boring witch performance. She was more terrifying when she misidentified her daughter as a witch in the 2013 “Carrie” remake than when she assumes the role herself. Bridges seems to be aiming for a tired, wizened master but instead comes off as a

This Weekend Fri., Feb. 13

The New Pornographers with Jaill Mr. Smalls Theatre in the medium started with his Mount Lebanon High School art teacher, who was also a glass-blower. While still in high school, Foreman experimented with fusing slumped glass at around 1,150 degrees Fahrenheit. He recalls visiting a glass studio when he was nine years old and telling his mother that we wanted to work in the medium when he got older. Outside of the PGC, Foreman works on custom commissions, such as a recent lighting project commission for a beer company. Foreman also sells his art at the Three Rivers Art Festival, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and other local shows as well as to local galleries, including the Shop at Phipps Conservatory. Foreman said that, like many other artists, he looks to nature for inspiration with his craft. “It’s kind of [a] cliché, but there are so many beautiful things in nature. They might goofy, alcoholic sorcerer. Each of his lines sounds like they are spoken through a mouthful of stew. Barnes and Swedish actress Alicia Vikander bring a certain playfulness to the film’s main love story between Tom and the convenient double agent-witch Alice, but sadly it doesn’t keep it from being any less overdone. The movie’s entire mythos is lazy and messy. The servant Tusk is an inhuman goblin-troll creature that serves Gregory for no discernible reason. The witches’ powers are unspecified and convenient. One witch is a wild-eyed blue man with six arms, an obvious appropriation of Vishnu. Another witch, a part seemingly written for Djimon Hounsou, can transform into a giant lizard creature and also conjure axe-chains from thin air — which is a hard sentence to type, let alone process onscreen. “Seventh Son” also specializes in ridiculous fight scenes. One scene involves a werebear, similar to a werewolf, that is only reduced to his human form (for an unclear

not be 100 percent life-like, but it’s still the abstract nature of glass,” Foreman said. Foreman added that every glass artist looks up to at least one Italian glass-blower for inspiration. He is inspired by Lino Tagliapietra, a Venetian glass-artist who has worked extensively in the United States. When Foreman was first experimenting with glass, he watched instructional videos about Tagliapietra at work. Foreman actually had the opportunity to work with Tagliapietra over the summer during one of the PGC’s week-long summer intensive workshops. According to Foreman, PGC’s ability to bring in the world-famous Tagliapietra shows how far the Pittsburgh art scene has come in recent years. “The art scene’s really growing in Pittsburgh,” Foreman said. “And I think glass is definitely going to be one of the leading elements that pushes [it] forward as well.” amount of time) after Gregory throws CGI glitter (aka “silverbane”) on him. This spontaneous Kesha concert of an action sequence is only made up for by the fact that this movie has the greatest wizard’s staff on film since “The Lord of the Rings.” The legendary Spook’s staff is used primarily for walking, but also doubles as a flamethrower and, occasionally, a witch-disintegrator, adding another level of odd to the action. But in the end, it’s another case of screenwriters relying heavily on the source material’s goodwill. That is peculiar, in this case, considering that they also deviate from it (most likely for budget-related reasons) in a way that would assuredly anger fans of the novels. Romantic storylines are plucked out of nowhere, and some characters even switch sides in the fight against evil. Heavy CGI use muddled the film’s post-production, delaying its original debut date in February 2013. But no amount of CGI — quality aside — could have salvaged the poor script and performances.

400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale 8 p.m. $30 The Canadian power poppers bring their exuberant Brill Bruisers tour to Pittsburgh this weekend — but the supergroup will be without its greatest vocal superhero. Neko Case won’t be touring with the band’s rotating lineup this time around, but expect to hear all the classic A.C. Newman and Dan Bejar-led tunes regardless.

Sun., Feb. 15

Dana Micucci: “Embodying the Wisdom of the Heart” Unity Center of Pittsburgh 216 S. Evaline St., Bloomfield 12:30 p.m. $20 Pittsburgh native, author, speaker and healing practitioner Dana Micucci will give a talk titled “Embodying the Wisdom of the Heart” just after Valentine’s Day. She’ll draw on her travels around the world and recent books, “Sojourns of the Soul” and “The Third Muse,” to explore heart-based teachings.

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

SPORTS

Morgan with her parents at a high school meet. Photo courtesy of Morgan Harvey

FROM PAGE 1

FEATURE — a little more than a month after she arrived at the school — she and five other women on the team had their scholarships taken away from them. One of those other women, sophomore Laura Morse, said she decided to stay at Tennessee and compete with a track club instead. However, Harvey still wanted the high level of competition that only varsity track could provide — just not at Tennessee. Without an athletic future at Tennessee, she considered the next step of her running career. “After the article came out in Knoxville [breaking the news of their scholarship removals], other schools started calling me and the other people who got released,” Harvey said. Pitt — specifically, assistant head coach Kia Davis — contacted Harvey once she got her release. Through Pitt Athletics spokesperson Ted Feeley, Davis and head coach Alonzo Webb declined to comment on the matter. Alford-Sullivan was previously the head coach at Penn State and had recruited Harvey, who was attending North Hunterdon High School in New Jersey. The coach then

left Penn State, went to Tennessee, and continued to recruit Harvey. Morgan’s father, George, was more blunt in how he felt Alford-Sullivan handled her first season at her new school. “She got down to Tennessee and gave Morgan the axe,” George said. Harvey’s path to Tennessee became muddled early on, as the team’s former head coach, J.J. Clark, was dismissed on May 21. Clark, now the head coach at the University of Connecticut, declined comment through spokesperson Jeffrey Piascik. Harvey didn’t know that her events coach, Sharon Couch-Fikes, wouldn’t be brought back as part of the new staff before she joined the program last summer. “Morgan and the other girls knew that they weren’t going to have their head coach,” George said. “They didn’t know until August that they weren’t going to have their event coach.” George added that he wished the coaches had given the athletes an earlier warning. “[Alford-Sullivan] could have told us back in July, when she came to Tennessee,” he said. “She could have told Morgan that she was not going to hire her event coach, because when she didn’t hire the event coach she must have known she was going to release these girls.” Still, athletic scholarships are only valid on a year-to-year basis, which the pro-

Morgan ran at North Hunterdon High School in New Jersey. Photo courtesy of Morgan Harvey

gram renews each year. So Tennessee and Alford-Sullivan did not violate any NCAA rules in the process, as the initial scholarship offer did not guarantee four years at Tennessee. Tennessee would have allowed the scholarships of these athletes to run through the remainder of the academic year, according to an article on nj.com. The University of Tennessee, through athletic department spokesperson Kellen Hiser, declined to comment for the story over the phone twice, including on Feb. 11. Highly recruited coming out of high school, Harvey expected to contribute early to the Tennessee program — especially during the outdoor season, in which her main

event is the 400-meter hurdle. George said that he had a theory as to why those six girls, who mainly competed in sprinting events, were affected. “[Alford-Sullivan] wanted to increase the distance running program,” he said. “Tennessee is known more as a sprinting school, so they’re constantly recruiting more sprinters than distance runners. She felt that she could do better in the conference meet with more distance runners.” Despite joining the team in August, Harvey and the other five girls were not notified of their removal from the team until a month later, after the official indoor season had

Feature

12 FROM PAGE 11

FEATURE already started. “The team can’t practice with coaches until after Labor Day,” George said. “So [AlfordSullivan] strategically waited until all the athletes were UT athletes, then she released them so that they couldn’t run against her in the SEC.” Because the girls were cut after official practices had started, they were not allowed to compete in the indoor track season. “She had a plan, and she executed the plan perfectly,” George said. “It’s a real difficult thing for these girls to pick a school, because there’s a lot of different places they could have gone, and they all picked Tennessee.” Now, at Pitt — where she enrolled in January after receiving a new scholarship — Harvey is focused on preparing for the outdoor season. Since one of her best events, the 100-meter hurdle, comes in the outdoor season — which begins in March — she said she will take a redshirt for the indoor season. Until then, she is working to get back in competitive shape, as she ended up not competing when she had planned because

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com of the setbacks at Tennessee. “I’m not in the kind of shape that everyone else is in right now,” Harvey said. “My coaches gave me winter workouts, which I’ve been doing. They’re willing to work with me.” Not all of the six athletes who had their scholarships cut continued their track careers, however. While freshmen Shelbi White and Margaret Draper transferred to University of Alabama-Birmingham to continue running, Morse remained at Tennessee as a student. Morse said that she was told in a similar way to Harvey — a private meeting with the coaches — and given little reasoning as to why. “[Alford-Sullivan] said ‘we’re moving forward, and we decided to take you off the program,’” Morse said. “I think they don’t want to hurt us more than they had to, but it was inconsiderate the way they went about it.” Morse, who joined the team as a walk-on and did not receive an athletic scholarship, said that she had similar thinking to George as to why the cuts were being made. “My guess is they needed to free up scholarship money for future recruits,” Morse said. “The new coach probably wanted to

change the program how she wanted.” Morse considered transferring to Eastern Tennessee State University. “I had potential there,” she said, but she ultimately decided to stay at UT and run with a track club. “That was the hardest thing about what happened, was that I wasn’t given a chance to reach my potential,” she said. Because of the late decision to transfer to Pitt, Harvey has been playing catch-up to get acclimated to her new university. She enrolled in classes just days before the spring semester started, and — as of Feb. 11 — she is still not listed on Pitt’s track and field roster. Despite this, Harvey is still pleased with the result. “I love knowing that the coaches I’m working with actually want to work with me,” she said. George added that the transfer could give her extra motivation in some competitions. “I’d like to see her beat all of the Tennessee runners in the future,” he said with a laugh. “I hope Morgan has a good college experience, she has not had a good college experience so far. I think she’s been cheated out of that.” Looking back, Morse and Harvey said they learned that Division I sports function

like businesses. They knew that their contributions to the university’s athletic prowess were earning them their scholarships, but Morse said the people coming into that environment are still teenagers, and that the transition could be difficult. “The first few weeks, we were treated like teenage girls. Then, a few weeks in, we were treated like 35 year-old women in the workforce who were told our business is being shut down,” Morse said. “That’s why it was so hard for many of us, because we’re still pretty young.” Harvey also said that if any silver lining is to come from the incident, it was “the girls that got released, we all became really close friends” as a result. Morse said that she texted Harvey shortly after each of their individual meetings with Alford-Sullivan with words of encouragement. “I knew it was really hard on Morgan because she had come to college almost 100 percent for track, then she had that stripped away,” Morse said. “I’m glad she’s going to Pitt, though. That’s awesome.” Jasper Wilson contributed to this story.

February 12, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

COLUMN

Oakland Zoo should add new, exclusive transition to arsenal Logan Hitchcock Staff Writer

Let me start by saying I do not condone throwing thousands of rolls of toilet paper onto the court of the Petersen Events Center. But one university’s student section does just that, and it tells me that Pitt’s Oakland Zoo could use a new and exclusive tradition of its own. John Brown University, located in Siloam Springs, Ariz., brings mischief night to its basketball season opener with a toilet paper tradition. Following the team’s first basket of the season during the home opener, fans litter the court with thousands of rolls of the stuff. Each year, the event results in a technical foul and two free throws for the opposing team, a not so steep price for a tradition that has lasted for more than thirty years. There is also Silent Night — not the Christmas song, but the tradition of Taylor University, a small university in Indiana. Each year, on the Friday before finals, students dress up in costumes, pack the school’s tiny gymnasium and sit in silence as the game begins. It is not until the team scores its tenth point that the crowd breaks the silence, and the result isn’t just a few claps and stray cheers. When Taylor scores that tenth point, madness ensues — so much so that the game was halted during the celebration’s 2012 iteration. The list of traditions goes on. The University of Kansas has the “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk” chant that the crowd performs before games. Arizona State uses the “Curtain of Distraction,” where the fans unveil some different spectacle during the opposing team’s foul shots. The University of Alabama has “The

Face,” the puffed out eyeballs and frown made famous by student Jake Blankenship. But what do we have? The Oakland Zoo needs a new “thing.” The Zoo may have been among the first or most notable for some of its traditions (like its pregame newspaper festivities), but many of these have since become popularized and duplicated — we’re looking at you, Michigan State. Now, the Zoo needs something exclusive. There is no denying that the Oakland Zoo is loud and proud. The Zoo is often heralded as one of the best student sections in all of college basketball by ESPN, and men’s head basketball coach Jamie Dixon recently praised it for the overwhelming support during Saturday’s “blackout” vic- The Oakland Zoo’s leaders rally the students. Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor tory over Syracuse. Typically made up of more than one thou- is announced, only peering over the paper sure it would sit well with the administration, sand students clad in matching t-shirts and after a player’s name is announced to let him or the ball boys and managers who would be a propensity for getting under the skin of know that he “sucks.” After the players, the stuck picking up every piece of two-ply from opposing players, the Zoo has its fair share opposing coach is also announced, and, yes, the hardwood. of small traditional tactics. “he sucks, too.” But I do want more. I want something bigOne of these is the aforementioned newsWhile I can take some solace in the fact ger. I want an everlasting tradition, something paper jig. On every seat of the Oakland Zoo that the newspaper act is fun to do in the Zoo, unique to the University and the students prior to each game sits a small newspaper. I cannot help but think we are missing out on who attend it. Inside are some small facts, the rosters for the a big-ticket item. So I’m asking you, the students, to pick teams at play and a list of rules for partaking I’m not advocating for debauchery or a your brain and help create something new. in the madness of the Zoo (for example, it threat of inevitable mayhem. I want the Zoo Be Pitt’s next medical hero like Jonas Salk details how the fans must rip the newspaper to remain within a respectable framework, and cure our traditionless blues. Make like into pieces after the introductions and throw and knåow the limits and where the line is New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle them into the air when Pitt first scores). On drawn by the invisible code and unwritten Revis, intercept the awesome idea of a comthe outside, in large font, reads none other rules of fanaticism. petitor and, at the very least, knock it down. than “Let’s Go Pitt.” I’m not asking for something as drastic as Put away your umbrella and sing in the rain, The Zoo leaders urge members to pretend the throwing of toilet paper onto the court a la Gene Kelly. like they are reading the paper and not paying after our first basket each year. Although it Let’s start the next Pitt legacy in the basattention as the opposing team’s starting five would undoubtedly be a good time, I’m not ketball student section.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Harrellʼs 28 points guide No. 9 Louisville over Panthers Chris Puzia Sports Editor

A late offensive drought doomed Pitt men’s basketball at Louisville on Wednesday night. The Panthers (16-9, 5-6 ACC) hung with the No. 9 Cardinals early, leading as late as midway through the second half, but Louisville used an extended 22-2 run over an eight-minute span to seal the 69-56 win for the home team.

Both teams started out playing aggressive defense, forcing awkward shots and live-ball turnovers. The teams combined for 20 total turnovers. Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon went unexpectedly deep into his bench early, inserting redshirt junior guard Mike Lecak and senior center Derrick Randall at the same time. Sophomores Sheldon Jeter and Josh Newkirk got into early foul trouble about midway through the first half, picking up two apiece.

With senior guard Cameron Wright sidelined with an ankle injury, Dixon had fewer options than usual. Lecak played 10 minutes, missed his only shot attempt and grabbed three rebounds. After Pitt tied the game late in the first half, Louisville junior forward Montrezl Harrell scored six straight points for the Cardinals to regain the lead for the home team. After shooting only 31 percent in the

first half, Pitt trailed 27-22. Harrell dominated early, despite Pitt trying to use several different defenders on him, heading into the half with a game-high 14 points. He finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Louisville (20-4, 8-3 ACC) seemed content to keep the ball in the paint near the hoop, as the team only attempted four 3-point shots and missed all of them. Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.