The Pitt News
UPDATE: Fossil Free occupation carries into fifth day at pittnews.com
T he i n de p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | February 25, 2020 | Volume 110 | Issue 228
LOOKING INTO
TUNZI TAKES OVER THE UNIVERSE PG. 6
PITT DAY OF GIVING 2020 GUIDELINES Ashton Crawley Staff Writer
Tuesday is the fourth annual Pitt Day of Giving — a 24-hour fundraising event which encourages students, faculty, staff, family and alumni to donate to various organizations within the University. This year, some changes have been made to how it’s run. PDoG is divided into six different categories to which supporters can donate, including student organizations. Within the students organizations category, groups compete against each other to see who can get the highest number of individual donations, with the top three receiving a bonus. Jake Strang, assistant vice chancellor for alumni annual giving, said there are 21 student organizations participating in the competition this year. Strang said this year’s PDoG structure has mostly stayed the same, with a few new challenges. An event will take place in the William Pitt Union’s Assembly Room from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event — which includes Chancellor Gallagher’s address at 12:20 p.m. — will be livestreamed on the PDoG website. “[There will be] $200,000 in challenge money [that’s] up for grabs for the Pitt communities that come together most effectively on the day,” Strang said. “We look forward to seeing as many Pitt alumni, friends, faculty, staff, parents and students participating as possible. PDoG is a day for all donors, no matter the size of the gift.” According to University spokesperson Kevin Zwick, PDoG has developed more detailed guidelines for participating groups
Zozibini Tunzi, winner of Miss Universe 2019, speaks about beauty standards set by the beauty industry during Pitt Program Council’s “An Evening with Miss Universe” on Monday evening. Hannah Heisler senior staff photographer
2020 SGB ELECTION GUIDE Rebecca Johnson Senior Staff Writer
Bernie Sanders or Mike Bloomberg? Amy Klobuchar or Pete Buttigieg? With the nation hotly debating the Democratic primary for the presidency, undergraduate students have the opportunity today to choose a leader much closer to home — the president and board members of Pitt’s Student Government Board. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on elections.pitt.edu and winners will be announced at Tuesday night’s SGB meeting. The eight board candidates who receive the most votes will be elected to the board and serve under the winning presidential candidate for the 2020-21 academic year. Most candidates are running in two- to See Giving on page 3 four-person slates, which is similar to a
political party. Students will also vote on a referendum on whether Pitt should raise the minimum wage for student workers to $15 per hour. Nick Bibby, the chair of SGB’s Elections Committee, said SGB Executive Vice President Anaïs Peterson was interested in students’ perspectives. “This is a question that hasn’t been posed to the student body before,” Bibby said. “With this topic being so hotly debated on the national level, we felt it was appropriate to gain some student insight.” The Pitt News sat down with each slate to discuss their respective ideas, policies and goals for the board if elected. Voices Presidential contender Eric Macadangdang is running alongside Ben King,
Kathryn Fleisher and Annalise Abraham on the Voices slate. Macadangdang, a current board member, said he is focused on making SGB “a better advocate and ally for all students” by enacting a campus-wide survey that would provide the board with student opinions from across campus. He also hopes to promote programs that make Pitt more affordable, including encouraging professors to use open educational resources like textbooks and creating a tuition lock to ensure the same rate for students through graduation. Macadangdang said he also wants an expansion of debt-relief programs like Panthers Forward. King, the current chair of SGB’s Allocations See SGB on page 3
News
‘Turning Tragedy into Progress’:
Affected families discuss hazing prevention Nathan Fitchett Staff Writer
Evelyn Piazza’s voice wavered as she asked audience members to put themselves in her shoes. “Close your eyes and imagine that your brother is going to pledge a fraternity, and it started last night,” Piazza said. “You get a call that he didn’t come home last night, and that’s not like him. You decide something’s wrong. You call the hospital to see if he’s there. They tell you yes, there’s been an accident.” Several hundred Pitt community members gathered in the Soldiers and Sailors Auditorium on Monday night for “Turning Tragedy into Progress” — an anti-hazing presentation featuring Evelyn Piazza and Rae Ann Gruver. Piazza and Gruver, whose sons both died during fraternity hazing in 2017, spoke about the dangers of hazing and the toll it has taken on their families. The event was hosted by the Anti-Hazing Coalition, a group dedicated to ending hazing through talks like this, as well as community outreach and efforts to strengthen anti-hazing legislation. The group was created through collaboration between the National Panhellenic Conference, the North American Interfraternity Conference and parents like the Piazzas and the Gruvers who have lost their children to hazing. Piazza is the mother of Timothy Piazza, who died in a hazing ritual on the first night of his pledging process at the Penn State chapter of Beta Theta Pi. Gruver is the mother of Max Gruver, who died two weeks into his first semester at Louisiana State University in 2017 from alcohol poisoning as part of a hazing ritual in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Piazza’s son was a 19-year-old sophomore engineering student when he died. He dreamed of one day working to develop prosthetics for the disabled. “He kind of had his life figured out,” Piazza said. “He was going to major in mechanical engineering so he could have a career designing prosthetics, go to grad school, eventually marry
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Evelyn Piazza, mother of hazing victim Timothy Piazza, speaks about the dangers of hazing and the toll it has had on her family at Monday evening’s “Turning Tragedy into Progress” at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. Rachhana Baliga staff photographer his high school sweetheart and just have fun with his brother and friends.” Since their son’s death in 2017, Evelyn and her husband Jim Piazza have worked to get anti-hazing legislation passed to prevent more deaths like their son’s from occurring. The Timothy J. Piazza anti-hazing law was signed by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfe in December 2018 after the Piazzas pushed for tougher state legislation to combat hazing. The legislation requires all universities that receive federal funding to publicly release biannual reports on any code of conduct violations that occur within student organizations that may threaten the safety of students. Gruver’s son was described by his mother as a “gentle giant,” who loved sports and was studying journalism. “Max was a gentle giant, a sweet soul,” Gru-
ver said. “He had a big smile, and an even bigger hug. And he was always someone who took care of the people around him.” Since their son’s death in 2017, Rae Ann and her husband Steve Gruver have been working to get new anti-hazing laws passed in Louisiana and founded the Max Gruver Foundation — a nonprofit organization working to end hazing on college campuses. Gruver detailed the hazing her son endured the night he died — which included a Q&A on the history of the fraternity where, if a pledge got a question wrong, they were forced to take a pull from a bottle of 190-proof diesel grain alcohol. According to Gruver, Max was forced to drink nearly 32 ounces of diesel in the span of two hours. “Max had gotten some answers wrong, and had been late to other hazing events,” Gruver
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said. “Certain fraternity members had singled him out. The actions taken by these hazers resulted in my son’s death.” The event also focused on defining hazing and detailing steps that Greek organizations must take in order to prevent hazing from occurring. The speakers defined hazing as any action taken or situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule, and risks emotional or physical harm to members of a group or team — regardless of a person’s willingness to participate. Piazza and Gruver emphasized that no type of hazing is acceptable — even if participants are willing and there is no alcohol involved. They also talked about the dire consequences that can come with hazing others. Hazing is a felony in 12 states — including Pennsylvania — and can result in up to five years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines. Piazza urged students to report any and all instances of hazing with no exceptions. “Maybe your fraternity gets put on probation for a semester, but so what?” Piazza said. “What if you don’t call for help? What happens if someone is seriously damaged or dies? That will be on your conscience for the rest of your life.” Sam Kelly, a junior psychology major and a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, said Piazza’s testimony about her son really resonated with him. “I have an older sister, so when [Piazza] asked us to picture our own sibling in the same shoes as Tim, picturing that in my own head was very hard to get through at times,” Kelly said. Elizabeth Midey, a first-year in the prepharmacy program, commented on the importance of spreading awareness of hazing on college campuses. “I know hazing is an issue within many college campuses and even within our campus,” Midey said. “This kind of event can help us be more thoughtful and more accountable about preventing hazing and other similar issues.”
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Giving, pg. 1 this year, which groups are required to acknowledge. This change follows controversy from last year, when The Pitt News reported that the Pitt Men’s Glee Club allegedly encouraged members to donate in exchange for discounts on club expenses or full reimbursement in both 2018 and 2019. Zwick said a review of last year’s campaign resulted in Pitt finding one organization that did not follow the guidelines. It received no challenge funds as a result. Zwick did not clarify which organization broke which guidelines. According to the Pitt Day of Giving 2020 Social Media/Digital/Participation Guidelines for Student Organizations, it is against the rules when a student group, “reimburses a donor, in whole or part, for contributions made to the group during the leaderboard competition” as well as “when a group provides a benefit to a donor, including reducing required dues or receiving gifts in kind, as a result of a donor making contributions to the group during the leaderboard competition.” This year’s guidelines do not include any statements about members of organizations paying for travel expenses, dues and other fees through Pitt Day of Giving donations, something which concerns Pat Healy, who served as the business manager of Pitt Men’s Glee Club when they won in 2018. In the 2019 article, Healy said the organization began encouraging members to pay for expenses in $5 increments to PDoG in 2018, an action that does not go against Pitt Day of Giving’s guidelines. Pitt Club Tennis also encouraged members to do the same via Twitter. “Any money we were trying to get to the group anyway, by members of the groups’ discretion, they could choose instead of paying to the business manager normally, to pay through Pitt Day of Giving, because if we won, it would give us a ton of extra money,” Healy said. Pitt Men’s Glee Club won the 2018 competition within the student organizations category and came in second place to Club Tennis last year, whose number of donations more than doubled theirs. Glee Club and Club Tennis did not respond to requests for comment. This year, the student organization that garners the highest amount of donations through Pitt Day of Giving will receive
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$5,000. The organization that raises the second-highest number will receive $2,500 and third place will receive $1,000. Healy said there were no explicit rules against club members donating to themselves previously and as of now, those rules haven’t changed. “In certain cases it sort of seems like Pitt encourages donating to yourself,” Healy said. “So what we noticed was, if this is money going to ourselves, we’re rewarded for paying ourselves, then we could take funds that we were already going to give ourselves, like dues. We have tours every year so we had a series of fees associated with that tour — like flights, hotels and food, that people had to pay anyway, effectively we could just use the PDoG to pay ourselves and then get a bonus.” Healy said he believes PDoG could still be exploited by groups in the same way as 2018 and 2019. The main reason is that the rules for the student organization category of giving are different from the other categories. “Although every other leaderboard is based on number of unique donors, for whatever reason, the student organization leaderboard is still based on number of donations,” Healy said. “This is the only leaderboard with these rules — which means one person can win it.” The Pitt News reached out to the University for comment regarding whether or not it noticed a high amount of individual student donations in 2018 and 2019, as well as if there are any guidelines for 2020 that address members of organizations paying their own fees — like yearly dues or trip expenses — through PDoG. The University declined to comment. “We’re not rehashing last year’s incident,” Zwick said. “Instead we look forward to another successful PDoG.”
SGB, pg. 1 Committee, said one of his main priorities is making the Student Organization Resource Center more efficient. He would accomplish this by either providing more resources to SORC to hire additional staff, or changing policy to allow student organizations to have bank accounts separate from the University. King also said he would advocate for more student representation on Pitt’s Board of Trustees. He wants future representatives to be able to report on what they hear as well as vote on measures discussed in committees. King is unsure of how many student representatives he would want on the Board of Trustees and whether they would be SGB members. Kathryn Fleisher, the current executive vice chair of SGB’s Community and Government Relations Committee, said she wants “students in the room where decisions about students are being made.” To accomplish this, she envisions building a comprehensive database of student leaders to serve on the University administration’s various committees and task forces to ensure Pitt isn’t choosing the same students consistently for student representation. Fleisher also said she is focused on improving mental and physical health resources on campus and increasing civic engagement for students by creating a civic engagement center that advertises current opportunities for students and has staff dedicated to community engagement advising. While slate member Annalise Abraham has no experience on SGB, she is a core organizer of the Fossil Free Pitt Coalition and co-authored a resolution that
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the board unanimously passed last October in favor of fossil fuel divestment. Abraham said, if elected, she would continue to push for divestment, as well as find ways to make the move-out process more sustainable, include a public comment period at Board of Trustees meetings and allow a way for students to exchange meal swipes at the end of the semester to decrease food insecurity on campus. Your The other presidential candidate, Ravi Gandhi, along with SGB newcomers Katie Richmond, Victoria Chuah and Victor So, make up the Your slate. This slate is critical of several current SGB practices. Gandhi, the current chair of SGB’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, criticized the relationship SGB members have with administration and what they called “the ‘talk to admin and get nothing done’ reality.” Gandhi envisions SGB under his leadership as more student-focused, which he said he achieved through his year-long term as chair. “People in SGB right now go talk to admin for kicks, they go in so underprepared because they don’t talk to students,” Gandhi said. “When we go directly to Provost Cudd with 400 people’s worth of responses saying this is an issue, they listen.” At the Feb. 17 presidential debate, Gandhi called the allocations guidelines a “headache” for smaller organizations. Gandhi said they hoped to streamline the guidelines after talking to student organizations of all sizes and learning the problems that groups encounter. Gandhi also said they want students to have an expanded role in the selection of a new dining contractor, by allowing students See SGB on page 5
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Opinions column
NOT EVERYONE WITH AN EATING DISORDER HAS A DIAGNOSIS Leah Mensch Opinions Editor
This is how the anorexia narrative we all know goes — thin white girl eats crackers and apples and becomes thinner. Thin girl exercises before she goes to class and exercises again after. The girl sees a doctor, usually not by choice, and the girl finds a way to eat ice cream again. And so she lives. But this is only one version of the story. There was a time when sharing my story felt empowering. But these days, I spend a majority of the time running away from it — hiding it — in the hope that by not acknowledging the diagnosis, not acknowledging the past, I can forget it forever. I’m uncomfortable accepting the bravery compliment, and I’m uncomfortable accepting the courage compliment. I’m ashamed that I resent my diagnosis when so many others’ struggles go unrecognized and, therefore, undiagnosed and, therefore, untreated. It’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, but I’m not here
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to share my story, not right now at least. You’ve already heard it — in the media, in your high school health class, in literature and in movies. Here is a truth — I fought like hell to get to where I am today. But here is another truth — I am the thin woman who became thinner. I am white. I have health insurance that covered the cost of my treatment, and, because of this, I had clinicians who fought for me when I couldn’t fight for myself. I got a diagnosis, and, so, I have my life. It’s important to note first that “eating disorder” doesn’t just mean anorexia, which is probably the image that comes to mind. Despite its disproportionate representation in media, anorexia affects only about 1.3% of people and is the least prevalent of the three main eating disorders. Bulimia, where the sufferer eats food and then immediately tries to purge it — purging can come in the form of vomiting, exercise or taking laxatives — affects about 2.5% of people. Binge eating disorder,
the most underrepresented and also most common eating disorder, affects more than 5% of the population. But these diagnostic percentages are much higher than they actually appear. Generally speaking, the earlier an eating disorder is caught and treated, the more likely a sufferer will experience full recovery. For the most part, a formal diagnosis is necessary for insurance companies to cover treatment costs. Oftentimes, formal treatment plays a key role in the recovery, but, without insurance, it can cost upward of $30,000 a month. Some insurance companies do not cover the cost of treatment after a certain amount of time, despite a formal diagnosis. And some people have a far easier time obtaining the formal diagnosis in the first place. Researchers estimate that the rate of eating disorders in black and white women is almost the same, though black women are grossly underrepresented among the eating disorder community and have a far more difficult time seeking treatment than white women do. When presented with identical case studies demonstrating eating disorder symptoms in black and white women, clinicians were asked to identify behavior that they deemed problematic. While 44% of the clinicians identified the white woman’s behavior as problematic, only 17% identified the black woman’s behavior as problematic. The clinicians were less likely to then suggest that the black woman seek professional treatment. National Eating Disorder Association statistics estimate that about 10 million men will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime, though male eating disorders often go unrecognized, which is to say that this number is likely far higher. Transgender individiuals are more than four times as likely as a cisgender individual to suffer from an eating disorder, though they’re rarely represented in the media. Studies suggest that trans individuals are less likely to be diagnosed and more likely to have inadequate treatment resources.
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And unlike bulimia and binge eating disorder, anorexia has a diagnostic weight standard. The DSM-V requires the patient to have a “significantly low” body weight, which is defined as a BMI at or below the 17th precentile. People who are thin to begin with, or have always naturally fallen lower on the BMI chart, can achieve diagnosis much faster than a patient who was not thin when their symptoms began to manifest. Some people have to suffer much longer just because of their natural bodyweight, and, as already noted, the earlier the symptoms are treated, the better the prognosis. Because of this, some larger individuals are never diagnosed, and, instead, are praised for their weight loss. But we’re talking about a mental illness here, which, by definition, is something that changes emotion, thinking or behavior. It manifests in the brain, and may or may not have physical side effects — like weight loss. So weight loss shouldn’t be a diagnostic measure, but it is. And it’s one of the biggest privileges that came with my own diagnosis. It’s true that some of my hardest years living with this disease have been years in which I looked perfectly healthy. But it’s also true that, despite how I look now, I still have a diagnosis. And because of this, when I ask for help, people don’t question the validity of my struggle or my story. When I go to the doctor, it’s printed in my file and clinicians know that they shouldn’t recommend things like cutting food groups out of my diet. I’m proud of the work that I’ve done to get to where I am. But I can’t deny the secondary factors that come with my diagnosis, all of which helped me get to where I am. Here is another truth — I will never fully understand the hardship that undiagnosed individuals face. But I don’t think that a lack of understanding is an excuse for me to be silent. Diagnosis is a privilege. We need to examine this privilege, we need to look at narratives beyond the thin white girl to move forward. I want us to move forward. I want us to move beyond weight, beyond skin color and gender identity. I want us to pay attention.
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SGB, pg. 3 to vote on dining companies once an initial contract is negotiated by University officials. Richmond said she also wants to increase transparency in allocations and mental health resources on campus. Richmond said she recognizes the difficulty of hiring staff members in the University Counseling Center, so she will push for promoting current resources like the Stress Free Zone, a meditation and stressreduction space located on the third floor of the William Pitt Union. Chuah’s primary policy is increasing space on campus for cultural dance groups to practice. This concern follows last November’s new University policy banning dance teams from practicing in Posvar Hall or risk losing access to the University’s online platform to book oncampus spaces. So would like to use his position as a resident assistant to address concerns he sees among students living on campus, including changing due dates for oncampus housing applications so students have a better idea of what apartments or suites they will likely qualify for based on their housing lottery number. Launch Tyler Viljaste and Cedric Humphrey are the two candidates running under the Launch slate. Viljaste, the current chair of SGB’s Community and Governmental Relations Committee, said if elected, he will be proud to “combat the negative perception of Greek life” as a brother of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Viljaste will accomplish the goal by promoting the philanthropy work
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of Greek life and encourage University administrators to invest more resources into events such as Greek Sing. Beyond Greek life, Viljaste also said he will advocate for an LGBTQ+ center in the WPU as well as changes to campus dining. Viljaste said he will petition the University to choose a different contractor than Sodexo, get rid of the mandatory $2,000 meal plan minimum for first-year students and integrate more local businesses like Millie’s. Humphrey, a current board member, is championing reforms to the internship credit policy so students can receive monetary compensation and University credit for internships simultaneously. Humphrey also said he wants to increase civic engagement on campus in light of the coming November presidential election. Aman Reddy As the only candidate who is running as an independent, Reddy said not associating with a slate gives him “freedom from group mentality.” Reddy, who does not have SGB experience, would like to improve infrastructure by asking administrators to acquire more parking lots near campus for student parking. Reddy said he would then want buses to loop to these lots. Reddy also said he envisioned an offcampus site that would provide underprivileged students with fresh, prepared food. To acquire this site, Reddy said he would work with Sodexo or the next dining contractor that Pitt selects. Reddy added that he would also like to increase transparency in SGB by physically rearranging the office to make it more accessible and accommodating to students.
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Culture
See more Culture stories at pittnews.com
Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi shines bright on love and self-worth
Diana Velasquez Senior Staff Writer
Zozibini Tunzi, the South African winner of 2019’s Miss Universe pageant, sees her new title as an opportunity to lift others up every day. “I want to wake up and do more than just serve myself,” she said. Tunzi came onto the stage of the William Pitt Union Assembly Room for An Evening with Miss Universe, hosted by the Pitt Program Council and the Black Action Society, to speak with Pitt students about her life as Miss Universe and the work she’s doing while holding the title. Tunzi said she expects to pursue activism in race and gender issues during this time, until the next Miss Universe is crowned in December. The room was packed — mostly with young women — to hear what she had to say. Tunzi, an avid Harry Potter fan — and Gryffindor — started with expressing her amazement over Cathy’s uncanny likeness to Hogwarts and praised her visit to Phipps Conservatory, but also used her time onstage to talk about issues important to her as the first black Miss Universe since 2011. As the first black winner of Miss Universe to sport her natural hair, Tunzi said she felt a great responsibility while wearing the crown — especially when she landed back in South Africa after her win and found herself face-to-face with a roaring crowd on the tarmac. “When I walked out those doors and saw all those girls with crowns,” she said. “[I realized] it’s not just about me, it’s about everyone. People who’ve felt different in these spaces.” Tunzi’s win has made ripples in her home country and around the world, particularly for women of color who face racist and colorist beauty standards from the beauty industry every day. Melanie Faulkner, a first-year biology major, said it was impactful for her whole family to see Tunzi win. “I mean I’m black and so for my family, I remember when she won it was like a big thing for us, so just really wanted to see her here at Pitt,”
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Zozibini Tunzi, winner of Miss Universe 2019, is known for her activism against gender-based violence. Hannah Heisler senior staff photographer Faulkner said. Ellie Simmons, a sophomore marketing major and lecture director of the PPC, said the impact Tunzi has is why she wanted to bring her to Pitt, especially to round out the end of February’s Black History Month. “We were thinking about who would be our end-all-be-all, our best person to bring in and Ms. Tunzi just stuck out to me so much,” she said. “She really uses her social media and her platforms to promote those things and I just thought that she would just be a wonderful person to round out our Black History Month with.” Tunzi, who is an avid reader — currently reading Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” — said her encounters with amazing people of color around the world have inspired her to do good. She also said that black people have achieved so much because of the hardship they face. “It’s quite incredible what black people have achieved by overcoming what they have overcome … black excellence never dies,” she said.
Tunzi champions many issues affecting women and people of color around the globe, but focuses chiefly on natural beauty and fighting against gender-based violence. Simmons said this was one of Tonzi’s platforms that really stood out to her. “Fighting against gender-based violence, particularly in South Africa, is why she brought up that platform because it’s [a] very prevalent problem from where she grew up,” she said. The rate of gender-based violence in South Africa, femicide, is some of the highest in the world. Tunzi grew up in a small village in South Africa, where family and community was emphasized. She was introduced into pageantry by her mother in an attempt to get her shy daughter to come out of her shell. Tunzi spoke on a moment in her pageant history when she was asked what women in South Africa have to smile about. Rather than lie, Tunzi said she had to speak the truth about the day-to-day violence in South Africa, even if it would bring the mood down at the event.
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Encouraging women to speak their truth is one of the things Tunzi said is most important for her tenure as Miss Universe. She said women for so long have been taught to be seen and not heard, unlike men who are expected to take up space. According to Tunzi, women need to speak up, especially now. “When you enter a room,” she said. “Take up the whole space, don’t be shy about it.” Aanchal Totwani, a first-year neuroscience major, said this message, about believing in the power of one’s self, has a lot of merit to it and really stuck with her. “What everyone else says doesn’t matter. You know yourself better than anyone else ever will and that stuck with me because it’s just true, and using that you can do so much more than you think you can,” she said. Simmons said that in the ever-growing world of social media, which can bring out negative feelings, especially for young people, Tunzi can serve as a role model to fight against this negative type of thinking about oneself. “This is another person that they [college students] can look up to,” she said. “Like, ‘Oh here’s another amazing role model I can have, who doesn’t have to be the same person over and over again.’ This woman really sticks out as a woman of color and a great person in general.” Tunzi herself struggles with unplugging from social media, especially Instagram, since her phone is always buzzing. Most of the attention she gets on social media is love, but she said there are always trolls lingering in her comments and direct messages, which she’s deemed “keyboard warriors.” Tunzi, who maintains the idea of love and community from her childhood years in her village upbringing, said she sees a poignant truth in the saying “it takes a village to raise a child.” However, she also said it’s not just a village, it takes love — which may be hard to find but is more important than anything else. “Love is not a myth to me, love is not a story. It’s something that I grew up on,” she said.
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Sports
VIDEO: Pitt vs. UVA at pittnews.com
PANTHERS HORTON EARNS HIGH PRAISE SCORE FROM CAPEL, JOHNSON SEASON-HIGH IN LOSS TO FLIPPIN’ BIRDS
Trent Leonard Sports Editor
As Pitt men’s basketball head coach Jeff Capel addressed members of the local media assembled within the Petersen Events Center Monday afternoon, the discussion mostly revolved around the talking points you’d expect of a team on a four-game losing streak — dealing with adversity, finding silver linings and working to improve. But there was one topic that surprisingly rose to the forefront of Monday’s discourse, and that was the behind-the-scenes play of sophomore transfer guard Ithiel Horton. Horton, who came to Pitt from the University of Delaware, has sat out the entire season due to NCAA transfer rules. Though he has been prohibited from game action, Horton is allowed to participate in team practices, where he has apparently flashed an impressive skill set. “He’s been as good as anybody on our team, all year long,” Capel said. If we’re taking Capel’s comment at face value, that’s some extremely high praise. Granted, Horton has had the benefit of competing only in low-pressure practice situations. But for Capel — a reputed straight-shooter — to say he’s every bit as good as former ACC All-Freshman team member Xavier Johnson or current leading scorer Justin Champagnie certainly carries weight. “He has a chance to be a very good player,” Capel said. “He can really shoot the basketball … he has a great spirit about playing. He’s competitive, he’s one of the most positive, upbeat guys I’ve ever been around.” This isn’t the first time Capel has gushed about Horton, and the college basketball world is starting to take notice. Rivals.com published an article last week predicting the seven transfers who will make the biggest impact next year. Horton was No. 2 on the list. The hype around Horton isn’t based solely
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on hearsay. He impressed in his lone season at Delaware, averaging 13.2 points per game — more than any first-year player in the conference — and earning Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie honors. Horton’s 79 3-pointers and 40.9% 3-point shooting ranked sixth and eighth in the CAA, respectively. In the Panthers’ practices, Horton’s hot shooting has been both a blessing and a curse, according to Capel. Sometimes the sophomore transfer will make so many shots that it ruins the defensive look Pitt’s starters are trying to generate. “It’s really good,” he said. “It can also mess with guys’ confidence too. Because you can play really good defense on him and sometimes, a lot of times this year, there’s been nothing anybody could do.” Capel went on to say that Horton typically mimics the upcoming opponent’s top guard in practice, giving defenders like Johnson and sophomore Trey McGowens a realistic look at the players they’ll be guarding. “I tell our guys that, if you can guard him in practice, I haven’t seen a better guy in this league that they will have to guard,” he said. So, now, not only is Horton as good as any player on Pitt, but also any other guard in the ACC, including likely 2020 NBA Draft picks Devin Vassell, Landers Nolley and Cassius Stanley. Maybe we shouldn’t actually take Capel’s comments at face value. Pitt fans also have reason to be skeptical of transfer myths after being led to believe all last offseason that St. John’s product Malik Ellison would be the Panthers’ saving grace, only for him to average an underwhelming 5.8 points and transfer after the season to Hartford. All things considered, it’s safe to expect that Horton will provide the Panthers with a quality and depth at the guard position that they have sorely missed this year. Johnson corroborated Capel’s compliments, express-
ing optimism about playing with Horton next season. “He helps you become a better on-ball defender. He’s actually really, really good,” Johnson said. “He’s a scorer, so you don’t really have to create for him. He can create for himself.” Aside from Horton, Capel discussed how the team has dealt with its season-high fourgame losing streak, and how he personally has juggled frustration with optimism as the program continues its rebuilding process. “There’s no one that would like it to be faster than me,” he said. “But I have to remain patient. But also have to … keep my foot in their butt, too. Because we can’t be satisfied with just being 15-13 right now.” No single player has reflected Pitt’s recent struggles more than junior guard Ryan Murphy. Since returning from a three-game absence due to a concussion, Murphy has shot 1-12 from the field, including 0-7 from 3-point range, and hasn’t cracked 16 minutes of playing time. It’s been a full month since he last made a 3-pointer in Pitt’s first game against Syracuse. Capel said the team hasn’t drastically altered Murphy’s workouts to get him out of his slump, while Johnson said he texted his teammate after Saturday’s loss to Virginia to let him know how much the team needs his old shooting stroke back. “I asked him, ‘Are you good? Are you okay? Do you need help?’” Johnson said. “I said, ‘Look, we need you to make shots. That’s the main thing you came here for. You need to make shots.’” Johnson said Murphy responded to his tough love by performing well in this week’s practices, showing improved efficiency from beyond the arc. Pitt will need him to carry that momentum over to Wednesday night if it wants to beat Syracuse on senior night and avenge a previous 69-61 loss to the Orange.
February 25, 2020
Trent Leonard Sports Editor
Despite recording a season-high 196 points in Monday night’s dual meet at No. 19 Southern Utah, Pitt gymnastics fell just shy of its Cedar City hosts, who bested the Panthers with a score of 197.075. The nationally-ranked Thunderbirds — nicknamed the Flippin’ Birds — entered the event with an average team score of 195.925. That score would’ve seen them fall prey to the Panthers, but the Flippin’ Birds mustered up one of their best performances of the season to emerge victorious. Several Pitt gymnasts earned season- and career-high point totals, giving head coach Samantha Snider much to be proud about. As she has throughout much of the season, senior Michaela Burton led Pitt with its highest scores of the night. She tied a careerbest 9.875 for her floor routine, earning fourth place, and recorded the same score on the balance beam to earn second place. Pitt started off the match in a strong fashion, scoring a season-high 48.850 combined points on the uneven bars. Burton led Pitt with a 9.850 in the event, while first-year Ciara Ward tied her career high of 9.825. But the Flippin’ Birds showed what makes them one of the toughest opponents in the country by sweeping the top three places in the bars for a total of 49.250, establishing a lead they would not relinquish.
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Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER
For Rent North Oakland 214 N. Craig Street. Safe, secure build ing. 1BR, furnished. Newly remodeled, no pets. Rent $850 and up, including heat. Mature or Graduate students. 412‑855‑9925 or 724‑940‑0045. Email for pictures: salonre na@gmail.com 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 Available August 2020! Rooms avail able in furnished 5 bedroom house in North Oakland. Close walk to University of Pittsburgh and shuttle. AC/washer/dryer. $600/mo. Contact: rentalschool22@ gmail.com or 412‑294‑6167.
South Oakland **August 2020, Oakland Square. We have Studios, 1, 2 & 3BR apartments available. Clean, walking distance
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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 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 3,5,6 bedroom. All newly renovated, air‑conditioning, dishwasher, washer/ dryer, and parking. Most units on busline and close to Pitt. Available Summer 2020. 412‑915‑0856 or email klucca@veri zon.net. 322 S. Bouquet. Huge 2 BR apart ments. Available May 1, 2020 or August 1, 2020. 412‑361‑2695 3232 Dawson St. Available August 1st. 5 BR, 2 Bath. Laundry included. $2600/mo.
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Tenants pay all utili‑ ties. Call 412‑401‑5154. 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 4909 Centre Ave. Great location for this spacious 1BR apart‑ 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 4BR, 2BA. 311 Oak land Avenue $1900/ mo. 412‑337‑9916 call for Bob 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 LARGE, SOL‑ ID‑BUILD HOUSES FOR 2‑3 PEOPLE,
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Spacious kitchens, living rooms. Roomy backyard, front porch, recently renovated. Available August 25 or NOW/EARLIER! $365‑$450 per room. Call 412‑692‑1770 to see. 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!! Studios ‑ $695‑$705 1Beds ‑ $795‑$815 2beds ‑ $975‑$995 3beds ‑ $1,245 412‑455‑5600 or www.pghnexus.com South Oakland Houses and Apart ments with Laundry/ Central Air. Call or Text 412‑38‑Lease. AMO Management. Spacious 2‑BR apart ments on Dawson Street, single/double occupancy. Partially renovated. AUGUST 25 availability or IM MEDIATE availabil ity. Limited parking spaces available. $460‑$480/room. Call 412‑692‑1770 to see apartment & park ing spaces. 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‑
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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. $14/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 Seeking door‑to‑door paint salespeople for the Pittsburgh area. Part and full‑time work in spring, sum mer, and fall. Training provided. Pay is commission based. Reliable transporta tion necessary. Contact Jim at 412‑680‑0102
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February 25, 2020
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