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February 3, 2017
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Employment Guide
Cover by John Hamilton
IMMIGRATION LAWYERS GET TO WORK IN PGH Nolan Roosa
For The Pitt News After making successful voyages into the United States, thousands struggled to make their way past security gates at airport arrival terminals across the country on Jan. 27. But without warning, hesitation or preparation, lawyers staked out spots on airport floors to assist people held up by President Donald Trump’s immigration order. Advocates and legal professionals from the American Civil Liberties Union set to work as well, representing stranded travelers and coming up with ways to stop President Trump’s ban. Trump’s Jan. 27 order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorists Entry into the United States,” denied entrance to the U.S. from six countries — Iraq, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen — for 90 days. It also suspended immigration from Syrian immigrants indefinitely. A New York judge temporarily stayed the order after the ACLU made a case for its unconstitutionality. But that doesn’t mean the incertitude
is over for local immigrants, people with family members and loved ones in any of the above listed countries or the 61 students who represent those countries at Pitt. That’s where Pittsburgh’s immigration lawyers come in. Kristen Schneck is a Pittsburgh immigration attorney and Pitt Law alumni who serves as chairperson for the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Pittsburgh Chapter. She said Thursday her firm has seen “a double or tripling” of calls from concerned clients since the order. “A lot of people — from legal permanent residents from the seven [countries] affected, to people who might have dual citizenship — [have asked] ‘I want to travel somewhere to see my family, how will this affect me?’” she said. Mark Goldstein, an immigration lawyer from Goldstein Associates in Pittsburgh, said his clients were panicked as the ban took effect. “People are just scared now and are not sure what is happening,” he said. Goldstein is particularly concerned for students with visas.
Protesters speak out against Trump’s executive orders in Schenley Park. Stephen Caruso CONTRIBUTING EDITOR If the order sticks, they might not be able to receive the expected year of practical training and employment authorization necessary for Optional Practical Training — temporary employment
related to a student’s major area of study. Eligible students with a visa can apply before they’ve graduated for up to 12 months of OPT employment See Immigration on page 7
Which pitt grads will Trump’s freeze affect? Stephen Caruso
Contributing Editor
Donald Trump speaks at the Pittsburgh International Airport in June. Stephen Caruso CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
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Adviser Jane Wallace guides Pitt economics students looking to advance their careers in one direction: the Federal Reserve. The U.S. government’s central bank offers recent graduates research assistant positions as a so they can use their degrees to crunch numbers rather than sit behind a desk at a local bank. “We’re excited by those jobs,” Wallace said. “[Students] spend years preparing their resume for that job.” But with the stroke of a pen, President Donald Trump froze the market for federal jobs two weeks ago, dashing the hopes of many would-be analysts. The order was part of the President’s effort to “drain the swamp” — his campaign euphemism for cutting government waste and corruption. That swamp
includes the 1.36 million Americans the government employs in civilian jobs as of 2014, according to the United States Office of Personnel Management. While the freeze is meant to save money and ease federal bureaucracy, the order could also keep Pitt grads in the job hunt longer and eliminate some of the most commonly sought jobs for certain majors. Former President Ronald Reagan enacted the last federal hiring freeze from January to November of 1981. Like Trump, Reagan enacted it via executive order within his first 100 days — for him, it was within minutes of taking the Oath of Office. Reagan justified the freeze as a way to cut the federal budget. The freeze’s effect is uncertain for Pitt. According to a Pitt Office of Career Development and Placement Assistance report, 15 percent of the class of 2015 found jobs with
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the “government or other public institution or agency.” However, the number doesn’t break down to the local, state or federal level. Eleanor Feingold, the Pitt School of Public Health senior associate dean and professor, said the freeze will probably end any chance for Pitt alums to be hired at a “high prestige position” at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The university has consistently sent a graduate to the CDC over the past few years to serve as part of what Feingold described as a “disease detective group.” The team tries to find out the source of epidemics like E. coli, salmonella and anthrax to aid future prevention efforts. The CDC, along with agencies like Food and Drug Administration, usually employ around half a dozen public health graduates See Freeze on page 7
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Trump’s hiring freeze contradicts campaign promises Christian Snyder For The Pitt News
I remember waiting for the phone call last November, looking out of the window of the old Alcoa building in Downtown Pittsburgh. I was told that it would come around 2 p.m. and that I should be prepared to discuss intelligence, security, the Middle East and Russia. “Unknown,” read the caller ID when the phone finally rang. I was being interviewed for a position with the CIA as an analytic intern — a salaried, recurring position that would probably lead to a lifelong career with the agency. I was ultimately unable to accept the position for personal reasons, but the experience did give me insight into the grueling interview and vetting process involved in receiving a top-secret clearance — including
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a phone interview, personality and quantitative reasoning assessments, background checks and polygraph tests. So I was able to empathize when a Facebook friend of mine posted about a similar situation. A job she applied for — presumably going through the same rigorous steps that I had — was cancelled. She’d been pursuing a similar government internship and was only days away from hearing about it when, on Jan. 23, she received an email saying the job had been cancelled. At first she was confused, but the situation was quickly clarified once the news broke of President Trump’s Jan. 22 presidential memorandum enacting a 90-day federal hiring freeze on civilian employees “across the board in the executive branch.” Internships and full-time jobs
like these provide work to many qualified individuals. But as a result of Trump’s freeze, many are now unfilled. The freeze is estimated to affect between 10,000 to 20,000 people who will either have to forgo their plans to work in the federal government or wait to get in. The number is relatively small when compared to the 4 million people the federal government already employs, but the long-term impacts of Trump shrinking the government will influence jobs in America the most. More importantly, the action is contrary to one of his central campaign promises of lowering unemployment, and he must be held accountable. Because of the freeze, executive agencies were directed to fill positions using their Excepted Service See Snyder on page12
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Raka Sarkar SENIOR STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
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SPONSORED CONTENT
FINANCIAL FRIDAY:
Scholarship Hunting: A Continuous Process for Any Student Mark Mulkeen
So many cost-saving options for making college more affordable exist. From loans and grants, to working, to budgeting, and many more methods, dents in the costs of college start to accumulate in effectiveness when put together. However, the most effective costcutting mechanism for college is often the simplest. Scholarships are effective in making college more affordable, and certain incoming Pitt students will receive merit scholarships after being accepted. Regardless of whether you do or do not receive that aid, the time to subsidize the cost of school with scholarships has come nowhere close to its conclusion. An abundance of scholarships exist both inside and outside the University of Pittsburgh, and your chance at receiving scholarship aid is dictated, at least in part, by how much time and effort you put into applying. University of Pittsburgh Academic Scholarships are the main forms of merit aid qualified students receive upon entering the university. Other University academic scholarships such as the Stamps Scholarship and Nordenberg Scholars Program do however require separate applications. University academic scholarships tend to apply to incoming freshman. International, transfer, and continuing students who were not awarded a scholarship as an incoming freshman are not eligible for these scholarships. If you no longer qualify a University academic scholarship, do not fret just yet. Your school within the university may offer scholarships to continuing students, regardless of what they did or did not receive as incoming freshmen. For example, Pitt’s College of Busi-
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ness Administration offers a list of their own scholarships for students currently enrolled in the school. Thinking about studying abroad? The Pitt Study Abroad Office lists many Study Abroad scholarships provided by both the office itself and by schools such as the College of Business Administration and the Swanson School of Engineering, to name a couple. Do not go abroad without checking out these types of scholarships on the Pitt Study Abroad site. Lots of scholarship options from different sources have already been covered within the university, and more exist, so make sure to always keep an eye out around the university to see what you might be eligible for. However, do not contain your search to exclusively within Pitt. Countless non-university scholarships are offered by outside organizations. Look around for these outside scholarships both within your hometown and within the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Just make sure you’re careful when searching and applying for these outside scholarships. “While searching for scholarships is always smart, you will also want to be sure you are protecting yourself from organizations that may not be helpful.” Said Janet McLaughlin, Pitt’s Associate Director of Financial Aid. Some outside scholarships require a fee upfront to apply for a scholarship. While this alone does not necessarily make a scholarship listing illegitimate, it should be a signal to be cautious. Don’t give out personal information, such as your social security number, and research the organization offering the scholarship in order to ensure its legitimacy. The Office of Admissions and Financial
PHOTO VIA DIGITALRALPH ON FL ICKR
Aid assists students online in searching for outside scholarships by listing search engine links on its website under the “Financial Aid” tab in “Types of Financial Aid.” This list includes, but is not limited to, the College Board and Fastweb. These sites, and sites like these make the process of searching for scholarships much simpler by aggregating the listings in one place. Check them periodically to see what you qualify for, and apply. The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid is also currently implementing a webbased scholarship system, which will be avail-
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able in the near future, so stay tuned for more information. With the amount of scholarships available, your chances of receiving one might be better than you believe. Take it from Pitt Financial Aid Counselor Lindsay Smith in regards to scholarship hunting. “The only mistake I think students can make is to not apply because they think they will not get it. All scholarships have different criteria. There are scholarships out there for anyone to apply for. You will never know if you qualify unless you apply,” said Smith.
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5 CAREER RESOURCES AT PITT
Between balancing classes and a social life, finding a job is almost as hard as an organic chemistry test. Thankfully, The Pitt News used our investigative journalism skills to dig up five resources Pitt offers that can help you go from penniless to prosperous. Cheryl S. Finlay, associate dean and director of the Career Development and Placement Assistance office, said jobs can come from the oddest places — from a friend of the family to your former roommate. “Tell everyone you know what type of job you are looking for, and follow up with every lead you are given,” she said. To start your own lead on the job search, Pitt offers multiple career resources, both online and in real life. | by Amanda Reed
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Career Development and Placement Assistance Located on the second floor of the William Pitt Union, the CDPA offers services like resume and cover letter workshops, mock interviews and a career closet, which is a room full of professional clothing and accessories — like suits, blazers and dress shoes — that students can borrow for career fairs and interviews.
Departmental Facebook Pages
These Facebook pages offer updates on departmental events and scholarship opportunities for students. From civil engineering to film studies, there’s most likely a Facebook page for it. You can pose questions to other students in your major looking for jobs, network with graduates and keep up with important information about the way the field might be changing.
PittSource Look to PittSource for a listing of staff, faculty, temporary and student positions. You can specify by departmental offers, listings by certain schools and if Federal Work Study is required. And applying is easy — all you have to do is make an account and apply away. If you don’t know where to start, The Pitt News is always hiring.
University LinkedIn Pages
Similar to the departmental Facebook pages, University LinkedIn pages provide networking and job opportunities for Pitt students on the job hunt. There are general groups like the Pitt Career Network and Pitt Alumni Network of Western PA and more specific options like Pitt English Connections and Pitt Chinese Scholars Alumni Council. Page members post job opportunities for fellow Panthers who share interest and experience in similar careers.
Handshake Formerly known as FutureLinks, Handshake is the University’s online college career center — imagine LinkedIn but specific to Pitt and your major. The service posts jobs and internship opportunities and lists events like on-campus interviews and career fairs. It’s the simplest way to maneuver the job field from the comfort of your Pitt dorm.
TPN File Photos
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Freeze, pg. 3
Immigration, pg. 3
every year. In fact, Feingold mentioned a few students applying to run tests on new drugs at the FDA who were “worried” by the freeze. But other graduates still find work in hospital administration or with drug companies. Feingold finds the loss in jobs and prestige disappointing and said the issue is greater than the University. “[The FDA is] less able to evaluate new drugs, and that hurts all of us,” Feingold said. While the effects are apparent in the health professions, the federal freeze does not apply to open law enforcement or defense positions — which suits alumni of Pitt’s Graduate School for Public and International Policy, according to GSPIA Director of Student Service Michael Rizzi. When the federal government stops hiring, Rizzi said, oftentimes local and state governments swoop in and hire more employees than usual. Local governments employ another 10 percent of 2015’s GSPIA class, and the rest work for non-profits, non-governmental organizations, foreign governments or in the private sector. For graduate students, the freeze means losing out on a whole cycle of employment. The choice is either wait for the government to hire again, which could take months, or apply for jobs or advanced schooling. The program’s courses in security and intelligence are popular with students, and five alums out of the 110 who reported their employment status went into national security positions with the federal government. Overall, including those in unfrozen fields, 12 percent of GSPIA’s 2016 class and 7 percent of its 2015 class, found federal jobs, according to the school’s self-reported employment information. Both years have response rates of over 85 percent. Rizzi ended on an optimistic note, noting that the federal government is just one of many job possibilities — nonprofit work or law, for example — for students with internationally-focused degrees. “Of course [GSPIA is] concerned — there are lots of students who want to work in the federal government,” Rizzi said. “[But] there are lots of alternatives if the federal government is not hiring.”
after their student visas have expired. Hsuan Chang, a senior international student from Taiwan, is currently on a student visa. She was planning to stay in the states to apply for the OPT before Trump suggested he might cancel or shorten the program. “This is not good news to international students, especially people who are planning to stay in the states a little bit longer after they graduate — or even immigrate here,” she said. Local immigration authorities from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are telling lawyers to continue business as normal, Goldstein said. He wasn’t sure if they were following their own advice and taking cases as usual. Schneck also described the current moment as one marred in confusion. But for Andy Hoover, the communications director for Pennsylvania’s ACLU, the path forward is clear. On Saturday, when his staff first heard that people were detained at the airport in Philadelphia, they began to act. The Pennsylvania ACLU lawyers connected with two other legal services organizations: the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Pennsylvania and the local chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “Several lawyers went to the airport to see if they could help,” he said. “They worked late into the night and the early morning, and by Sunday morning, we had an agreement with the U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia that everyone who was detained and who had the documents for entry would be released.” While the Pennsylvania ACLU was fighting for families who arrived at the Philadelphia International Airport, several other groups, including the International Refugee Assistance Project were also taking legal action on behalf of immigrant detainees. The IRAP found out two Iraqi refugees were denied entry into the U.S. at the John F. Kennedy International Airport and had to return to Iraq. IRAP filed suit to argue that the order violated the Fifth Amendment defending due process, the 14th Amendment requiring equal protection, international law established at the Geneva Convention and immigration law. They were released after 24-hours of interrogation. Hoover said people with immigrant visas from one of the seven countries should stay in the United States for now until this is all sorted out. “This work is not just about lawyers doing their lawyer thing. It’s about everyone in the community standing up to xenophobia,” Hoover said.
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MIX IT UP: PITTSBURGHERS MAKE BARTENDING INTO A CAREER Ian Flanagan
Senior Staff Writer Katie Keenan stands behind the bar at Hemingway’s Cafe on Thursday night, in front of a bar packed with mostly students overflowing the bar stools and infringing on each other’s elbow room. Keenan, wearing a black tank top with the Miller Lite logo across the front, scoops up two bottles of liquor in one hand and a soda gun in the other, pouring a pitcher of Long Island Iced Tea as she nods at yet another customer. “What would you like?” Keenan, the 33-year-old general manager of Hem’s, always wanted to be a bartender — in part as a retaliation against her parents’ desire that she go to college. As a path to that goal, Keenan started working as a server at Hem’s in 2003, her sophomore year at Pitt. Keenan started out at Pitt as an English literature major but switched to communication before dropping out during her junior year. Keenan ditched her server job after her 21st birthday and became a bartender. She moved up to general manager four years ago. “School wasn’t for me,” Keenan said. “I was more into the bar scene. I wanted to work and make money.” Keenan said it’s almost impossible to skip over the process of being a server before taking charge behind the bar. “You have to start somewhere,” Keenan said. “You have to prove that you are a reliable and trustworthy employee and eventually move your way up.” The speed and skill required of the bartender depends heavily on the bar itself — from fastpaced Oakland parties to relatively tranquil Lawrenceville haunts. Despite a belief among some that bartending is little more than a part-time job, a commitment to bar culture can lead to a longterm and financially stable career. According to a CNN Money article, the median wage for a bartender in the U.S. is $15 per hour — or $2,400 per week — although that number goes up to $18.60 per hour and nearly $3,000 per month for a bar manager. Those numbers, however, depend greatly on the specific bar and even the specific bartender. Take, for example, the Huffington Post article about a New York City bartender who made $96,000 in one year.
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Regardless of the bar itself, bartending takes both training — Pittsburgh’s Elite Bartending School, for example, offers a 40-hour training program — and patience to move up the ranks and earn a spot as a permanent fixture behind the bar top. Jason Endress, bar director of Tender Bar + Kitchen in Lawrenceville, has worked in restaurants since he was a teenager. Although Endress, 33, always looked up to and respected bartenders, he aspired to be a writer. While simultaneously freelance writing, Endress made took his first bartending gig at Sonny’s Tavern in Bloomfield nine years ago. Over time, chances of making it as a writer grew slim, so Endress made the switch to fulltime bartending and took a job at Tender three years ago. Though bartending wasn’t his lifelong dream, Endress said the job requires a specific set of personality traits. “Some of the big personal characteristics I would look for in any bartender worth their salt is humility, empathy, honesty and a strong desire to learn,” Endress said. Quality bartenders learn their craft by logging extensive hours behind the bar, according to Endress, but it isn’t the only way to make bartending into a successful career. Endress, for example, spent a year working as a brand ambassador for the bourbon distillery Angel’s Envy, which is based in Louisville, Kentucky. “Bartending is an amazing way to keep a roof over your head, and there’s so much opportunity that goes beyond hawking drinks if you keep an open mind and work hard,” Endress said. “Brand work, consulting, writing and product development are [also] all ripe fields for bartenders.” In addition to a diver- sity of career paths, the food and drink business introduces bartenders to a wide variety of people — especially in Southside’s famous bar scene. Olga Brindar, Bar Manager of Club Café on 12th and East Carson streets, said her bar sees a new set of custom-
ers, showgoers and partiers every night. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with a B.F.A., Brindar found employment but was laid off during the recession. Brindar cycled through a number of odd jobs — including cleaning houses and tutoring students for the SATs — and then came to Club Café three years ago. Regardless of what type of neighborhood or bar they work in, Pittsburgh’s bartenders benefit from financial stability and a typically nighthours-only schedule. Brindar thinks of bartending as a “recession proof” line of work — poor economic times or not, people will still want to drink. Bartending can work as a second job or, as it is for Brindar, a steady profession. As primarily a music venue, the atmosphere of Club Café is in constant flux, depending on what type of artist is playing on a given night. “If I have a bluegrass band in, I’m going to have completely different set of people coming in than if I have a metal show the following night,” Brindar said. When a music venue meets a bar, the bartender gives up their place as the center of attention and lets the band command the attention of the room. “As soon as that opener goes on, we start to fade into the background. People come for the show — we are just the icing on the cake. We have
to add to that positive energy,” Brindar said. “The nature of our industry is that it is incredibly social. Essentially, we’re being paid to host a party every night.” To maintain those positive vibes, Brindar and the other Club Café bartenders adjust their approach depending on the atmosphere of each performance. They can hold lively conversation before rock or hip-hop outfits or remain respectfully quiet during acoustic shows, all while turning around beer, wine and cocktail orders. Club Café serves primarily specialty cocktails — drinks mixed with egg white or topped with gingersnap cookies and pine sprigs. Though Hems’ style is less focused on cocktails and more demanding of pitchers — both beer and shot — the intensity of Oakland’s bar scene falls in the same category as Southside’s. Most patrons at Hem’s are looking to get drunk fast, which means the bar gets crowded and demanding, especially on weekend nights. With this environment in mind, Keenan said only certain personality types are suited to take up a post behind the bar. “You have to have a certain level of calmness but yet boss-ness. You can’t be behind the bar and just let everybody walk all over you,” Keenan said. “You have to be in charge when you’re back there. You can’t be afraid to say, ‘you’re not having another one,’ or ‘get out.’”
Katie Keenan, a bartender at Hemingway’s Cafe, mixes up a Long Island Iced Tea for a customer. Meghan Sunners ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR Illustration by Jordan Mondell, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
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Snyder, pg. 4 authorities rather than hire new civilians. Excepted Service positions are jobs where federal employees can freely transfer without undergoing a vigorous hiring evaluation. This was likely the justification for the closure of my acquaintance’s potential position — the opening was filled through the Department of Homeland Security’s Excepted Service authority rather than bringing in new workers. Presidential memorandums haven’t been hard to come by so far in the Trump era. The president signed another memo on Jan. 24, this time regarding construction of the heavily protested Dakota Access Pipeline. The memo directs that the Secretary of the Army will be responsible for overseeing the completion of the pipeline and that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be responsible for its construction. But these two memos seem to conflict when we consider the roles that federal employees will play in the pipeline’s construction. The day that the hiring freeze was announced, the EPA was instructed to temporarily suspend all contracts and grant awards. Also, the Army Corps of Engineers confirmed on Jan. 26 that they are unable to hire new workers. The EPA is responsible for issuing the environmental guidelines for the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the construction of DAPL. This means either the pipeline will be built without proper consideration for the environment, by overworked employees or it simply won’t be completed. Because of the memo freezing new hires, the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline will only create 90 new jobs. Regardless of the environmental and ethical implications of these projects, the freeze contradicts Trump’s stated purpose of bringing jobs back to the United States. Many of his other projects are also incompatible with increased employment — like the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which will result in nearly three million jobs lost. If President Trump truly wishes to lower unemployment, he should cease the federal hiring freeze and seek out construction projects that will actually bring jobs to the United States. Instead of the misguided policies
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he’s followed so far, he could turn to education and focus on establishing a lower student-to-teacher ratio by funding schools to hiring more teachers. Or, considering the number of tweets that Trump sends from his private account, he could establish social media regulatory positions to help him raise his abysmal approval ratings. He could redirect funds from our overfunded military in order to create construction jobs fixing our nation’s infrastructure. Or, given that nearly everybody complains about wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles, he could use funds secured by his ‘bold, ambitious, [and] forward looking’ economic plan to hire more clerks. But none of this seems to be the new President’s plan. Instead of focusing on providing jobs to citizens like my classmate or the millions who would be affected by a repeal of the ACA, he seems determined to wage wars on the media, stage primetime announcements for routine appointments and heap lavish, outlandish praise on those who support him. When I first applied for the CIA, it never occurred to me I might be working for someone like President Trump. And as the new president addressed the CIA the day after the inauguration, I tried to imagine myself as an intern in the crowd. I think I would have been disappointed in and borderline disgusted by his choice to discuss such trivial matters as attacking the media and praising himself at such a revered location. In hindsight, I’m glad I wasn’t able to accept the position because of my many qualms with our new leader. But not everyone can afford to take an ideological stance against working for the government for the next four years. We must take action, combatting alternative facts at every turn with data and well-reasoned thought. We must hold those who represent us accountable for the promises that they make. We must ensure that we the people can work and that our president reverses his hiring freeze to lead by example. And we must do so together — the only way to live a day in Trump’s America. Write to Christian at cjs197@pitt.edu.
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from The Pitt News and Pitt Tonight
Top 10: Career Advice 10. Dress for the job you want, not the one you have. You’re an accountant right now, but that’s not the dream. If you really want to be Batman, you better start acting — and looking — the part. That means full cape, mask and aggressively musky voice required. 9. Bring your own water cooler. You’ll be the king or queen or non-gendered leader of gossip because everyone who wants water will have to go through you. So you’re the first one to learn about Dave’s affair with Monique even though Dave is married and his wife is expecting twins. And what can you do with all of this new gossip? You guessed it: emergency blackmail. In short, water is power.
5. Answer any question you’re asked with a series of rhetorical questions. Don’t be afraid to get philosophical. This will show that you’re a critical thinker and unafraid of the unknown. If they ask about your lack of experience, respond with, “What is ‘experience?’” Inquire about your previous job: “What is a ‘Jimmy Johns delivery person?’” The problematic blip on your background check: “Can we really define grand theft auto?” It works for everything. 4. Find a job you love so you’re not actually doing work. We’re still trying to find someone who will pay us to drink wine and watch “How I Met Your Mother.” Let us know if you guys have any leads.
8. Address your bosses as “Bossman,” “Captain” or “Sire.” Start this early in order to establish consistency, preferably right after you’ve aced the interview, during the handshake. One rule though: the last of these must be done with a British accent. Otherwise, it’s just weird.
3. Don’t quit until you’ve told everyone to screw off. Odds are, your major didn’t prepare you for your chosen career path anyway, so you won’t be sticking around the industry. Plus, letters of recommendation are overrated. Might as well burn those bridges. Disclaimer: but not literally.
7. Be sure to come in to work really sweaty. You’ll get lots of attention for your appearance and stench. Bonus points if you breathe really heavily as you walk to your desk. And as you walk to the bathroom. And as you type. If people stare, just tell them you’re just, like, really into fitness.
2. Freestyle raps always go over well when people need a Tuesday pick-me-up. But if you’re less of the creative type, your favorite Dr. Seuss book or passage of scripture can work in a pinch. We like to scream Shel Silverstein quotes at each other in the TPN office.
6. When interviewing, get to the room before your interviewer and pretend to be them. Break in if you have to — it’ll show initiative. “Oh, where do I see myself in a year? Doing your job.”
1. If they can’t find you, they can’t fire you. Find a small place, squeeze yourself into it. It’s a rule. Simple physics, honestly.
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Sports PITT NAMES SHAWN WATSON NEW OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Steve Rotstein Sports Editor
After introducing the 26 members of the Pitt football team’s 2017 recruiting class Wednesday, the Panthers revealed the man who will be running the team’s offense in the upcoming season just one day later. Head coach Pat Narduzzi announced Shawn Watson as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2017-18 season Thursday. Watson previously served as offensive coordinator at Texas, Louisville, Nebraska and Colorado before spending the 2016 season as an offensive quality control assistant at Indiana. “I am tremendously honored and excited to join the staff at Pitt and be part of what Pat Nar-
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duzzi is building there,” Watson said in a press release. “Pat is one of my closest and dearest friends. I’ve known him for a very long time and have always admired the passion and energy he brings to coaching and teaching.” Narduzzi mentioned Watson as being one of his first mentors when he got into coaching. The two worked together at Miami University in Ohio, where Narduzzi got his start as a graduate assistant and wide receivers coach from 1990-1992. “Ever since that time, we have always talked about being able to reunite on the same staff again,” Narduzzi said in the release. “I’m really thrilled that the time has finally arrived and See Football on page 16
Pat Narduzzi named Shawn Watson as his team’s offensive coordinator for the 2017-18 season. Jeff Ahearn SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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BRIANNA’S BACK: KIESEL SIGNS WITH ATLANTA DREAM Steve Rotstein
Sports Editor Former Panthers point guard Brianna Kiesel, one of the most decorated players in Pitt women’s basketball history, is back in the WNBA. Kiesel signed a multi-year contract Thursday with the Atlanta Dream, but the team did not disclose the terms of the agreement. Keisel, who graduated from Pitt in 2015, had been out of the WNBA since getting waived by the Dallas Wings in July 2016. “I’m so happy for Bri,” Pitt head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio said in a press release. “Her hard work and perseverance to continue her basketball career has paid off, and I’m looking forward to watching her in Atlanta.” Kiesel played in 34 games as a rookie in 2015 with the Wings — formerly
known as the Tulsa Shock — who selected her with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft. She made 15 starts while averaging 5.1 points per game, including a career-high 28 points in the team’s 2015 regular season finale. Her new coach with the Dream, Michael Cooper, said Kiesel will be an integral piece of the team in 2017. “Signing Brianna was very important for stabilizing our backcourt for the upcoming season,” Cooper said in a press release. “She knows what it takes to play in this league and will be a great addition to our team.” During her four-year stint with the Panthers, Kiesel was a three-time team captain who rose to No. 5 all-time on Pitt’s career scoring list with 1,938 points. She also ranks fifth in school history with 433 career assists, eighth with
198 career steals and third with a .795 career free throw percentage. Kiesel raised her scoring average in each successive season with the Panthers, averaging 13.6 points per game in her first year, 14.9 as a sophomore, 16.4 as a junior and 18.4 as a senior. She earned first-team All-ACC honors as a senior and became the only player in program history to lead the team in points and assists four years in a row. She hasn’t achieved the same success at the WNBA level, but the Dream have granted her another chance to carve out a professional career. The Dream will begin the 2017 season Saturday, May 13, against the Connecticut Sun at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Brianna Kiesel signed on Thursday with the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. Theo Schwarz SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Pitt News SuDoku 2/3/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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PITT SLIPS UP AT SYRACUSE, 93-65 Steve Rotstein Sports Editor
in for an easy layup, giving Syracuse a 42-33 lead and all the momentum. Another three from Gribble before the half made it 42-36, but just like their last game, the Panthers appeared deflated coming out of the break. The Orange quickly pushed their lead to double digits to start the second half. Pitt went almost four minutes without scoring before Gribble drained a three to cut Syracuse’s lead to 50-39. The Orange then scored 16 straight points over the next 2:45 of game time to make it 66-39 and really put the game out of reach. Syracuse stretched its lead to 30 late in the third quarter, then coasted through the fourth to a 93-65 win. Gribble led the Panthers with a career-high 23 points, and sophomore forwards Kalista Walters and Brenna Wise tallied 17 and 13 points, respectively. But the rest of Pitt’s lineup combined for only 12 points as the team lost its third straight game. The Panthers will travel to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, next to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons Sunday at 2 p.m.
he’ll be joining us at Pitt as our new offensive coordinator.” Watson will be the Panthers’ second straight offensive coordinator with personal ties to Narduzzi. Matt Canada, who left Pitt after the 2016 season to take over as offensive coordinator at LSU, coached alongside Narduzzi at Northern Illinois in the early 2000s. Narduzzi isn’t just looking forward to making up for lost time with old friends, though. He said Watson will fit in seamlessly in Canada’s old role as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. “As a football coach, he is extremely knowledgeable, an excellent recruiter and will be a tremendous strength in the quarterback room and offensive staff room,” Narduzzi said. “I’m really looking forward to having Shawn and his wife Anita join us in Pittsburgh.” Watson will be Pitt’s fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons, so he knows he’ll need to get to work quickly. “Pat and his staff have accomplished so much in such a short period of time at Pitt,” Watson said in the release. “I can’t wait to join them, meet our players and get ready for spring ball.”
The Pitt news crossword 2/3/17
Continuing a recurring theme of the 2016-17 season, the Pitt women’s basketball team put up a fight against a ranked opponent Thursday, but couldn’t finish the job. Pitt led Louisville at halftime last Sunday only to give up the first 14 points of the third quarter and fade down the stretch. The last time the Panthers played the Cardinals, they trailed by two midway through the third quarter before losing, 73-52. Against the No. 24 Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome Thursday night, McConnellSerio watched her team fall into the same pattern that has plagued them throughout ACC play. Pitt (12-10 overall, 3-6 ACC) played a solid first half in Syracuse, but the Orange (16-7 overall, 7-3 ACC) exploded in the third quarter to take control of the game and turn it into a 93-65 blowout. The Panthers have now lost three games in a row, but they have been competitive early on in all three. All six of Pitt’s losses in conference play have come against top-25 teams. Redshirt senior guard Brittney Sykes got
the game started with a 3-pointer for Syracuse, then a pair of layups by center Briana Day gave the Orange an early 7-2 advantage. But the Panthers responded with a 10-2 run to take a three-point lead late in the first quarter. After a high-scoring opening quarter, Pitt took an 18-17 lead into the second. The Panthers again found success on offense, scoring another 18 points in the second quarter. But their defense betrayed them, allowing Syracuse to erupt for 25 points. The key play of the half, though, was a fluke that even the best defense couldn’t have prevented. First-year guard Alayna Gribble drained one of her seven 3-pointers to cut Pitt’s deficit to five with a minute left in the first half, then senior guard Alexis Petersen brought the ball up the floor for the Orange. She fired a pass inside, and Panthers sophomore forward Kauai Bradley got a hand on the ball, tipping it into the air at the top of the key. Bradley’s heads-up defensive play backfired, as the redirected pass went straight into the hoop for two points. Petersen then stole the ball on Pitt’s next possession and drove it
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February 3, 2017
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pittnews.com
February 3, 2017
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