The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | march 15, 2017 | Volume 107 | Issue 138
Pitt nixes CGS dean position
SPRING WONDERLAND
Ashwini Sivaganesh and Amanda Reed
The Pitt News Staff Without a public announcement about upcoming organizational changes to the College of General Studies, former associate dean Cristina Ruggiero left the position in February. Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch said her departure was the result of “pending organizational changes” that have eliminated the position in the University. The CGS staff knew that Ruggiero would be leaving beforehand, but the University did not announce her exit. The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences posted a job listing online for a new position — “assistant dean” of CGS — in late February. Ruggiero did not respond to phone calls and emails asking for comment. Members of the CGS faculty also declined to comment on her leave or the changes. The college will hire an assistant dean for academic affairs and expand the responsibilities of the director of the McCarl Center for Nontraditional Student Success. The center provides tutoring services, career development seminars and networking opportunities for nontraditional students in the College of General Studies. With the new leadership in place, the assistant dean of academic affairs will create and evaluate new majors, minors and cer-
Pitt students brave the cold during the snow flurries late Tuesday night, as the storm raged in other parts of the state. Meghan Sunners ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR
Allegheny jurors to decide in Bill Cosby case Amanda Reed
Assistant News Editor
The state Supreme Court ruled Monday that jurors from Allegheny County will be making a decision in the sexual assault case against comedian Bill Cosby set to take place in Philadelphia this June. Cosby is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault after being accused of drugging and molesting a forSee CGS on page 10 mer Temple University employee, Andrea
Constand, in 2004 at his suburban Philadelphia estate in Cheltenham. The Supreme Court’s ruling comes after Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill, the judge presiding over Cosby’s case, denied the comedian’s request for a venue change. O’Neill allowed a change in the jury selection list Feb. 27 from Montgomery to Allegheny County in hopes of lowering the amount of local media coverage on the case, according to a court of common pleas order.
According to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, the Supreme Court has not ordered jury impanelment — selecting and putting together a jury — in Allegheny County or Philadelphia in at least a decade. This means this is the first time in ten years that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has had to bring together a new jury to preside in either county. Cosby’s lawyers suggested choosSee Cosby on page 3
News
SGB surveys students on good Samaratin policy Nolan Roosa
records and police records, police re- tions about counseling policies, life skills cords were most likely to deter students options and the role of environmental from reporting an emergency. The survey factors in these services. Members of Pitt’s Student Government “Most of [their conclusions] were exshowed 43.1 percent of students would Board’s judicial committee have spent the not call during an emergency if their tremely positive. They were pretty imlast two weeks asking people around camfriend would receive a police record for pressed by the services Pitt offered,” Kneis pus if they understand the University’s said. the incident. “good Samaritan” policy. Now that the foundation has collected The board is presenting its informaThey found that many did not. The Pitt Responsible Action Protocol, also known as the good Samaritan policy, protects students from legal action if they are reporting a dangerous situation for another student. This protection extends to alcohol-related violations but does not protect students from disciplinary action relating to any other criminal activity, such as assault, property damage or presence of other illicit substances. For example, if a student called the police to seek medical assistance for a friend who was throwing up or unconscious after drinking, the caller would not be penalized for also engaging in illegal activity. However, students who do not take “responsible actions,” — who do not alert appropriate officials of a health or safety emergency — according to the student code of conduct, are void of all protections under the protocol, meaning they Judicial chair Jad Hilal and committee members found that most students could be subject to harsher discipline. don’t know about the responsible action policy. Meghan Sunners ASSISTANT The judicial committee, headed by VISUAL EDITOR Jad Hilal, tabled around campus for two tion to the alcohol, drug and tobacco task preliminary information from the task weeks to determine how students engaged force, representatives from the foundaforce this Friday. with the current policy and what kind of In other news, board member and tion will visit campus sometime during benefits could come from a new policy. President-elect Max Kneis announced this semester to look at Pitt’s resources for Although they do not plan to change the Tuesday that the results of a mental health themselves. protocol, the members hope to improve Although the visit is not yet scheduled, task force survey about current mental student awareness of the protocol with health services on campus were mostly Kneis said the representatives will meet student affairs and resident life. with members from the mental health positive. “If students aren’t calling because of The task force completed a question- task force and the counseling center to the current protocol, that is an issue not naire as part of Pitt’s partnership with the create a three-year plan for improving reonly for health, but it is an emergency that Jed and Clinton Foundation, which works sources on Pitt’s campus. Kneis said the is putting student lives at risk,” Hilal said. to help colleges enhance student health plan is to begin implementing the new According to Hilal, of the 239 students efforts. The questions, which members of strategies next year. surveyed on lower campus, 25 percent — Board member Justin Horowitz, who the task force responded to, focused on or roughly 60 people — did not know the several different aspects of mental health also serves on the mental health task protocol exists. Among parental notificaservices on Pitt’s campus, including ques- force, said he wants to talk to the foundation, remedial education, fines, conduct Staff Writer
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tion about ways to continue and improve the programming SGB puts on to increase awareness about mental health and resources on campus. He said this semester, with the lack of psychiatrists and the long wait times at the counseling center, is the “perfect time” for an outsider perspective. “We’re hoping we can pinpoint those [issues] and they can point us in the right direction,” Horowitz said. “Counseling services have been pretty consistent for a while now — we really decided what we need are some changes.” Kneis also announced a plan to keep a digital record of allocations requests for the last fiscal year, this academic year and future requests. Kneis said a member of the first-year council, a group of firstyear students who assist board members with their initiatives, will scan paper files of requests so the board and the student groups requesting funds can have easier and more efficient access to their records. “I’ve met with countless groups this year where they come in and say, ‘we have no idea what kind of funding we got in the past. You all submitted [the request] so you should get a copy of it,’” Kneis said, referring to student groups. After the allocations committee approves the request, the committee sends a copy to SORC, which will add the money to student group’s account and file the request in a large filing cabinet for later reference. Kneis said SGB keeps a record of the past five years of allocations requests but that the digitized system will make it easier to access these records as they consider requests moving forward. “Paper gets lost, or if people don’t file it correctly, suddenly there’s no record,” Kneis said. “The one advantage is we’ll always have a digital copy, so it’ll be easier for everyone on the campus to access it.” See SGB on page 10
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Cosby, pg. 1 ing a large pool of jurors from either Philadelphia or the Pittsburgh area because of ongoing publicity surrounding the case in general. “Unless you’ve been living under a rock in this state or country… the message that has been promoted in insidious fashion is that Bill Cosby is guilty and that Bill Cosby is a serial rapist,” Cosby’s lead defense attorney, Brian McMonagle, said in court in February to argue for a jury selection outside of Montgomery County. The trial will take place June 5 in the Montgomery County courthouse, located in Norristown, Pennsylvania, where the jurors will be sequestered for the duration of the trial. The court has not scheduled a date for jury selection in Pittsburgh. McMonagle also said in February that Cosby would have a better shot at a fair trial with a jury from a more highly populated and diverse area, such as Allegheny County, compared to a more white, suburban area like Montgomery County, although it would not be guaranteed. “I do not believe that there’s a place
anywhere in this country now where he can receive a fair trial,” he said in court. “Not here, not anywhere. I hope I’m wrong.” According to the United State Census Bureau, in Pittsburgh, 66 percent of residents identify as white, 26 percent identify as African American, 0.2 percent identify as American Indian and Alaskan Native, 4 percent identify as Asian, 2.5 percent identify as two or more races and 2.3 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino. A prosecutor for the state, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, responded in a court of common pleas document to Cosby’s request for a “change of venue and/or venire.” Venire is the panel of prospective members of the jury. “The Commonwealth does not object to a change in venire,” Steele stated in the document. “But the defendant suggests more. He wants hearings to present a case for the specific venire of his choice. This is contrary to the law.” Steele, a Democrat, defeated Republican Bruce Castor in November 2015 for the position of Montgomery County district attorney. The Cosby investiga-
tion became an issue throughout the race, since Castor, an ex-prosecutor, had declined in 2005 to bring charges against Cosby in the Constand case. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania released legal documents from Constand’s initial 2005 civil lawsuit against Cosby to the public in July 2015 after the Associated Press requested that the documents be made public. “Rather, the stark contrast between Bill Cosby, the public moralist and Bill Cosby, the subject of serious allegations... is a matter as to which the AP — and by extension the public — has a significant interest,” Judge Eduardo C. Robreno said in the memo outlining the deposition’s release. In the full transcript of the deposition, Cosby admitted to casual sex involving sedatives with a series of young women and acknowledged that he knew dispensing the prescription drug was illegal. More than 40 women have accused Cosby on allegations of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse and sexual misconduct from the mid-1960s to the early 2000s.
In response, more than 25 colleges and universities, including New York University, Brown University and Goucher College, have rescinded honorary degrees he received for his humanitarian work. Cosby still has honorary awards from more than 60 colleges and universities in the United States. Pitt rescinded Cosby’s honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in November 2015. The university awarded Cosby the degree in 2002 at Pitt Johnstown’s commencement ceremony for “his lifetime of high achievement.” “The committee found that certain actions on Cosby’s part — unknown to the public at the time and subsequently admitted by him — were in conflict with the stated basis for awarding the degree and inconsistent with the core values and principles of the University,” former Pitt spokesperson Ken Service said in an email to The Pitt News in 2015. Service told The Pitt News the University has never rescinded an honorary degree before Cosby. Cosby has pleaded not guilty and is free on a $1 million bail. He turns 80 next month.
The Pitt News SuDoku 3/15/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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The Pitt News
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Opinions
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from the editorial board
Gallagher’s relationship with board shows lack of commitment to students When the Fossil Free Pitt Coalition attended a University Board of Trustees meeting in late February 2017, its leadership came only to speak with board members and have their voices heard about an important issue. The meeting was open for the public to attend and listen but not to speak, and the issue of fossil fuel divestment — the practice of removing all financial investments from companies involved in extracting fossil fuels and the Coalition’s chief concern — wasn’t discussed at all. Instead, members of the group waited until the end of the meeting before getting the chance to talk with board members and administration. After the administration suggested FFPC submit a formal research proposal, and agreed to fund it in December 2016, the group is still waiting to hear from the administration about further details. The Pitt News’ approached all of the board members but they declined to comment, except one: Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. When asked about the Coalition’s goals, the Chancellor denied to give his or the board’s thoughts, instead saying that letting the group speak for themselves was the “best thing [he] could do.” He encouraged the group to work with the administration to find ways to make campus more environmentally friendly and to reach out for resources to further their research in the issues. He ultimately said that he couldn’t speak directly to the board about the matter. “I can’t be an advocate against my own board,” Gallagher said. This statement doesn’t make much sense. According to the office of the chancellor’s website, Gallagher is an ex officio member of the board with full voting
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rights — meaning he holds just as much power on the board as any of the other trustees. Given this and the chancellor’s history of engagement with student groups, we should be holding him accountable to stand up to the board when he feels inclined, particularly when student groups are involved. If the chancellor were to petition the board on a topic that is important to him, he would be doing what any member of a board does: bringing an issue to the table for discussion. That’s not lobbying, that’s a vital part of the position he holds. Gallagher has a history of being friendly and involved with students since beginning as Pitt’s chancellor in 2014. He’s been active in communicating with students and encouraging them to seek recourses, crafting letters on his commitment to battling sexual assault and the campus climate after the election of Donald Trump and even chowing down on donuts at last year’s Donut Dash, a CMUPitt partnered race that raises money for ALS research. Gallagher even emphasized his commitment to fostering personal relationships with students in a Dean’s Hour in February 2014, right after being announced as the University’s next chancellor. “When I am walking on the street, I hope people will stop me and want to talk to me,” Gallagher said at the time. But maybe he’s forgotten these promises. As the University’s chancellor, he’s the board member most apt to act as liaison between students and voting trustees. And given his involvement in the University community, it should be easy for him to advocate on behalf of his students. But his statement tells us one of two things: he either doesn’t know the extent of his
power on the board, or he’s attempting to hide behind the board’s inaction so that he does not have to take a stance on the issue. If Gallagher believes in what students are doing and the changes they wish to see, he should most certainly be advocating to the board to consider it. And if it’s the board objecting to student demands or the chancellor himself who doesn’t believe in these student causes, then it works the other way as well: he should be helping students evaluate their plans to cooperate with the administration and the board to push the best decisions for the University through. We know the chancellor is a busy guy — he doesn’t have time to sit down with student groups and discuss how he can best address their needs individually. But he does have a whole staff and campus community that can streamline these requests. Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner meets with students every month at Dean’s Hour to talk with them oneon-one. And one of the duties of Student Government Board President is to serve as a student representative to the administration, meaning the president can also pass on important student issues to the chancellor. The chancellor can’t pretend to be interested in student issues and take their ideas seriously if he’s more committed to playing politics than standing up for student concerns. The Board of Trustees should not be a group of people who sit in a room and agree on everything. When issues as contentious as divestment come to the table, board members should be willing and able to take stances on the matter — even Chancellor Gallagher.
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aca replacement misses the mark again Nick Eustis Columnist
After seven long years of continuous opposition to President Obama’s landmark Affordable Care Act, the Republican Party finally revealed its replacement health care plan last week. But the GOP replacement plan, titled “The American Health Care Reform Act of 2017,” doesn’t reform any of the most pressing issues regarding health care and will end up hurting more than it helps. The AHCA is evidence of how little Republican leaders understand the problems in the American health care system and how out of touch they are with some of their poorest constituents. The GOP has opposed the Affordable Care Act since its inception. During the crafting of the bill from 2008 to 2010, then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell lobbied tirelessly to keep all Republican senators against its passage. In an interview with the New York Times in 2010, he explicitly stated he didn’t want the bill to have the added legitimacy of being “bipartisan.” Not a single one of the 218 Republicans in Congress at the time voted in favor of the bill, and it only made it through because there were exactly 60 Democratic senators, just enough for the bill to pass. After the passage, Republicans proposed bills to repeal the Affordable Care Act more than 60 times during the Obama presidency without success. And President Trump often spoke about his desire to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act during the campaign. So now that the Republican Party has its chance to make good on this promise, will their proposition change American health care for the better? Simply put: no, not at all. While there are many provisions in the See Eustis on page 7
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Eustis, pg. 6 AHCA, two stand out as particularly consequential. The replacement does away with the individual mandate, which requires all Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty. Also gone is the provision of a Medicaid expansion, which provides extra funding to Medicaid to cover those living 138 percent below the poverty line. The removal of these two provisions alone will leave fewer Americans insured and more at risk than ever. What legislators fail to see is that even keeping popular provisions — like parts of the ACA that prevent denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions and allowing children to stay on their parent’s plans until age 26 — you need the individual mandate. Without healthy people paying into the system to offset the cost of caring for the sick, health care will simply be too expensive for those who need it the most. When there are funds coming from everybody, companies have more resources to dedicate to the sick, forcing their insurance costs down. The Medicaid expansion is also imperative, as health care costs too much for those living below the poverty line. Without the expansion, the
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Terry Tan SENIOR STAFF ILLUSTRATOR neediest would be forced to forego most medical care. And when they inevitably need care, the cost falls back on the hospitals, who pass it on to insured patients. The results of the repeal of these provisions specifically is that as many as 24 million currently insured Americans will lose their coverage by 2026, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Trump’s rural, working class voter base, in an unfortunate twist of fate, will be affected most. For those with chronic or aggressive conditions, this bill is the difference between life and death. And those in the health care industry are painfully aware that people need health care to live. Even moderately conservative groups like AARP, the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association have
come out in opposition to the proposed bill. The good news in all of this is that the AHCA will almost certainly fail to pass. Four Republican senators have already publicly stated they will not vote in favor of the bill. Meaning multiple Democrats would need to support the bill to prevent it dying in the Senate. But the mere fact that the politicians in power right now don’t understand the issues they’re working to fix is incredibly worrying. This isn’t to suggest that the Affordable Care Act is a perfect bill — far from it, actually. It fails to address the central problem with American health care: corporate interests. As far as the Affordable Care Act is concerned, insurance companies still run the show, and any company’s main motive is to make money. There are some things that simply shouldn’t
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be rooted in that profit motive, and health care is one of the biggest. The fact is a full 63 percent of Americans are unable to handle even an extra $500 in expenses, according to CBS MoneyWatch. No one should be forced to choose between health and financial stability. If the GOP wanted to improve the health care system in America, its replacement plan would need to address these central problems. This plan fundamentally fails to do that, proving that Republican legislators, including our President, don’t even understand what is wrong with the Affordable Care Act in the first place. Conspicuously absent from this debate has been the idea of a public option, or governmentrun health insurance. Since government agencies don’t have to make a profit, they can offer much lower prices for better coverage. This would force private companies to lower their prices to remain competitive — and it’s an idea legislators should consider if they really want to make positive health care changes in the country. If the GOP wants to craft policies with tangible, positive results, they need to start doing their homework. Otherwise, they’ll have quite the reckoning on their hands come next election. Nick primarily writes on politics and American culture for The Pitt News. Write to Nick at npe3@pitt.edu.
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Sports
Students NCAA picks, season reflections get personal
Bayard Miller ,Elizabeth Lepro Contributing editors
As the snow stopped falling Tuesday night, basketball fans on Pitt’s campus were just getting warmed up for the upcoming NCAA Tournament — despite Pitt’s now-deceased season. In the library at about 11 p.m., where students were cramming for next-day exams and working together on group projects, there wasn’t even the prospect of a Pitt postseason to distract from the upcoming final exams or the chilly end to spring break. At the far left corner of Hillman, up against the stacks, first-year physics and astronomy major Jacob Ginsburg had some harsh words for Pitt’s losing team. “I definitely think the [NCAA] committee made the right choice. Pitt definitely did not deserve to be there,” he said, adding that the first half of the season was exciting, but he didn’t go to most of the
games because he didn’t want to watch Pitt lose. Because Pitt had a losing season — going 16-17 overall — and did not win the ACC Tournament last weekend, it will not be playing in the Tournament this spring. The team’s four seniors — Jamel Artis, Michael Young, Chris Jones and Sheldon Jeter — walked off the court glumly for the last time last week in Brooklyn, New York. Ginsburg is in a pool with his fellow first-year friend Steven Field, who was seated next to him. Field is placing his bet on Kentucky (16-2, 29-5 overall), which will play North Kentucky this Friday. He’s not taking any wild guesses. “[Kentucky is] young, but you know Kentucky is just a reliable pick going into the tournament,” he said. He put $5 into the pool and expects to win about $100 if See Bracket on page 10
Sheldon Jeter, Jamel Artis, and Chris Jones (left to right) left the court for the last time last week. John Hamilton VISUAL EDITOR
Clark, Manigault announce decisions to transfer Steve Rotstein Sports Editor
Say goodbye to the Pitt men’s basketball team’s 2016 recruiting class. All three members of the Panthers’ 2016 class are no longer with the team, as true freshman Corey Manigault followed sophomore Crisshawn Clark in announcing his intention to transfer next season. “We wish Corey and Crisshawn the best of luck as they look to continue their college careers elsewhere,” Pitt head coach Kevin Stallings said Tuesday in a press release. “We will continue to support both of them through their impending transfers.” Along with Clark’s and Manigault’s transfers, Stallings dismissed true freshman point guard Justice Kithcart Feb. 3,
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one day before the team’s regular season finale. Clark announced his intention to leave on Monday via Twitter, and Manigault followed suit the next day. “I want to say thank you so much to the University of Pittsburgh for the opportunity,” Clark said in a Tweet. “I will be transferring to continue my career.” Neither of the players have said where they plan to transfer. According to the signed letter Clark posted on Twitter, the school is allowing him to go anywhere except other ACC schools and any other schools listed on any upcoming Panthers competition schedule. Manigault didn’t post a picture of his release, but the exemptions for ACC schools and other schools on upcoming
schedules are “pretty standard language,” according to Pitt Athletics spokesperson Matt Plizga. “Thank you so much to everyone at Pitt for the opportunity,” Manigault said via Twitter. “I have received my release to transfer and continue my career.” A 6-foot-4 guard from Dayton, Ohio, Clark transferred to Pitt in the fall from Canada College. He only saw six minutes of live action as a Panther, picking up six points and three rebounds in the Panthers’ 95-65 exhibition win over PittJohnstown Nov. 4. Clark suffered a torn MCL and meniscus in practice three days later, ending his season before it started. The preseason knee injury was the second in a row for Clark, who also missed the 2015-16 season at Canada College after an impressive debut season
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in 2014-15. Clark’s absence left a gaping void in Pitt’s backcourt as the Panthers struggled to receive production off the bench all season. Manigault is a 6-foot-8 forward from Suitland, Maryland, who appeared in 18 contests for Pitt as a true freshman. He averaged 0.8 points and 0.8 rebounds over 4.4 minutes per game. Clark’s and Manigault’s transfers will open up two more roster spots for Pitt in Stallings’ second season, as the Panthers now have eight available scholarships for next year. The team currently has four recruits signed in the 2017 class with three more verbal commitments, but Stallings and his staff are still attempting to add to the class.
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Six Panthers named All-EAGl, 18 All-Academic Bayard Miller
Assistant Sports Editor
Taylor Laymon was named first team All-EAGL on the bars Monday. Anna Bongardino STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The Panthers may be last in the conference in terms of team RQS with a score of 194.330, but Pitt continues to dominate the EAGL in the classroom. With 18 Panthers named to the AllAcademic team, this year is the fourth straight in which Pitt has led the conference scholastically.
Eligibility is based on grade point average, and those with marks above a 3.0 are named to the All-Academic team. The Panthers will close out their season on Saturday with the EAGL Championship meet in Cary, North Carolina.
The Pitt news crossword 3/15/17
The Pitt gymnastics team will compete on Saturday in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championship, but several Panthers have already won awards this week. The EAGL named six Panthers to its All-EAGL teams on Monday and a conference-high 18 to the All-Academic team on Saturday. Sophomores Lucy Brett, Meagan Oscar and Brittany West, juniors Dani Hall and Taylor Laymon and senior Tracey Pearson all received recognition from the EAGL as among the league’s best athletes with their selections to the All-EAGL team. Laymon and Pearson both received first team honors — with Laymon getting the nod in the bars and Pearson named in both the vault and floor exercise, making her the only Panther named in two separate events. Laymon’s regional qualifying score of 9.820 ranked sixth in the region and sev-
enth in the conference. Pearson’s RQS of 9.855 was good for 13th in the region and sixth in the EAGL in the floor. Her mark of 9.850 in the vault not only was fourth best in the region and third best in the conference but landed her on the national ranking, 44th place. Brett earned the conference honor for her work this season on the bars. With an RQS of 9.810, which was good enough for 10th in the region and 11th in the conference, she garnered a second team spot. Oscar, who received second team honors on the vault, goes into the EAGL Championships with a 9.780 RQS in this event, making her the 17th best vaulter in the region and the 15th best in the EAGL. The Panthers are represented on the beam by second teamer West, whose RQS of 9.810 is 15th in the region and 13th in the conference. Hall was named to the second team for her work on the floor in 2017. Her RQS of 9.815 places her 20th in the region in the event and 16th in the conference.
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Bracket, pg. 8 he’s right about the Wildcats’ chances. Ginsburg, more swayed by his personal feelings, is betting on Baylor — mostly because he doesn’t like North Carolina. Some people, including senior Bobby Penev, haven’t gotten around to putting a bracket together yet. The play-in games began last night, but people can still wait until the second round begins with No. 5 Notre Dame taking on No. 12 Princeton at 12:15 p.m. Thursday. Penev hasn’t gotten over Pitt head coach Kevin Stallings’ inability to pull the season from the gutter. “I think it’s mainly Stallings’ fault — I don’t think he’s a good coach,” the chemistry major said, adding that firing the Vanderbilt transfer might be too extreme. “I think [Pitt] should consider some disciplinary action.” Senior Amber Smith from Kansas, when putting together her bracket picks, decided not to select her home state’s No. 1 seed Jayhawks despite the fact the team was the top-ranked in the nation for several weeks this year. “My sister went to [in-state rival Kansas State] for college,” Smith said, explaining her choice. “Also, many of my best friends go to KU, and I just can’t stand their fans. They’re so loud and annoying.” Instead, she picked the Duke Blue Devils to beat Kansas in the championship game. “Duke always seems to find a way to win, even when they’re not that good,” Smith said. “I like their chances this year.” Perhaps no one on Pitt’s campus knows what it’s like to try and maintain enthusiasm while watching crushing defeat after defeat like the members of the Pitt Band.
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A cluster of musicians who were present at all of Pitt’s games this season were sitting around a table decorated with snacks and science textbooks Tuesday, maintaining good spirits despite the latenight study session. Sercan Cagatay, a senior clarinet player, has an unorthodox method for predicting game winners. “I do it by colors,” he said, to some laughter and disapproving head shakes from the rest of the table. “Orange automatically loses, blue I generally feel good about.” “Do it by mascots,” interjected firstyear Zoe Medvid from across the table. “That’s why Wisconsin’s going to win.” Senior Khadija-awa Diop from New Jersey admitted that she also doesn’t care much for the complexities of predicting winning basketball teams. “To be honest, when you came over here asking about March Madness, I thought you were talking about the song by Future,” she said. Perhaps Diop’s unfamiliarity with the NCAA Tournament is understandable as Pitt’s participation in March Madness is becoming more and more infrequent. After participating in March Madness in 10 consecutive seasons between 2003 and 2012, the Panthers have only played in the tournament three times in the last six years. It was depressing, some band members said, watching Pitt’s first losing season in 17 years from the student section. But first-year Meyer Jeffers, wearing a bright blue Oakland Zoo shirt, maintained a level of optimism about supporting the team through rough times. “I feel like it’s easier when you’re part of the hype,” he said.
CGS, pg. 1 certificates, focus on CGS’s academic programming and chair the CGS Academic Council. In addition to academic responsibilities, the assistant dean will regulate student’s compliance with academic regulations, hear and judge student appeals and work closely with the Director of the McCarl Center. The McCarl Center’s director will serve as CGS’s administrative leader while working to develop programs to help nontraditional students during their time at Pitt and after graduation. Miksch said the University is currently interviewing candidates for the director’s position and looking for an experienced Pitt faculty member for the assistant dean position. According to the job listing for the position, the assistant dean will report to the associate dean for undergraduate studies in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, currently John Twyning. Pitt is accepting applications
SGB, pg. 10
Allocations: The Political Science Student Association requested $3,613.62 for a trip to Washington, D.C. The Board approved the request in full. Men’s Water Polo requested $1,457 for league dues. The Board approved the request in full. Pittsburgh Fencing Association requested $1,253.19. The Board denied the request in full. Ya’Baso Dance Troupe requested $1,747.31 for its annual showcase. The Board approved $1,744.25 and denied $3.06. Kappa Kappa Psi requested $2,094 for a regional convention. The Board ap-
March 15, 2017
until the end of March, and the new assistant dean will begin their job on May 1. “A transition team is working with CGS staff members to ensure continuity while the College’s permanent leadership team is identified and brought on-board,” Miksch said. Miksch told The Pitt News in an email March 13 he could not elaborate further on the organizational changes. Before leaving this year, Ruggiero was appointed associate dean of the school in 2012 and served as the assistant dean of student affairs in 2008. During her time at CGS, she developed a program to identify at-risk students and provide advising programs for them. She also revised a summer scholarship program for underrepresented students, resulting in a 93 percent retention and graduation rate of all students receiving the scholarship from as her time as assistant dean. “Associate Dean Cristina Ruggiero has well-positioned the College of General Studies for the future,” Miksch said. proved $698 and denied $1,396. Rainbow Alliance requested $20,200 for a guest speaker to share their experience with the group. The Board approved the request in full.
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