3-25-16

Page 1

The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh

Vidovich to lead new era of men’s soccer Page 8 March 25, 2016| Issue 129 | Volume 106

Universities aim to clean up city environment with new majors Alexa Bakalarski Staff Writer

Though the city is now mostly free of smog and blackened bricks, the environmental impacts of the steel industry still cloud Pittsburgh’s air. So what better a place for environmental studies students? On the heels of Pitt and Point Park University developing environment-related majors, the city is headed for clearer skies and cleaner air, according to Matthew Mehalik, the program coordinator for Sustainable Pittsburgh. Mehalik said the new environ-

mental studies major at Pitt and environmental journalism major at Point Park answer a call for a healthier Pittsburgh. “These [students] are future leaders who can invest and bring to light some of the issues that are holding us back,” Mehalik said. “Pittsburgh is at a complex point in its history. Much has been done over the past 30 years as part of its transformation from an industrial economy to a diverse economy.” The new major at Pitt, announced Feb. 17, aims to teach students focused on environmental research about the social and See Environment on page 2

Pitt Pantry simulates hunger Emily Brindley Staff Writer

Darius Bittle-Dockery munched on rice for dinner, but he wasn’t nursing Sushi Fuku chirashi. He sat cross-legged on the floor, rationing out miniscule portions from a communal bowl. Bittle-Dockery, a second-year Pitt grad student pursuing a dual master’s degree in public health and Ph.D. in anthropology, ate the stringy, unsatisfactory meal on the floor as he enviously watched other attendees of Pitt Pan-

try’s Hunger Banquet chow down on lasagna at set tables. The Pitt Pantry hosted its first Oxfam America Hunger Banquet, an interactive event to illustrate issues of poverty, hunger and food availability disparities in society. More than 40 students and community members attended the event Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the William Pitt Union Ballroom, which Pitt’s chapter of Nourish International, Student Government Board’s Wellness Committee and Real Food See Hunger on page 4

Tallon Kennedy reads his poem during Collison’s Poetry Reading/Slam Thursday night in the William Pitt Union. Will MIller STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER


News

New placenta model uses space age technology Erin Hare

For The PItt News Channeling outer space, researchers at Magee-Womens Hospital have grown cells resembling those in the human placenta in March to study how infectious diseases lead to birth defects, especially the Zika virus. The team, which also includes researchers from Johns Hopkins and Arizona State University, found that using NASA-engineered zero gravity technology, scientists can artificially grow cells that resemble those taken directly from a human placenta. The new technology allows cells to float together in spheres rather than forming a flat sheet in a Petri dish, according to the study, which was published in the journal Science Advances on March 4. These cells fuse together, expressing genes related to pregnancy hormones and blocking the transmission of certain diseases, just like placental cells. Using powerful genetic

Environment, pg. 1 health effects environmental issues have on the community, according to Mark Collins, the adviser for the major. Collins said the new major represents an ever-growing movement to improve the environment throughout Pittsburgh — a historically environmentally-unfriendly city. Pittsburgh earned its notch on the Rust Belt through the U.S. steel mill industry during the Industrial Era, making more than 60 percent of the nation’s steel by 1910, according to “A Very Brief History of Pittsburgh” by William S. Dietrich II. Though economically beneficial, steel manufacturing bogged the air with smog, blackening 20th century skies. “[These majors] seem to me to be part of a long history with a growing awareness of environmental issues in this area,” Collins said. In a three-year study of nationwide air

pittnews.com

tools, the researchers can dissect biochemical mechanisms underlying how the placenta functions as an organ of nutrient, gas and waste e x change and as a barrier to disease. I n the future, t h e model cells m a y help res e arch infectious diseases that cross the placenta to cause birth defects, including the Zika virus, according to lead author Carolyn Coyne, as-

sociate professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Pitt and a member of the Magee Womens Research Institute. C oy n e said the system works by inducing shear, a force that pulls parallel surfaces of a cell in opposite directions, causing something shaped like a square to resemble a rhombus. “Cells in the body, some more than others, are always sensing shear,” Coyne said.

“Having these shear forces on the cells jogs their memory,” allowing them to differentiate into placental-like cells. The researchers tested their new placental model in three different ways. They proved their cells looked like placental cells, secreted pregnancy hormones and resisted pathogens like placental cells do, Coyne said. First, the model cells fused together and grew a dense forest of microvilli, tiny fingers about half a micron wide that facilitate nutrient, gas and waste exchange by increasing surface area, according to the study. These are the same physical characteristics of the placental cells bathed in maternal blood. Second, the model cells excreted proper levels of the placental pregnancy hormones, including human chorionic gonadotropin and human placental lactogen, according to the study. Traditional cell cultures do not

quality, the American Lung Association ranked Pittsburgh 21st out of a list of 25 of the most ozone polluted cities in the United States. A polluted ozone can cause respiratory and cardiovascular harm, worsened asthma, heart attacks, strokes and shorter lifespans, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ALA also gave Allegheny County an “F” grade for ozone and particle pollution from 2011 to 2013 — meaning there are too many unhealthy air days in the county to attain the current ozone national standard. According to Aftyn Giles, Pittsburgh’s Sustainability Commission coordinator, Point Park’s new environmental journalism major will help bring eco-issues to the forefront of media coverage. “Unfortunately, the issues don’t seem to rise to ‘news’ or ‘noteworthy’ until they become a disaster, even though if they were reported on sooner in an evocative way, maybe

the public could have made more informed decisions to prevent the outcome,” she said. In partnership with Heinz Endowments, Point Park designed the major so students can decipher studies and data sets without the help of a researcher or specialist. Thom Baggerman, chair of faculty at Point Park’s school of communications, said the major is necessary because environmental studies are often filled with field-specific jargon only specialists would typically be able to interpret. “It’s really about giving the journalists another tool in their toolkit,” Baggerman said. “We just didn’t feel there was enough room in a certificate or minor to teach them enough to be effective.” Pittsburgh’s history of environmental issues, Baggerman said, makes it the perfect hub for environmental studies. “The environment has been and will be an important issue in Pittsburgh for a long

time, so we think it’s important to have good reporting on it,” Baggerman said. For Giles, the new majors aren’t only a step in the right direction — they’re absolutely necessary. “If we don’t resolve our environmental issues, there isn’t much of a need for anything else because we won’t survive,” Giles said. “For all the things missing and ‘wrong’ with Pittsburgh, we need the new majors and populations of students to stay, inspire and drive the solutions to continue to make us a great city.” Mehalik said Pitt’s and Point Park’s new majors can begin to rectify the city’s environmental history. “We have much to be proud of, but we have to decide what we want to become next,” Mehalik said. “We have the opportunity to be inspired by sustainability, and students graduating from these new majors can help us create that story.”

Eventually it could lead to a better understanding that could be aimed at therapeutics. -Carolyn Coyne, researcher

March 25, 2016

See Placenta on page 3

2


Placenta, pg. 2 secrete these hormones, whereas cells taken from human placentas excrete pregnancy hormones at approximately the same level as the researchers’ new model. Finally, the model demonstrated the same resistance to certain pathogens as placental cells. The pathogens tested so far include vesicular stomatitis virus, which, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, primarily affects livestock, and Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite often found in cat litter that causes toxoplasmosis and can lead to cognitive deficits, blindness and epilepsy if transmitted to the fetus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Traditional cell cultures do not resist infection by VSV and T. gondii infection, whereas both the new model and cells derived from human placentas are highly resistant to both of these pathogens, according to the study. Using this new model, Coyne and her team will study how the placenta resists disease transmission in most cases but fails in others.

“Now we have a system that fuses spontaneously and also a system that we can genetically manipulate, and then we can go back to answer some very basic questions that I think have been missing in the field,” Coyne said. The placenta is normally very good at protecting the developing fetus from maternal infections. But it is critical to understand why sometimes pathogens cross that barrier to induce congenital disease, according to Coyne. There are two possibilities: either the pathogen has changed or there is something about the host — that woman, that pregnancy, that placenta — that increases susceptibility. These questions are particularly pertinent to the recent suggestion that Zika virus, a pathogen spread by mosquitoes, may cause birth defects. In January 2016, an outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil coincided with a surge in microcephaly — a birth defect characterized by abnormally small heads and neurological impairments — and according to the CDC, mounting evidence shows that the virus can cross the placenta and attack fetal brain cells. In February 2016, the World Health Orga-

nization declared Zika a public health emergency. Although much remains to be done in linking Zika to microcephaly, Coyne’s model could facilitate Zika research. “My lab is working around the clock on Zika,” Coyne said, “trying to answer some of these early questions with the hope that at least we can provide a little bit of insight into what’s happening at the placental level.” Before Zika was in the news, infectious disease was not something at the forefront of most pregnant women’s minds. “I honestly never really thought about these things before,” said Megan Tomaino, a 31-year-old physician’s assistant at UPMC currently nine weeks pregnant with her second child. Understanding disease transmission across the placenta is more important to expectant mothers than ever. “Wow, I am worried about Zika,” Tomaino said. “I’m waiting to talk to the midwives [at Magee] about prevention, but I’m considering long sleeves this summer when I’m outside.” Researchers must better characterize the behavior of the new cell model before it be-

comes widely used, said co-author Yoel Sadovsky, scientific director of Magee Womens Research Institute. “Just because the cells differentiate does not mean that they will behave like [placental] cells in all aspects, like fighting viral infections.” Sadovsky said. “We’re trying now in our lab ... to characterize what it takes for [placental] cells to resist viral infections.” Coyne said clinical research could be difficult to manage in pregnant women, but she is optimistic about the model’s future and its benefits for expectant mothers. The new model, which Coyne plans to continue testing, will allow her lab to uncover the basic biochemical mechanisms by which the placenta acts as both barrier and conduit between mother and child, and in particular how infectious agents can traverse the placenta to cause fetal damage. “The pie in the sky … is that eventually it could lead to a better understanding that could be aimed at therapeutics,” Coyne said. “But I think that’s going to be really complicated. There is still much basic science to do first.”

The Pitt News SuDoku 3/25/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

pittnews.com

March 25, 2016

3


Hunger pg. 1 Challenge co-hosted. Organizers distributed profile cards to Bittle-Dockery and the other attendees that had randomly assigned names, situations and socioeconomic statuses, all of which determined their seating place, meals and food availability for the night. The cards’ contents demonstrated what dinnertime looks like for families of varying socioeconomic statuses and backgrounds. The on-campus, student-focused food pantry designed the event to raise awareness about hunger and food insecurity issues at local, national and global levels. Bittle-Dockery, who dined as a lower-class subsistence farmer named Ivan, said his experience at the event pushed him beyond his comfort levels. “One of the things that I keep being reminded of was how uncomfortable it was to sit on the floor, and how difficult it was to eat off of a plate with no table,” Bittle-Dockery said. “Hunger is a particular issue, but it’s linked to a lot of other things that have a serious impact on people’s quality of life [and] their general experiences.” While Bittle-Dockery sat on the floor, other

pittnews.com

attendees sat at nicely set tables feasting on lasagna, salad and orange juice. Another group ate rice and beans with plastic forks. The event organizers assigned the ratios of each socioeconomic class based on the current ratios in Guatemala, where Nourish — a national student movement dedicated to making an impact on people living in extreme poverty — has partnered with Maya Traditions Foundation, an organization that connects female artisans to markets where they can sell their work. Arthi Narayanan, a Pitt Pantry volunteer and junior neuroscience and sociology major, said the simulation teaches not about only hunger, but also food insecurity — the feeling of never knowing where the next meal will come from. ”We think it’s really important to teach people about conditions of food insecurity,” Narayanan said. “A lot of people just really aren’t aware of the huge differences between how much food is available in the upper and middle classes versus the lower class.” In addition to the provided meal, attendees listened to short presentations from several organizations involved in hunger relief, including Nourish.

Just Harvest, a Pittsburgh-based organization addressing poverty and hunger issues through public policy, presented on hunger and food insecurity, along with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. The groups urged students to think more deeply about their community members and to volunteer whenever possible. Throughout the simulation, Narayanan and the other organizers read through scenarios specific to individual attendees’ assigned identities. “Nicolas” and “Santiago” lost their jobs after protesting bad conditions. As a result, their socioeconomic status changed from middle class to low-income. “Salvador” took land from “Ivan,” worsening his struggle to afford food. Bittle-Dockery said he attended the event because he’s spent a considerable amount of time working with underserved communities and wanted to see how the hunger simulation would be organized. ”Looking at how everyone experiences a relationship with food, just making people aware of those different types of relationships can go a long way,” Bittle-Dockery said. “I think events like this have a good chance of actually leaving an impact on people.”

March 25, 2016

Holly Giovengo, a University pantry coordinator and lead organizer for the banquet, said she and the other organizers designed the event to show participants what it’s like to go hungry and to garner a reaction. ”It causes a very visceral reaction,” Giovengo, a 2015 Pitt alumna, said. “It throws hunger in your face, because if you’re in the lower class, you are literally going to be hungry.” Though the organizers based the simulation on Guatemala, Giovengo said hunger awareness should focus on local, national and global issues — something Giovengo said enhances the local perspective. “It’s important to step outside of your society, your country, because we do have a global society now, with the Internet and things like that. It’s just important to be aware of all of the levels,” Giovengo said. Giovengo said attendees left the event with an awareness of hunger and related issues, as well as feeling a call to action in their daily lives. “When you’re walking on the street, do not just walk by someone who is hungry. You can give them food,” Giovengo said. “It’s not going to kill you, and it means a lot to them.”

4


pittnews.com

March 25, 2016

5


Opinions from the editorial board

Casual Friday Look, daddy, I’m a criminal After police in North Carolina pulled a motorist over for driving with a broken taillight, they discovered a shocking history of crime. In 2002, authorities posted an arrest warrant for James Meyers after he never returned a rented VHS of the Tom Green film “Freddy Got Fingered.” James got nabbed for the theft, and now the comedy classic has him facing a class 3 misdemeanor that carries a fine of up to $200. Green is offering to pay the fine for Meyers, but it is rumored that if Meyers can prove he sat through the film, the court will consider it punishment enough. Panty dropper For the past two months, a New Zealand cat named Brigit has taken to giving her owner daily briefings on the neighborhood’s most delicate subjects. Every morning, she greets owner Sarah Nathan with piles of stolen underwear and socks, leaving her booty — which Norton claims is almost exclusively men’s briefs — all over the house and backyard. The cat burglaries apparently have a long hiss-tory. “In our last house, she’d bring home a bit of everything — she’d bring home men’s undies, women’s undies, togs, she even brought home a hockey shin pad and a jumper,” Nathan told the New Zealand Herald. Despite posting flyers in her neighborhood and making Facebook posts, nobody has come to collect their unmentionables, but she hopes that will change meow with the recent puress. Cones away Seattle police have finally cleaned their hands of a sticky situation. For reasons that remain unclear, a man climbed to the top of an 80-foot Sequoia in the middle of the

pittnews.com

city and refused to come down. The incident began Tuesday morning and lasted until noon on Wednesday, during which the man threw pine cones at passersby and mooned authorities trying to remove him from the tree. Despite hours of police and firefighters barking up the tree to him, the man — who remains unnamed — would not bough. Social media immediately fell in love with the man’s striking resemblance to Yukon Cornelius from the “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” series, but here’s hoping that he’s done pining for adventure. Lemon-stealing traveler When life gives you lemons, try to smuggle them across international borders. Airport security dogs caught a Hong Kong woman attempting to sneak six lemons into New Zealand by hiding them in her pants, violating the country’s strict biosecurity laws meant to protect local horticulture. The woman claimed that she needed the lemons to help her liver and some unspecified illnesses. After police detained her in the midst of her attempt to lemonvade the island, they forced her to return to Hong Kong. Sources close to the case say the contraband was delicious. I wanna hold your hook Apparently, The Beatles aren’t against all kinds of piracy. Paul McCarrrrrtney is planning to show he is far from washed up by appearing in the upcoming film, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” Representatives have not commented on whether McCartney is trying to appeal to young audiences after being rejected from a nightclub after the Grammys, which he is likely still salty about.

column

WA

Falling into feminism

GE

I thought the biggest unIt was a sunny Saturday afStephen Caruso derlying issue was social presternoon, so I was in my happy Columnist sure that kept women from place — on a porch, smoking pursuing their dreams in high paying fields. a cigar and reading the news — until one stoAnd against this, I didn’t think there was ry soured my mood. much I could do besides support my friends The New York Times’ analytics page, The no matter what they pursue. Upshot, reported on a new study from CorBut then I read how wages fell for entire nell University that showed that as the numprofessions when they became female domiber of women in a field increased, their pay nated — a 34 percent fall for designers, 21 decreased. percent for housekeepers and 18 percent for I’d always been skeptical of the wage gap biologists. The worst was among officials at — and I’d never considered myself a full femirecreational camps. As women took over the nist — before this article. It always seemed field, wages were cut in half. like too strong a label. I blame my conservaAnd even when controlling for the things tive upbringing, making me feed into sexism that make me doubt the 22 percent wage difthrough avenues I’m not proud to admit — ference, there is still a 9 percent difference bemy words. tween men and women’s wages. I can remember my father mentioning But what could I do about that? while driving that “women have a bad sense I’m not a CEO — I can’t make a company of direction,” or that “women and men just hire women and pay them fairly. think differently” when I talked to him about The government had already tried to ada crush at school. dress the issue with two bills, the Equal Pay Comments like those contribute to the Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The world’s underlying sexism. And as long as old former made paying less for equal work ilfaux-truisms exist, we will live in a society legal, while the latter extended the statute of that thinks women’s work is worth less money. limitations for lawsuits related the first. HowI never believed the value society places on ever, proving a firm broke the Equal Pay Act women’s work was so low compared to men’s, has been difficult in court and hasn’t elimias exemplified in that oft-repeated number of nated the gap as a whole. 78 cents to the dollar. I thought it was political But there are some other ways to help. grandstanding and bad statistics. If you just Passing a law to ensure better record keeping compare medians to medians, of course there by companies gives more hard numbers to will be differences. Men may work longer researchers to analyze the pay gap, as well as hours or simply end up in higher paying jobs by having different interests. See Caruso on page 7

March 25, 2016

6


Caruso, pg. 6 assists in any lawsuits that may arise. Paid maternity leave would help pad women’s pay statistics, as well as put America on the same level as every other developed nation. According to a 2014 study published in an Elsevier journal, women also don’t try to negotiate prices for employment — while most men do — because it’s much harder for them to negotiate a fair price. This leads to lower entry level wages for women and a longer climb into higher pay rates. With fewer mentorship relationships to teach them how to effectively win better working terms, many women never complete that climb. In the study, the authors show how just walking into a salary negotiation as a woman puts an applicant at a disadvantage. Even though men were more likely to use excessive leverage, negotiators held such missteps against women more severely. Women receive “pushy” and “moody” labels for asserting their value. The problem, then, is deeply cultural, and the only way to change the culture is to change who created this problem — men, including myself. A month ago, I was at a bar, having a conversation with some new acquaintances, all female. Everything was swell, and we talked for hours. But as the night drew to a close, and they prepared to leave, I hazarded a question. “You know how to get home?” I said to one of them, legitimately concerned. They were in a new city for a night, and I don’t want anyone to get lost. “Yes, I know. I have a good sense of direction,” my conversation partner replied. “Oh, great, because, you know, a lot of times women don’t have the best sense of direction,” I said, repeating the line fed to me in the course of my life. The jovial tone of the whole evening dissipated like bar smoke. “Excuse me,” she replied, rightfully angry. I quickly tried to explain, but there was no explaining to be done. That was sexist, and I knew it. By saying this, I was part of the problem I so reviled. If everyone repeats that women have a bad sense of direction, then

pittnews.com

why would a little girl ever dream of being a cartographer? And even if she does reach that dream, she’ll be earning less money and credit for her accomplishment — not a great reward for proving years of baseless generalizations wrong. I’m not big on the idea of perfect turning points. Humans are fallible. I’m sure I’ll make other mistakes. You will, too. But be firm and call out these statements when you see them. I can tell you the shame I felt after that night was intense. It soured new friendships for me for many weeks until I worked up the nerve to apologize. To paraphrase Tim Minchin, an Australian musician and social commentator, be hard on your own thoughts. Take them out to your porch and beat them around with a baseball bat. Leave them battered and bruised, for all to see. This is why I write: to lay my thoughts out, good and bad. It’s not easy, but the only path to social change comes when everyday people stand up together and say, “we can’t tolerate this any longer.” My argument is not that inherent differences don’t exist between men and women, and in the Upshot report that started this personal change, one of the researchers argued for their existence. But we shouldn’t translate those differences into harmful generalizations. As a study from Tel Aviv University declared last year, “brains do not come in male and female forms. The differences you see are differences between averages. Each one of us is a unique mosaic.” Saying “women have a bad sense of direction,” or “women are overly emotional,” or any of the other statements circulated through society doesn’t contribute to the real conversation on gender differences. They’re just stupid things people say to assert patriarchy. When we do this, we also assert the system that, to my dumbfoundment, pays women less than men and discourages women from lending necessary voices to male-dominated fields. We need to keep fighting until we fix this. So, if you need me, I’ll be smoking my cigars and leafing through Ms. Magazine.

The Pitt News Editor-in-Chief DANIELLE FOX

Managing Editor HARRISON KAMINSKY

editor@pittnews.com

manager@pittnews.com

News Editor DALE SHOEMAKER

Opinions Editor MATT MORET

newsdesk.tpn@gmail.com

tpnopinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor DAN SOSTEK

Culture Editor JACK TRAINOR

tpnsports@gmail.com

aeeditors@gmail.com

Visual Editor KATE KOENIG

Layout Editor EMILY HOWER

pittnewsphoto@gmail.com

tpnlayout@gmail.com

Online Editor PETER LOREI

Copy Chief MICHELLE REAGLE

tpnonline@gmail.com

tpncopydesk@gmail.com

Zoë Hannah | Assistant News Editor Lauren Rosenblatt | Assistant News Editor Marlo Safi | Assistant Opinions Editor Elizabeth Lepro | Assistant Sports Editor Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor Danah Bialoruski | Assistant Layout Editor Eva Fine | Multimedia Editor Amy Beaudine | Social Media Editor

Chris Puzia | Assistant Copy Chief Copy Staff Bridget Montgomery Anjuli Das Sierra Smith Sydney Mengel Sarah Choflet Kelsey Hunter

Matthew Maelli Kyleen Pickaring Casey Talay Corey Forman Alex Stryker Maria Castello

Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left. The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and

student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer. Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Com mittee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260. The editor in chief has the final authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor in chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

Business Manager MATT REILLY

advertising@pittnews.com

Sales Manager DAVE BARR

Inside Sales Manager KELSEY MCCONVILLE

Marketing Manager KRISTINE APRILE

University Account Executive ALEX KANNER

Marketing Assistant LARA PETORAK

Digital Manager ISAAC PROCH

Graphic Designers Jillian Miller Maya Puskaric

March 25, 2016

Account Executives Dave Barrone Steve Bretz Rob Capone Sean Hennessy

Mathew Houck Calvin Reif Allison Soenksen

Inside Sales Executive Marissa Altemus Victoria Hetrick Arianna Taddei

7


Sports

Vidovich, staff plan to re-energize men’s soccer Rachael Lippincott For The Pitt News

After three years without a single win in ACC play, the Pitt men’s soccer team needed a jolt, and Athletic Director Scott Barnes needed an impact hire to fill the empty head soccer coach seat. By impact hire, Barnes meant a coach capable of transforming Pitt’s team — taking a program at the bottom of its conference affiliation and bringing it to the top. For Barnes, that person was undoubtedly Jay Vidovich, a two-time NSCAA National Coach of the Year (2007 and 2008) award winner and five-time ACC Coach of the Year (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009) award winner, who is widely considered one of the best men’s soccer coaches in the NCAA. At the time of his hire, Vidovich was at Portland Timbers 2, a third tier professional U.S. soccer team, and made the decision to return to the college soccer world. When Vidovich accepted Barnes’ offer in December to come to Pitt, Vidovich immediately began laying the groundwork, making two impact hires of his own in assistant coaches Mike Behonick and Jeff Negalha. With numerous championships and 10 awards, as well as more than 15 professional and collegiate soccer playing years between the three, the coaching tandem seems poised to create a team capable of winning championships. After going 0-7-1 in conference play last season, even a fraction of that success would be a gargantuan step forward. Vidovich said creating a culture based on a hardworking and goal-oriented mentality is the key to his enormous past success at Wake Forest, resulting in a record of 272-121-50 and a 2007 NCAA Championship. “It’s all about the culture,” Vidovich said. “It’s about running it like a championship program. It’s a slow drip — an everyday

pittnews.com

Jay Vidovich has the potential to turn a struggling Pitt men’s soccer program around. Courtesy OF PITT ATHLETICS thing, with our players, with our staff, with our training.” According to Barnes, Vidovich is already making a difference. “I witnessed a cultural shift from the day Jay arrived at Pitt,” Barnes said. “This groundwork includes things from red-eye recruiting trips, to compiling an excellent coaching staff. It is clear that Vidovich is focusing on every detail in the hopes of ultimately creating wins, both on the field and in the classroom.” Vidovich has always tried to foster that intense focus in coaching. Given his Wake

Forest resume, it seems to work. William Hesmer, a Wake Forest goalkeeper from 2000-2003 and former professional player, was coached and mentored by Vidovich, and lauded Vidovich’s thoughtful and strategic work. “For Jay, there is not a single decision that is too small. Every single little detail matters,” Hesmer said. “He sets the bar high on and off the field, but that was just the expectation. With all of these details, and all of this hard work, success can and will come. You see the work reward itself.” In Hesmer’s sophomore year, a conversa-

March 25, 2016

tion with Vidovich completely changed the goalkeeper’s life, convincing him to graduate a year early to pursue a professional career. Vidovich was always a source of support for Hesmer, helping him make a plan to graduate and identifying and developing the talent that Hesmer didn’t even know he had. When Hesmer suffered a serious leg injury, ending his Wake Forest career, Vidovich was there to support him. This comes as no surprise to Behonick. “Jay is the complete coach,” Behonick said. “He cares about the players on and off the field. He is a developer of talent and of young men. It’s evident in players I’ve played with and seen that have played for Jay. He has sent numerous talented players to the MLS in his time at Wake Forest.” With two seasons at Penn State and five years at the University of Virginia, Behonick is a veteran coach that has helped these teams to ACC and national championships. On the field itself, Behonick has vast personal experience playing soccer, collegiately for American University and professionally for the Puerto Rico Islanders and the USL. His perspective as a player and a coach greatly colors his teaching style. “Being in locker rooms for so many years has greatly impacted the way I coach,” Behonick said. “His experience taught him a number of things, from what players succeed to the winning and the driven mentality Jay Vidovich talks about, to what coaches produce success from their players.” Behonick also is striving for more active community support, focusing on both present and past students alike. The men’s soccer team is openly inviting alumni to come back for an upcoming April 10 spring game against Duquesne. Vidovich’s other hire is Negalha — the See Soccer on page 9

8


Soccer, pg. 8

Pitt tabs freire as deputy AD

Dan Sostek Sports Editor

Pitt athletics announced a new hire on Thursday afternoon. No, not that hire. Athletic Director Scott Barnes announced the department had hired University of Tennessee at Martin Athletic Director Julio Freire as Pitt’s deputy athletic director for external affairs. Freire will oversee fundraising, ticket sales, marketing, branding, multimedia rights, licensing and merchandising for the program. The position is a new post that the University formed as part of “Scott [Barnes’] continued departmental reorganization that will make [Pitt’s] various operations more efficient, effective and impactful,” according to Executive Athletic Director for Media Relations E.J. Borghetti, “I’m incredibly honored to join Scott Barnes’ team at the University of Pittsburgh,” Freire said in a University release. “So many exciting things are happening at Pitt, not only athletically but throughout the entire University. It

is a great time to be a Panther and I’m thrilled and appreciative my family has been given this opportunity.” Barnes expects Freire to be a big boon to the program. “He will provide key leadership as we continue our departmental reorganization,” Barnes said. “In addition to overseeing our external functions, Julio will have a particular focus on our athletic development operations.” Freire, who was born in Tijuana, Mexico, before moving to Tucson, Arizona, as a child, has a breadth of experience in athletics and education. He ran cross country and track and field for Arizona State, where he graduated in 1990 with a degree in education. He earned a master’s in counseling from University of Phoenix in 1997. He spent a decade as a high school educator in Arizona, working jobs as a teacher, counselor, athletic director, coach and principal. Freire’s first job in intercollegiate athletics was at Ohio University in 2000, where he started as an assistant athletic director for develop-

ment until they promoted him to an associate director position later. He later worked at Tennessee Tech as the school’s associate athletic director for development from 2005 to 2007, before returning to his home state for a job at the University of Arizona as an associate AD from 2007 to 2010. After a stint as a senior associate athletic director at UNLV from 2010 to 2013, UT-Martin hired Freire as its athletic director in 2013, where he has overseen impressive development. Four of the school’s teams won Ohio Valley Conference championships during his tenure, while fundraising gifts to the school increased by 300 percent and corporate sponsorships by 200 percent. He was also instrumental in forming plans to renovate the school’s football field, Harvey Graham Stadium. “Julio brings a fresh perspective as well as a tremendous work ethic to Pitt Athletics,” Barnes said in the release. “His overall experience and passion for collegiate athletics will be a great asset for our entire department.”

The Pitt news crossword 3/25/16

2011 NSCAA National Assistant Coach of the Year spent nine years at the University of North Carolina and an additional year with professional soccer team Orlando City, working with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Teams. “Jeff is a go-getter. He is a guy that will work around the clock to get things done,” Behonick said. “The complement of the three of us, in our personalities, in our connections, in our relationships with different players and coaches and different clubs, is something really big. The tandem of the three of us is the interesting piece.” They’re hoping they can mold an entirely new culture of men’s soccer at Pitt, just like Barnes desired. “It’s a new era for us, for Pitt men’s soccer, for the coaching staff. It’s our first year, but Pitt will see it is the start of this championship culture, that championship team, the relevance of Pitt men’s soccer in the ACC and the NCAA platform,” Behonick said. “This is the start of something big.”

pittnews.com

March 25, 2016

9


I Rentals & Sublet N D E X -NORTH OAKLAND -SOUTH OAKLAND -SHADYSIDE -SQUIRREL HILL -SOUTHSIDE -NORTHSIDE -BLOOMFIELD -ROOMMATES -OTHER

3 bedroom apartment. $1450 (utilities included). 704 Enfield St. 5 bedroom house. $2200 + utilties. 35 Enfield St. Call 412-969-2790. Very large estate located 1/2 block from Ruskin Hall. Offering a 2nd & 3rd floor with a semi-private entrance with 6 BR, 3 BA, large kitchen, common lounge great for studying or entertaining guests. Lots of closets, original restored hardwood floors, partially furnished. Free limited parking. Free laundry room included. Free internet. $700 per person. Can divide each floor into 3 BR each. No lease required but rental term available for duration of school year. E-mail felafelman@gmail.com. 3 & 5 bedroom. May 2016. Sarah St. Large bedroom, new kitchen, air conditioning, washer & dryer, dishwasher, large deck. 412-287-5712. 1,2,3,5,6, & 8 bedroom houses. August & May 2016. Bouquet, Atwood, Ward & Dawson. Please call 412-287-5712.

pittnews.com

Employment

-CHILDCARE -FOOD SERVICES -UNIVERSITY -INTERNSHIPS -RESEARCH STUDIES -VOLUNTEERING -OTHER

-AUTO -BIKES -BOOKS -MERCHANDISE -FURNITURE -REAL ESTATE -TICKETS

**Large efficiences, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments available for August 2016. Clean, walking distance to campus. Great location. $575-$630$900-$1100. Utilities included. No pets/ smoking or parties. 412-882-7568. +++5 bedroom, 2 full baths, huge house, nicely updated, shuttle across street, washer/dryer, $2595+, August 1, photos www.tinyurl.com/pittnewsad4 coolapartments@gmail.com 724-935-2663

1-7 BR apartment/house for rent. Dishwasher, washer/dryer, shuttlebus near property. Also for rent, one 5 BR house in Shadyside. Near CMU & Pitt bus. Call 412-609-4340. 2 bedroom. 343 McKee Place. $1200 (heat included).

2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house. 3201 Niagra St. $1200. A/C, dishwasher, washer and dryer. 1 bedroom. 365 Ophelia St. $550+ electric. Call 412-969-2790.

Classifieds

For Sale

2-3 bedroom apartments for rent located on Atwood St, Dawson St, and McKee Place. For more information or to schedule a viewing, please call 412-849-8694.

Services

-EDUCATIONAL -TRAVEL -HEALTH -PARKING -INSURANCE

2529 Allequippa Street Apartment Available For Rent By Trees Hall beginning August 1st--$1200 2 Bedrooms w/ Central air + BHK--Please call 412-721-8888 if interested. 2BR, 3RD FLOOR apartment. Furnished or unfurnished with laundry. No pets. $950 including utilities. A No-Party Building. Available Aug. 2016. Call 412-683-0363. 310 Semple Street, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. $1500 for 2 person occupancy, $1600 for 3 person occupancy including gas, water, and electric. Very close to campus. Off street parking available. 412-559-6073. marknath12@gmail.com

3104 Niagara Street 6 Bedroom House Available for Rent for $2500--BHK--no utilities but includes central air--Please call 412-721-8888 if interested. 3303 Niagara Street 3 Bedroom House Available for Rent for $1400--BHK--no utilities included-Please call 412-721-8888 if interested. 3444 WARD ST. Studio, 1-2-3 BR apartments available Aug. 1, 2016. Free parking, free heating. Call 412-361-2695. No evening calls please.

Announcements -ADOPTION -EVENTS -LOST AND FOUND -STUDENT GROUPS -WANTED -OTHER

311-1/2 Semple St. 2BR Unfurnished Apartment. For fall 2016 occupancy. Kitchen, bath, living room, basement, front porch, back patio. 2 blocks from Forbes Ave. Dishwasher, disposal. New gas range. New bathroom. Ceramic floor. New vanity and fixtures. Must see. $1200/month+utilities. Call 412-681-3636. PM 412-389-3636.

361 McKee Pl. 4BR + 2BA. $1650 +all utilities. Available May 1. 53 Bates St. 3 BR 2BA. $1300+ all utilities. W/D A/C. Remodeled. Avaiable now. 51 Bates St. 2 BR apartment. $900+ all utilities. Remodeled. W/D and A/C. Available May. 51 Bates St. 3 BR apartment. $1200+ all utilities. W/D and A/C. Available August. 3142 Bates St. 4 BR single house. W/D. $1400+ all utilities. Available August 1. Call 412-721-1308

4 BR townhouses, Semple St., available May 1st 2016. Equipped kitchen, full basement. 412-343-4289. Call after 5:00 pm.

R INSERTIONS 1X 2X 3X 4X 5X 6X ADDITIONAL A 1-15 WORDS $6.30 $11.90 $17.30 $22.00 $27.00 $30.20 $5.00 T 16-30 WORDS $7.50 $14.20 $20.00 $25.00 $29.10 $32.30 $5.40 E S DEADLINE: TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR BY 3 PM | EMAIL: ADVERTISING@PITTNEWS.COM | PHONE: 412.648.7978 (EACH ADDITIONAL WORD: $0.10)

Available 8/1, 1 BR/1 Bath, 5 min. walk to Cathedral, A/C, hardwood floors, newly renovated, starting at $995+, 412.441.1211 Available 8/1, 3 BR/1 Bath, less than 1 mile to campus, updated, Dishwasher and AC, starting at $1325+, 412.441.1211 Available 8/1, 4 br/2bath, Less than 1 mile to campus, Split Level, Updated, Central A/C, $2420+, 412.441.1211

Bates St. 3BR, livingroom, dining-room, eat-in-kitchen. $1095 + utilities. Senior/ Graduate students. Available May 1st. Call Ralph 412-608-2543.

Brand new 2BR apartment in central Oakland for $1800 per month. Apartment has A/C, stainless steel appliances, washer/dryer in unit, spacious living room & bedrooms, heated bathroom floor, hardwood floors and more! Call 412.682.7622 or email sarah@robbrealestate.com for more info on this gorgeous apartment for FALL 2016. EFFICIENCY apartments, quiet building, laundry, shared bathroom, no partying. Short-term or longterm lease. $395-$450 includes utilities. Available immediately. 412-683-0363

March 25, 2016

Large 1-2-3 BR apartments available August 1st. 3450 Ward Street. 312 and 314 South Bouquet Street. Free parking. Minutes to campus. Cat friendly. Call 412-977-0111.

M.J. Kelly Realty Studio, 1, 2, 3, & 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes, Houses. $750-$2400. mjkellyrealty@gmail.com. 412-271-5550, mjkellyrealty.com Newly Updated 4bedroom, 1-bath townhouse. Laundry in basement. $1600+ Utilities. Call 412-292-1860 Nice 4 bedroom, 1 bathroom, plus study. Located close to Pitt campus and Schenley Park. Brand new kitchen and hardwood floors. Free washer and dryer included. $1850+ utilities. Available August 1, 2016. Call Peggy at 724-877-7761. South Oakland Duplex. 4 bedroom 2 baths. Central air, dishwasher, washer and dryer. Available August 1. (412)915-0856. ****************** Large 6 bedroom house for rent. Fall occupancy. Atwood Street. Close to campus. Please call Gary at 412-807-8058

Updated 1BR apartment within walking distance to Pitt for $775 per month. Apartment has A/C, plenty of storage, spacious living room, eat-in kitchen, lots of character and is located on Atwood Street! Call 412.682.7622 or email sarah@robbrealestate.com for more info on this amazing apartment for FALL 2016.

4909 Center Ave. Updated 1 BR with new kitchen, dishwasher & hardwood floors. Laundry, storage and parking available. Close to Pitt & shopping district. Available now and for August. 412-720-4756. 1 BR bungalo in Greenfield with deck and large backyard. $600+ utilities. Close to busline, downtown and Oakland. 412-377-3985. Ask for Karen.

10


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. 412-2552175. Real estate advertising in The Pitt News is subject to the Fair Housing Act. The Pitt News will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate which violates the law. To complain of discrimination, call HUD at 1-800-6699777 or email fheo_webmanager@hud.gov. For the hearing impaired, please call TTY 1800-927-9275. Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2016 & sooner. Oakland, Shadyside, Friendship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availability online, check out www.forbesmanagement.net, or call 412.441.1211

Caregivers and babysitters needed. FT/PT. Earn $25/hour. No experience required. Will train. Call now. 888366-3244 ext. 102.

pittnews.com

Come work where it's Oktoberfest every day. Now hiring for all positions at Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh. Apply in person Monday through Friday. Need helper for school year and summer, hours flexible. $15/hr. Basic maintenance, painting, repairs of Oakland rentals. Dave 412.688.0533 Now hiring professional and friendly individuals to provide backyard pest control treatments in the Pittsburgh area during the spring/summer. Good working environment, excellent pay. Paid training. Need valid driver’s license. Call 412-298-2139. SUMMER HELP NEEDED, Ice company close to campus. Weekends necessary. Production/driving/maintenance positions available. Good pay, part-time/full time. Contact Mastro Ice Company 412681-4423. mastroice@aol.com Rolling Fields Golf Club in Murraysville. Multiple positions available immeduately. Including bartenders, beverage cart, and pro shop assistant. Contact proshop@rollingfieldsgolf.com or 724-335-7522.

Seasonal Work: Shadyside Management Company needs full-time dependable landscapers, painters, and assistant roofers for the summer. Must be at least 18 years old. No experience necessary. $10/hour. Mozart Management, 412-682-7003. Email: thane@mozartrents.com. ATTENTION OCCASIONAL SMOKERS! UPMC seeks healthy adults ages 18-65 who occasionally smoke cigarettes. This research is examining how smokers respond to cigarettes that are low in nicotine. There are up to seven sessions lasting about three hours each. Research participants completing the study will be compensated up to $60 per session, or $20 per hour. For more information, call 412-246-5393 or visit www.SmokingStudies.pitt.edu

Undergrads needed to test tutoring system: 18 or older, native English speaker, adequate academic background as determined by a brief questionnaire. 2-5 hrs; $10/hr., possible $20 bonus. Contact rimac@pitt.edu

SMOKERS NEEDED! Researchers at UPMC are looking to enroll healthy adult cigarette smokers ages 18-65. This research is examining the influence of brief uses of FDA-approved nicotine patch or nicotine nasal spray on mood and behavior. The study involves a brief physical exam and five sessions lasting two hours each. Eligible participants who complete all sessions will receive up to $250, or $20 per hour. This is NOT a treatment study. For more information, call 412-246-5396 or visit www.-SmokingStudies.pitt.edu

Victim of sexual violence? Gilmary has a Christian retreat for you. Visit gilmarycenter.org for details.

March 25, 2016

11


pittnews.com

March 25, 2016

12


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.