the pitt news preview
coming april 5 MARCH 25, 2019 | VOLUME 109 | ISSUE 127 | COVER BY ELI SAVAGE
ELLIOT JONES: SPREADING HAPPINESS ONE PERSON AT A TIME Jon Moss
Assistant News Editor As students at The Perch, the upper campus dining hall, finish their dinners and drop off their plates and utensils, they hear a familiar voice ringing out without fail from behind the drop’s wall. “Thank you, have a good one!” the voice calls to each and every plate. Dining worker Elliot Jones is the source of the disembodied voice from behind the wall, and he hopes a small act of kindness will help to brighten students’ days. “I believe that a little bit of kindness goes a long way,” Jones said. “After long days, no matter what that may entail for you guys, I think the consistency to just be kind throughout that day to uplift and encourage others is a beautiful thing to me.” Jones, who has worked at The Perch for about four years, said his positive outlook is mostly drawn from early interactions with his mother, with whom he regularly attended church. “I think the consistency through her, and with the joy of the Lord, and what it gave her, I think it just trickled down over to me, you know, and to my other siblings as well,” Jones said. Jones was born and raised in Homewood, a Pittsburgh neighborhood located about 20 minutes east of Oakland on the 71D. He grew up as the youngest of four children — Jones has two older sisters and one older brother — under the wing of his single mother. Jones had a close relationship with his mother, but his father wasn’t present for much of his youth, something he’s disappointed about.. The two men later regained contact, he said, but the emotions from his youth were difficult to overcome. “I think you have to overcome your own fears, your own hurts, you know what I mean, the disappointments,” Jones said. “Because it was disappointing. You want your father to be there. You want your father to go to a ballgame.”
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Photo by Sarah Cutshall | visual editor He attended the public Homewood Elementary School and got involved in the music program. While in fourth grade, Jones said his music teacher recognized his budding musical talent and pulled him and a few friends aside to teach them how to play small xylophones. At an elementary school graduation, they performed a small set for the audience. For high school, he attended both the Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy and Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School, spending half a day at each. Jones continued his music studies, learning the tenor saxophone, oboe and clarinet. Jones said that, as he aged, he began to realize his life philosophy differed greatly from that of the environment where he was raised. “Where I grew up at, it was like, kindness is far in between,” Jones said. “I grew up in Homewood. That’s a place where a lot of stealing, a lot of robbery, a lot of gang activity is, so compassion and all that is far from it.” After graduating high school in 1987, Jones decided to make a career out of
his people skills and started to work in the health care industry. He trained in trade school to become a certified nurse assistant, and later worked as a licensed practical nurse at several health care facilities in the Pittsburgh area, helping geriatric patients. Jones said when he first started at some of the homes, the residents were bedridden, and were not being properly encouraged by the staff. He noted that, in some cases, staff members viewed their job as just a paycheck, and didn’t show as much compassion or concern for others. But the patients’ health began to improve once he got involved. “I would see smiles, and I would see a change in their behavior and their activity of daily living,” Jones said. “They’re responding from the kindness, they’re responding from the compassion.” Jones said when he worked to support and uplift the residents, they reciprocated and helped to uplift him. “I think those were phenomenal times in my life, to see a person who was in a bed, really, basically, feeling hopeless and has given up, to feel hope again
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and to want to do again,” Jones said. Now, through his work at Pitt, Jones said he still attempts to keep up his positivity even as he has moved through several different positions. “Whoever came through, I’m gonna say the same thing,” Jones said. “No matter what’s going, you can come through and you can see the majority of us and get a smile or get a warm welcome, you know, and that’s what it’s about.” Jones said it doesn’t bother him that he rarely gets to see those he encourages every night face-to-face. For him, the words themselves are just as important than seeing who he’s speaking them to. “I’m just adamant on wanting to push it out there, as far as positivity. Because it’s easy to be mean. It’s easy to be negative. It’s easy to do anything that we want to do that could tear something down,” Jones said. “I’d rather be on the opposite side of that.” Some of Jones’ coworkers at the dining hall said his upbeat spirit spreads to the rest of the staff. Mary Carter, a cook at The Perch, said working with Jones is “a lot of fun” and that he brings a positive attitude to the dining hall. “He’s a very friendly person, very kind to the students,” Carter said. “Very pleasant, always smiling.” Carter, a native Pittsburgher who has been working at The Perch for about four years, added that Jones always makes himself available to coworkers in case they ever need assistance. “Always willing and able to help,” Carter said. “Always willing to do it, and steps right up to the plate.” The Sutherland Hall Council, part of Pitt’s Resident Student Association, recognized Jones in March as an exemplary member of the residence hall community. Olivia Mania, the council’s recognition chair and a first-year political science major, said Jones brings joy and a positive attitude to the students See Jones on page 4
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CHLOE BA IERL: Kn it ti n g Pretty Maya Best Staff Writer
Chloe Baierl can be found holding a pair of knitting needles almost anywhere, including the first floor of the Cathedral of Learning, behind the counter where they work as a barista at Ace Hotel and even on the bus. They especially enjoy knitting in coffee shops around Pittsburgh, their clear green eyes focused on the task at hand. Baierl began working at a Zeke’s Coffee after they moved back to their native Pittsburgh to attend Pitt following their first year at American University. They have come to associate those environments with their return and readjustment. “I’m a pretty socially anxious person, but I like being around people,” Baierl said. “Coffee shops are kind of an environment where you can be by yourself but amongst others. You can hang out with people but you can also be by yourself and that’s still socially acceptable. So I really like that and I found myself knitting at coffee shops — when I wasn’t working — more and more.” Baierl’s interest in knitting is genetic — they were inspired by their mother to pick up the art. “I saw my mom [knitting] all the time,” Baierl said. “She used to make washcloths a lot when I was a kid. I thought it looked kind of scientific. It was just magical seeing yarn become fabric or something else completely.” Baierl’s mother, who was left-handed, struggled for a while to teach her right-handed child how to knit. It wasn’t until Baierl was 8 years old and their paternal grandmother from Tennessee came up to visit that Baierl
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Photo by Hannah Heisler staff photographer
finally figured it out. Their nana — righthanded — taught them in only five minutes. As a child, they knitted a lot but usually didn’t complete projects. They stopped in middle school, when they felt that knitting “wasn’t cool,” deciding it was “something that only grandmas did.” They didn’t start again until the end of high school as a way of improving their mental health. For Baierl, knitting became a therapeutic way of coping with the anxiety and stress they often struggled with. “I have some fidgety disorders too,” Baierl said. “One of them, I like to pull my hair kind of compulsively and it’s tied to stress, so I used knitting as an outlet to help me not pull my hair as much, to not pick at my fingernails or skin. To do something more productive as an outlet for all of that really anxious energy I was just penting up.” Baierl’s partner of three years, Geoff Bland, described Baierl as knitting anywhere and everywhere, with yarn sometimes tumbling out of their backpack. Bland is supportive of Baierl’s passion and together they are thinking about transforming their basement into a cozy studio space for Baierl to knit and store supplies. “[Knitting’s] almost meditative in a way,” Bland said. “There’s something about the repetitive aspect of it that I think is a great way to keep your hands occupied and not get stagnant around the house. It’s a great way to keep your mind working and they’ve definitely mentioned that it helps a lot of anxiety.” As a double major in English nonfiction writing and literature, Baierl has found a lot
of parallels in writing and knitting. Like knitting, writing requires working with a larger framework in mind of a story they hope to create and explore. However, as they begin writing, this initial outline tends to change as more ideas develop. Similarly, knitting relies on initial planning that changes with progress. “Most of the time when I’m knitting I’m kind of improvising,” Baierl said. “I just kind of go with the flow of it like I do with writing. It’s very cerebral in a way because it allows me to go into a meditative space that’s outside of my normal thought process, and really focus on what I’m creating in front of me, which is kind of like the same headspace I’m in when I’m writing.” Baierl has even blended these two interests — last fall, they made a video essay for their multimedia class exploring how knitting brought them closer to their nana, whom they had previously felt estranged from. Baierl’s father, Bill Baierl, is especially pleased that his child has found a pastime that is good for their mental health and keeps them grounded in the moment. He said that Baierl was creative for as long as he can remember, always engaging in the arts since childhood. “The creativity is just part of their makeup,” he said. “Becoming a release is more of a reaction to their environment. Their grandmother, my mother, who taught them to knit was a graduate of fine arts at Pitt. She was an interior decorator who ran her own shop for quite some time so they come by it naturally. I still paint and draw, and their brother does
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quite well at drawing. The creativity and the artistic aspect is largely genetic and is just part of who they are. We live in very anxious times and it’s been a good release for them.” Baierl’s grandmother passed away in March 2016, but they feel that they carry a part of their grandmother’s life with the interest in knitting that was passed onto them. “I feel a lot closer with her in that respect than by actual interaction that we had,” Baierl said. “It’s kind of like a relationship that transcends time and space, which feels a bit voodoo to say, but I think there is definitely something a bit emotional with a heredity with passing on skills.” As their grandmother taught them, Baierl has continued to share their passion of knitting with friends and coworkers who are also interested in the craft. In high school, Baierl worked as a summer lifeguard, and spent their summers knitting at the poolside. They discovered they enjoyed using fine cotton or linen yarn to make thin, boxy, high neckline tank tops. They think this is because they prefer summer over winter, and knitting these lighter clothes reminds them of warmer weather which makes them happier. They taught the other lifeguards they worked with until knitting together became a summer routine. “Teaching knitting makes me look at it from a different perspective,” Baierl said. “I can do all of the movements without thinking that much. The muscle memory is there, so having to backtrack and find good descriptive words is a cool way to step back and be more reflective of the actual process of it.” See Baierl on page 5
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Jones, pg. 2 he serves. “I think it’s super nice,” Mania said. “Every time you drop off your plates, he’ll say, ‘Oh, thanks. Have a great day.’” Mania, a resident of Sutherland West, added that Jones’ remarks are a common point of connection for residents across the two wings of Sutherland Hall. “It really lightens everyone’s day, I think,” Mania said. “I didn’t really know that it was something that had an impact on other people in the dorm, so it was super interesting to see that a lot of people know who this is.” Reflecting on his philosophy, Jones said everyone should make treating their fellow human beings with kindness part of their daily routines and how they live their lives. “It doesn’t cost anything to be nice. It doesn’t cost anything to say a kind word. It’s free,” Jones said. “So why not give it?”
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Photo by Sarah Cutshall | visual editor
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Baierl, pg. 3 Baierl found a community of knitters while working as a barista at the Ace Hotel downtown — their friend and former coworker Aria Jones is a local artist who runs a knitting group on Tuesday each month from 6 to 8 p.m. Bariel’s coworker at the Ace Hotel and fellow knitter Kaiti Jarose also finds Bariel’s passion very beneficial. The two of them often knit together at work. She is especially impressed by Bariel’s ability to create patterns essentially from scratch. “I think Chloe’s strongest talent in terms of knitting is their understanding of the math,” Jarose said. “I always thought that was really impressive because that’s what has led them to be able to create patterns pretty much from scratch. I’ve gone with them to knitting stores before with just having a project in mind and they were happy to help me figure out what size yarns would do with certain lengths in their head, and they could just do all that from their head.” Baierl sold their knitted products at their first flea market in February at Spirit bar in Lawrenceville, hawking winter beanies, wristlets and coffee cozies. They stick to basic primary colors and earth tones, never really gravitating toward bright yarns. They most frequently knit simplistic beanies and scarves. Right now, they’re working on a massive blanket scarf they started last January that was inspired by a picture they saw of
Lenny Kravitz in his huge scarf. “Before I knit a big thing,” Baierl said, “I’ll make a little square called the ‘swatch’ where I’ll measure exactly how many stitches are in a certain number of inches. Then I’ll take measurements from myself and use the swatch measurement to see how many stitches I’ll need to have for a given garment. This is kind of mathy, and I always really liked math as a kid but was a bit creative and didn’t know how to pair that with math. So knitting is a way to bridge those things, which is really fun.” The hardest thing Baierl said they ever knitted was their first sweater, which took a couple months to complete. They would love to try to knit a bra someday and explore the notions of sexiness and “grandma crafts.” They’re also interested in treading a line between lower craft arts and the fine arts with knitting. “I’m really interested in making knitting into a more finer abstract art form than clothing design,” they said. “You see a lot of people that do that with knitting or weaving or even crocheting, and go out of the realm of clothing and make actual fine art out of yarn.” Knitting in public spaces has given Baierl confidence in their passion, so much so that they feel people are not questioning or judgmental. “It feels nice to do kind of a weird unconventional thing in public,” Bariel said. “Especially with social anxiety. It’s a nice exercise in not really giving a fuck.”
Photo by Hannah Heisler | staff photographer
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News
OAKLAND PROTESTS WHITE OFFICER’S ACQUITTAL Emily Wolfe
Assistant News Editor Protests broke out Friday night in Pittsburgh almost immediately after a jury found white former East Pittsburgh officer Michael Rosfeld not guilty in the shooting of unarmed black teenager Antwon Rose II. Less than a day later, those protests came to Pitt’s campus, where hundreds of demonstrators circled through Oakland, demand-
ing justice for the memory of 17-yearold Rose. The Saturday protest began shortly after 5 p.m. as a circle of about 50 people gathered in Schenley Plaza. Organizers of the protest began call-andresponse chants, including “Who did this? The police did this.” Concentrating on Rose’s age and the fact that he Employees at Chipotle joined in with the protesters’ chants after they had been shot while running away, they entered the restaurant Saturday afternoon. Bader Abdulmajeed | See Protest on page 8 staff photographer
VIGIL HONORS VICTIMS OF NEW ZEALAND SHOOTING
Maggie Young
Senior Staff Writer Fifty white roses lined the stage of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall on Sunday night, each representing a victim of the Christchurch shootings. Filling up the hall, hundreds of Pittsburghers gathered Sunday for “Rehumanize: A Vigil for Muslims in New Zealand” to honor the victims of the Christchurch shootings, which occurred March 16. In addition to paying tribute to the New Zealand victims and their families, the speakers at the vigil addressed the topics of hate and terror in regard to the death of Antwon Rose II and the Tree of Life shooting. The event was organized by Alaa Mohamed, a Pitt grad who now serves as the Program Manager of The Global Switchboard, a Lawrenceville nonprofit designed to engage the Pittsburgh community with issues of social justice. Mohamed explored the theme that gave this event its name — rehumanizing — which
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“Rehumanize: A Vigil for Muslims in New Zealand” began with a ceremony of 50 volunteers going on stage, each holding a white rose to represent one of the victims from the Christchurch shooting. Hannah Heisler | staff photographer
is defined as the nonviolent process of reviving one’s empathy toward others. “Tonight we’re not remembering, we’re rehumanizing,” Mohamed said. “We’re rehumanizing the 50 murdered Muslims from New Zealand. We’re rehumanizing the victims of shootings that have also fallen victim to these patterns of violence, and we’re also going to take a step further and rehumanize the soil and roots that are breeding this hatred and the belief in white supremacy.” The event began with a ceremony of 50 volunteers going on stage, each holding a white rose to represent one of the victims from the Christchurch shooting. After reading a short description of the victim, the presenter placed the white rose at the front of the stage. Fourteen people from various organizations spoke throughout the event. Nur Iren, a sophomore studying computer engineering and the president of Pitt’s Muslim Students’ Association, discussed the importance of cultivating a safe campus environment for all students and
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reaching out to Muslims in the community in this time of grief. “Educating each other on cultural competency can no longer be considered as an afterthought. It is an essential investment in safeguarding our communities from ignorance and hate,” Iren said. Dan Gilman, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s chief of staff, spoke after the discussion of ignorance and hate. “We are still treated differently based on who we are at birth, who we love, what God we pray to, the color of our skin, our religion, and it has to change. We have to drive out the hate that would allow someone to walk into a mosque and murder more than 50 Muslims because of who they were,” Gilman said. Gilman then opened discussion of hatred and gun violence in the Tree of Life shooting and the murder of Antwon Rose II. “We have to drive out the hate that would See Vigil on page 9
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Protest, pg. 6 read a widely circulated poem he had written at 15 about growing up black in America. Protesters supported the creation of a community police review board for Allegheny County. Other demands included the dismissal of Ronald Swartzwelder, the president of the local police union Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge 1, and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala. Zappala served as prosecutor in the trial of Rosfeld, who shot Rose three times in the back in June 2018. The trial began Tuesday, and deliberations began Friday shortly after 4:30 p.m. The jury reached its verdict in less than four hours, acquitting Rosfeld of all charges. Zappala released a statement after last night’s verdict was announced. “While I respectfully disagree with their verdict, it is the people of this commonwealth who decide guilty or not guilty and they have spoken to this matter,” he said. Activists have called previously for the firing of Ronald Swartzwelder, the president of the local police union Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge 1, after a December grand jury report found he had impeded investigations of two police shootings, one of which was fatal. The idea of an Allegheny County police review board, which would consist of community representatives and retired law enforcement officers, gained support in the wake of Rose’s shooting. The board activists envision would facilitate community oversight of every police department in the county, excluding Pittsburgh’s, which has had its own police review board since 1997. At one point, organizers led the protest into The Porch, a restaurant in Schenley Plaza. “Why do you care if you can’t eat right now?” one organizer said to patrons who were dining. “Antwon can never eat again.” After exiting The Porch, the protesters, joined by an increasing number of newcomers, moved to stand in the crosswalks on all four sides of the
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intersection of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard. They blocked traffic for about 10 minutes, though they allowed emergency vehicles to pass. As drivers who were unable to cross Bigelow honked, protesters turned their chant on the drivers, asking, “You can’t get by, but did you die?” The protest followed a circular path, moving down Bigelow to Fifth Avenue, where protesters turned and marched as far as Atwood, eventually returning to Schenley Plaza via Forbes Avenue. Organizers periodically made announcements for the benefits of new protesters, reminding the crowd that it was possible there were undercover police officers and that the protest was intended to be peaceful. There were medics on hand with food and water for anyone who needed it, they said. The march made a brief stop by the Fifth Avenue entrance to Litchfield Towers, where organizers stood on the steps to address the crowd. Several Pitt police officers blocked off the top of the stairs, preventing protesters from going farther. East End resident Dee Wilkerson, who had brought a young child with her to the protest, pointed at the police officers. “You can’t trust them,” she told the child. Wilkerson said she was upset by the pattern she saw in Rosfeld’s shooting of Rose. “I’ve seen this happen my entire life and I am so tired of black men, of unarmed black men, being shot by the police,” Wilkerson said. “It has to end.” The protest lost a few members as it moved through Oakland, but gained many more, growing large enough to fill the intersection at Forbes Avenue and S. Bouquet Street. Clara Grantier, a junior environmental studies major, joined the protest with her friends after hearing the chanting outside. Though she wasn’t familiar with the organizers’ specific demands, Grantier said she joined because she was unhappy with the jury’s finding. “Students should get more involved with causes like this, and holding a protest is a good way to do that,” Grantier said. “I don’t think justice was served.” Brian Gentry and Neena Hagen contributed reporting to this story.
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Vigil, pg. 6 allow someone to walk into a synagogue — blocks from here — and murder senior citizens and special needs individuals because of who they were in a time of prayer,” Gilman said. “We have to drive out the hate that is allowing people to pick up guns and killing young black boys and girls throughout our neighborhood, throughout this city, throughout our state, throughout this country, because of who they are. We have to drive out hate.” The following speakers emphasized the impact of the events following the murder of Antwon Rose II, who was killed on June 19. Rose, 17, was unarmed and shot by white former police officer Michael Rosfeld. Rosfeld was found not guilty on Friday evening. Following Gilman, Pittsburgh hip-hop artist Jasiri X took the stage. Jasiri X is part of
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1Hood Media, which is a group of artists dedicated to spreading awareness for social justice issues. He was joined by a coalition to spread awareness about Rose’s death, and noted they were standing in solidarity with the Muslim and Jewish communities. “We ask you to join us in solidarity to make Pittsburgh a safe place for Muslims, a safe place for Jews and a safe place for black people as well,” X said. This was followed by a reading of a poem Rose wrote in 2017, which reads, “I see mothers bury their sons / I want my mom to never feel that pain.” Next on the stage was Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers of Tree of Life. Myers, who spoke at Soldiers & Sailors for a vigil for the Tree of Life victims last fall, noted he was devastated to be at the same podium again speaking about another act of violence. “When I heard the news [of the Christchurch shootings], it was as though the scab
was ripped off my wounds once again,” Myers said. “You may think, ‘Why should that matter to you, you’re a rabbi.’ It mattered to me because once again, in our world, people who want to just worship their God were not given the opportunity to do so by someone who thought they had the right to act that way, and that person did not.” Myers then questioned the humanity of someone willing to commit mass murder. “When you kill human beings, I don’t know what species you belong to that you want to do something like that,” Myers said. The final speaker of the evening was Wasi Mohamed, the executive director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh. Mohamed ended the evening on a call to action, informing the audience how they can move forward with the information they received throughout the evening. “If we don’t come together like this and if we don’t take action together, then we’re going to ensure that we are as divided as ever,” Mohamed
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said. “Ensure that the hatred in these people’s hearts will stay there forever.” Mohamed also informed the audience that future events, such as a planned “Summit to Rehumanize” will take place to further these efforts. “As Rabbi Myers said, we can not be speaking in the same echo chambers, we have to reach those who need to hear this message. Because if they never hear this, this is cathartic in a way, but we cannot solve these issues,” Mohamed said. In regard to calls to action, first-year student and vigil attendee Anushay Chaudhry encouraged others to stand in solidarity with Muslims as they grieve at this time. “If you’re a non-Muslim, reaching out to a Muslim friend or a Muslim neighbor, and saying, ‘Hey, I know this has impacted you in a really negative way, what can I do to help?’” Chaudhry said. “It can be as simple as just taking the time to listen to their grief.”
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Opinions
Editorial: Rosfeld decision isn’t surprising, still disappointing pittnews.com
Pa. MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION NECESSARY
Julia Kreutzer
Staff Columnist In a world where even presidential candidates are comfortable talking about their experiences with marijuana, it seems recreational and medicinal marijuana use is no longer such a taboo subject. A 2018 study from the Pew Research Center found 62 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana, a 200 percent increase from 2000, when only 31 percent supported legalization. While the public’s growing support and Pittsburgh’s decision to decriminalize marijuana in 2015 mark progress in reducing stigma surrounding cannabis use, there is still inequality regarding who is being targeted for using it. On March 18, Democratic Sens. Daylin Leach and Sharif Street proposed Pennsylvania Senate Bill 350, an extremely progressive cannabis legalization bill. This is just one bill in a series of calls for the legalization of marijuana in the state, with a similar bill proposed in the house in September 2018 by Rep. Jake Wheatley. In the push for meaningfully combating racist practices, creating legal opportunities for medicinal and recreational marijuana users and bolstering the state’s economy, approving SB 350 is an instrumental move. The movement to legalize marijuana makes sense, as cannabis isn’t the “devil’s lettuce” my fifthgrade Drug Abuse Resistance Education program warned me about. Marijuana is regularly used to treat chronic pain, addiction, depression, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and even to subdue the side effects of chemotherapy. Pittsburgh took the first step toward amending the flawed justice system surrounding marijuana in 2015 when the City Council passed a decriminalization ordinance. Decriminalization does not mean that cannabis use is legal, but rather that law enforcement officers can choose to issue citations to individuals suspected of offenses, rather than arresting them. Decriminalization has not stopped the unequal treatment the bill was aimed to reduce, especially for black men and women. Of Allegheny county’s
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2,102 cases of misdemeanor possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana in 2016 and 2017, 51 percent of defendants were black. This is a staggering number considering only 13 percent of the population is black, yet white and black Americans tend to use the drug at similar rates. As expected, the number of arrests for marijuana possession dropped by 160 arrests in 2016. But
with others, in the rise of arrests. Advocates are also upset that the ordinance has had virtually no effect on shrinking the disproportionate gap in which black and white people are arrested for marijuana possession.” Rather than giving officers the option of issuing reduced consequences, Leach and Street’s bill aims to make tangible changes in the criminal justice system. SB 350 commits to expunging convictions for
Eli Savage | contributing editor surprisingly, the number jumped right back up to more than 700 in 2017, eventually surpassing 2015’s total. Ryan Deto, a staff writer at the Pittsburgh City Paper, explained that part of the reason decriminalization was ineffective was its non-compulsory nature. “Without comprehensive data available, Pittsburgh marijuana-reform advocates aren’t sure exactly why the arrests rose in 2017,” Deto said. “However, they say some actions left the door open for officers to ignore the ordinance, which could be a factor, along
possession charges less than one ounce, including commuting prison sentences for those currently serving time. Sen. Street explained on Instagram that this bill doesn’t simply look forward, but aims to amend the injustices currently plaguing the justice system. “Restorative justice must be a part of any effort to legalize the use of cannabis anywhere,” Street said. “An end to the prohibition of cannabis in Pennsylvania is overdue. The economic imperatives for our commonwealth are too great as is our moral mandate to correct the damage that disparate enforcement of
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our Marijuana Laws has done throughout numerous communities in Philadelphia and across the commonwealth.” Pennsylvania spends about $500 million annually to arrest, prosecute and monitor marijuana-based crimes, impacting roughly 25,000 people every year. The state is misusing funds they cannot afford to lose and missing out on tax revenue that could bolster infrastructure. SB 350 proposes allocating the revenue from taxes on cannabis to public education subsidies. Failing to legalize marijuana is simply ignoring an economic opportunity that could truly make an impact. Beyond correcting previous issues, Sens. Leach and Street propose a liberal approach to the legalization of cannabis in the state. There is no hard cap on business licenses, meaning anyone who meets the regulatory standards and has the funds to buy into the cannabis business can apply for a license to grow or distribute marijuana. While public consumption would still be prohibited, licensed lounges would provide a legal space for social consumption. Decriminalization has not done enough to protect people of color from unequal enforcement practices and blatant discrimination. Decriminalization has not done enough to meaningfully reduce incarceration costs and reallocate funds. And decriminalization has not done enough to logically account for increased acceptance and support for marijuana use. Decriminalization is simply not enough. As it stands, Pennsylvania’s marijuana laws give police officers too much leeway for unequal enforcement. Officers are able to act upon internal biases and persecute black people more harshly than their white counterparts. SB 350 sets a clear procedure for the treatment of individuals who consume marijuana rather than relying on officers to decide whether or not to punish a person for infractions. As the only way to meaningfully respond to social justice issues and take advantage of the economic opportunities a growing cannabis industry offers, legalization is critical. Senate Bill 350 offers a tangible, logical and innovative way to rectify previous missteps and move toward a more prosperous future for all Pennsylvanians.
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Sports
WEEKEND SPORTS: BASEBALL, SOFTBALL SUFFER SWEEPS
First-year Abby Edwards pitched against Ohio University during a March 19 game. This past weekend, the Panthers lost all three of their games against Virginia Tech. Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor
Trent Leonard
Sports Editor While the sun came out for the first time in a long time, it was a bleak, dark weekend for Pitt sports. Pitt’s baseball and softball teams went a combined 0-6 in their weekend series, while the tennis team was similarly swept in ACC competition. The gymnastics and track and field teams performed comparatively better, contributing some standout individual achievements and middling team finishes. Baseball The Pitt baseball team needed some positive momentum after losing nine of its last 10 games entering a road series at Virginia. But the Panthers (7-15) continued their downward skid, suffering a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cavaliers. Pitt looked good to start Friday’s series opener, hopping out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a solo blast from
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senior outfielder Connor Perry. Junior pitcher Christian Camacho started the game and held a clean slate through the first two innings. But things started to unravel in the bottom of the third, as Virginia tacked on three runs thanks to two Pitt errors. Perry hit another home run in the top of the fifth, but the Cavaliers bolstered their lead in the bottom of the inning with four more runs. The Panthers’ offense added one more run in the sixth before going stagnant over the last three innings, allowing Virginia to cruise to an easy 13-3 win. Saturday’s game was the closest of the series, with Pitt taking a lead in the fifth inning before conceding it in the eighth. Starting pitcher Dan Hammer was solid over the first 4.2 innings, allowing just two runs while striking out six. But errors undid the Panthers over the latter half of the game, as sophomore relief pitcher Chase Smith al-
lowed five runs but only one earned run. A three-run effort from the Cavaliers in the eighth saw them break a 4-4 tie, eventually holding on for a 7-5 win. Sunday’s finale was a low-scoring pitcher’s duel through the first five innings, with Pitt redshirt junior Derek West and Virginia first-year Mike Vasil allowing only one run each. Cavalier first-year infielder Nic Kent provided the game’s deciding moment in the seventh inning, launching a three-run homer off Camacho that helped Virginia ultimately win, 5-2. The Panthers will look to snap their losing streak when they take on the Youngstown State Penguins on the road this Wednesday at 5 p.m. Softball Pitt’s softball team also suffered a sweep over the weekend, in more of a blowout than its baseball counterpart. Despite playing in the hometown confines of Vartabedian Field, the Panthers (4-25) lost all three games to
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No. 24 Virginia Tech by eight runs or more. Saturday’s doubleheader reaped disastrous results for Pitt. The Panthers looked alright through the first two innings, and despite not scoring a run, first-year pitcher Abby Edwards also held the opposing team to zero. But the Hokies heated up in the third inning, scoring eight runs on Edwards before head coach Jodi Hermanek elected to remove her from the game. Senior reliever Taylor Rahach didn’t fare much better, allowing 10 runs over the next 1.2 innings as Virginia Tech cruised to a mercy-rule win, 18-10, in five innings. The afternoon game didn’t yield any drastically different results — Virginia Tech hopped out to an 8-0 lead before Pitt firstyear outfielder Katie Pavlick scored in the third inning. There wasn’t much action after that, with the Hokies winning 9-1. The Panthers finally got their offense going early in Sunday’s finale, scoring two runs in the first inning off a homer from senior second baseman Alexis Solak. But the Hokies answered back with four runs in the third inning to bolster their 3-2 lead, and Virginia Tech sophomore pitcher Keely Rochard blanked the Panthers for the remainder of the game to deal them a 10-2 loss. Now riding a four-game losing streak, the Panthers will look to get back on track when they take on in-state rival Penn State at home this Wednesday at 5 p.m. Tennis The Pitt tennis team dropped its seventh consecutive match at Wexford’s Oxford Athletic Club on Friday, falling to ACC foe Virginia 7-0. The Cavaliers thoroughly dominated Pitt in this one — only seniors Luisa Varon and Clara Luas managed to extend their singles matches to a third set, with both falling 7-5 See Recap on page 13
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Recap, pg. 12 in the tiebreaker. The Panthers will continue their tough ACC schedule next Friday when they take on NC State at home starting at 3 p.m. Gymnastics Pitt gymnastics competed at the East Atlantic Gymnastics League Championship on Saturday at the University of New Hampshire, earning a team score of 194.900 to place fourth out of six teams. First-year Olivia Miller was the Panthers’ top performer on the day, taking third in the all-around competition with a score of 39.025. Sophomore Haley Brechwald took sixth, largely thanks to a stellar fourth-place finishing score of 9.850 on floor. Pitt’s other quality performers included junior Alecia Petrikis, who tied for sixth place with a 9.800 in the vault competition, along with junior Deven Herbine and sophomore Jordan Ceccarini, who led Pitt on beam with scores of 9.750. Track Pitt’s track and field team continued its outdoor season with a trip down to Tallahassee, Florida, for the Florida State Relays. The men’s team scored 67 points to finish fifth out of eight teams, while the women scored 54 to take seventh place. Junior Dante Watson provided Pitt’s highlight of the weekend, taking first in the 800-meter run in a blazing 1:50.43 — the second-fastest time in the country this season. Also on the men’s team, sophomore high jumper and former ACC indoor champion Greg Lauray leapt his way to a secondplace finish by clearing 6 feet 11.5 inches. The 4x100 relay tandem of senior Kenneth Brosier, sophomore Lonzell Feagin, sophomore Ade Jones-Roundtree and junior Jabari Michael-Khensu finished in 40.79 seconds to take bronze, and first-year Crockett Schooler also took third in the 400-meter hurdles. Junior Aysha Muhammad shone the brightest on the women’s side, notching third-place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. Junior Jordan Fields also contributed a bronze medal in the triple jump with a distance of 38 feet 9 inches, and sophomore Nikki Scherrer took fourth in the 400-meter run with a 54.57-second lap. The Panthers will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday for their next weekend meet, the Raleigh Relays.
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I N D E X
Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER
For Rent North Oakland 3 BR Apartment on 732 S. Millvale Ave. Available August 1, 2019. $1320‑$1630 +gas & electric. 412‑441‑1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesman agement.net Dunseith Street, 5 BR house‑2 Bathrooms, small porch, and
backyard. No pets.
$2200+ utilities. 3 to 5 minute walk to medi‑
cal/dental school. Call
Andrea 412‑537‑0324. Newly renovated, fully furnished, 4 & 5 BR, 2‑1/2 BA houses. Located near Pitt Dental School and Carlow University. Laundry services available. Rent $600/ mo per unit, which includes utilities. 5 BR available immedi‑ ately, 4BR available Aug. 1. Contact Chris 412‑656‑5693.
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Employment • CHILDCARE • FOOD SERVICES • UNIVERSITY • INTERNSHIPS • RESEARCH • VOLUNTEERING • OTHER
South Oakland 1‑2‑3‑4‑5 Bedroom apartments/houses. Rents starting at $650 for 1BR. May or August availability. 412‑999‑2124 1,2,3,4,5,6 bedroom houses in South Oakland. Available August 1st or May 1st. Newly remodeled. Bouquet, Meyran, Atwood, Semple St. Call 412‑287‑5712 for more information. 2 and 3 bedroom located on Meyran. Newly renovated, air‑conditioning, dishwasher, and washer/dryer. Avail‑ able Summer 2019. 412‑915‑0856 or email klucca@veri‑ zon.net. 2 Bedroom Apart ment. Rent: $1690 + electric. Avail‑ able August 1, 2019 on Louisa St. 412‑441‑1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesman agement.net. 2 BR house and 3 BR
Classifieds
For sale
• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS
notices
services
• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE
house, South Oakland, very nice, good rent, close to Pitt. Avail‑ able Aug. 1, 2019. Call 412‑881‑0550 or email apetrov@ pitt.edu 2BR houses and apart ments available in August. Unfurnished, no pets. Atwood/S. Bouquet. Call 412‑492‑8173 3326 Juliet St. Big 3 bedroom, 2‑story house 1.5 bath, fully equipped eat‑in kitchen/appliances/ new refrigerator, living, dining room, 2 porches, full base‑ ment, laundry/ storage, park‑ ing on premises, super clean ‑move‑in condition. Near universities/hospi‑ tals/bus. $1800+. 412‑337‑3151 3408 Parkview Ave. Studios, 1‑2‑3 BRS Available June &Aug. Pet Friendly & Park ing. CALL NOW! 412‑455‑5600 3436 Ward. Spacious 2‑Bedroom, 1 bath, equipped kitchen, $1,195 + electric,
• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER
Heat included. 412‑271‑5550 3444 Ward St. ‑ Stu dio and 1bedroom apartments. Free heating, free parking. Available May & August 2019 move‑in. Call 412‑361‑2695 3BR apartment, cen tral air, washer/dryer, water included in rent, available 8/1/19. $1,350/mo. Call 412‑398‑6119. Apartments for rent. 2 and 3 bedroom apart‑ ments available. Some available on Dawson Street, Atwood Street, and Mckee Place. Newly remodeled. Some have laundry on site. Minutes from the University. For more info please call Mike at 412‑849‑8694
R A T E S
Insertions
1-15 Words
16-30 Words
1X
2X
3X
4X
$6.30
$11.90
$17.30
$22.00
$7.50
$14.20
$20.00
$25.00
5X $27.00 $29.10
6X $30.20 $32.30
Add. + $5.00 + $5.40
(Each Additional Word: $0.10)
Deadline:
Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978
property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Permits, Licensing & Inspections. 412‑255‑2175. Brand new remod‑ eled spacious duplex. 5BR, 2BA, second and third floors with wooden floors. Laundry room in apartment. $3000 +utilities. Call 412‑871‑5657 Dawson Village Apts. near CMU and Pitt. One bedroom apt. available for immediate move in. On bus line, close to restaurants and shops. *CALL IN FOR SPECIALS!* Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546
August 2019 rental. Studio & 1 Bedrooms. Heat included; parking. Charles Greve Company Real Estate 412‑261‑4620.
Furnished apartment for rent. 1 bedroom available immediately. $700/mo includes all utilities (for 1 occu‑ pant) except electric. Convenient to schools and hospitals. Call Nancy for appoint‑ ment 412‑681‑7201.
Before signing a lease, be aware that no more than 3 unrelated people can share a single unit. Check
House for rent, 6 BD 3 bath with kitchen and living room. Furnished. $650 each bedroom per mont
March 25, 2019
plus utilities. On At wood. Contact Helen at 412‑461‑5709. M.J. Kelly Realty. Studio, 1, 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes and Houses. N. & S. Oakland from $750‑$2500. mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412‑271‑5550. www.mjkellyrealty. com North/South Oakland Houses and Apart ments with Laundry and Central Air. Call or text 412‑38‑Lease Now Renting Fall 2019! Various Two BR units in South Oakland, Bates, Coltart, Edith, Halket Place, Ward Street; rent starting from $975‑$1410 Contact: John C.R. Kelly 412‑683‑7300 www.jcrkelly.com info@kellyrealtyinc. com Now Renting for Fall 2019 One Bedrooms located conveniently throughout South Oakland Rents Starting at:
$740‑$825 Contact: John C.R. Kelly Office: 412‑683‑7300 Email: info@kellyre altyinc.com Website: www. jcrkelly.com Recently reno’ed S Oakland 3BR house, $1800/mo + utilities. Spacious, beautiful, well‑maintained. Dishwasher, washer/ dryer, central AC. Close to Pitt campus & shuttle. Off‑street parking available. Panther Properties, 412‑328‑6236, pan therproperties2@ gmail.com. pan‑ ther‑life.com/oakland Welsford St. ‑Large 6 bedroom house, 3.5 bathrooms. Recently renovated with dish washer, washer/ dryer. $2900/month. 724‑825‑0033
Shadyside 4909 Centre Ave. Great location for this spacious 1BR apartment located be tween Pitt and CMU. On buslines, near restaurants, hospital.
Rent includes heat. Laundry, storage & parking available. Updated kitchens and hardwood floors. $100 Amazon gift card upon move in. Avail‑ able spring, summer and fall. Contact Sue at 412‑720‑4756. Brett/Thames Manor Apts. (Ellsworth & S. Negley Ave.) near CMU and Pitt. Studio‑One‑Two bed room apts. available for immediate move in. On bus line, close to restaurants and shops. *CALL IN FOR SPECIALS!* Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546 Shadyside: 1 and 2BR, great location, hardwood floors. Free heat. Immedi‑ ate occupancy. Call 412‑361‑2695 Shadyside: Studio ($740) or 2 Bedroom ($1190). Quiet, clean, well‑maintained apartment house. Great location ‑ in heart of Shadyside! Fully equipped kitchenette, A/C, laundry, wall‑to‑wall carpeting. Near
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Pitt shuttle and city busline and shopping. No pets, no smoking. Available Aug. 1st. 412‑628‑1686.
Southside A very nice 2BR apartment is available with a start date of June 1. Located in a large apartment building that primarily houses university students, this apart ment is updated with skylights, appliances and it’s own laundry. Building has a shared courtyard which has a grill and tables for relaxing outside. No pets, no smok‑ ing. Rent is $1299/ mo. +utilities. If interested call Louis 412‑770‑4419
Rental Other Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2019 & sooner. Oakland, Shadyside, Friend‑ ship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availabil‑ ity online, check out www.forbesmanage ment.net, or call 412.441.1211
Workplace, is seeking caring individuals. Caregivers work alongside seniors to provide companion ship, light housekeep ing, personal care ser vices. Flexible hours available. If interested call 412‑363‑5500 Medical and Heart Care, Students Welcome, 155 N. Craig Street, Dean Kross, MD, 412‑687‑7666
SUMMER WORK
Shadyside Manage ment Company seeks person w/ min 2 yrs. college, for upcoming spring semester, to interview & process rental applicants, do internet post‑ ings & help staff our action‑central office. time or OFFICE INTERN
Shadyside Manage ment Company needs full‑time dependable landscapers, painters, and assistant roofers for the summer. Must be at least 18 years old. No experience necessary. $11/hour plus additional atten dance bonuses are available, if earned. Work involves land scaping, painting, roofing, and general labor. Perfect sum mer job for college
Employment Other Comfort Keepers, a Post‑Gazette Top
Mozart Management 412‑682‑7003
pittnews.com
Mozart Management 412‑682‑7003 thane@mozartrents. com
OFFICE INTERN
Shadyside Manage ment Company seeks person w/ min 2 yrs. college, for upcoming spring semester, to interview & process rental applicants, do internet post‑ ings & help staff our action‑central office. Either Part time or full time OK now; full time over the summer. $13/hour. Perfect job for sophomores & juniors, seniors planning to enter grad school, returning grad students, and first‑year law students!
Employment
thane@mozartrents. com full time OK starting now; full time over the summer. $13/ hour. Perfect job for sophomores & juniors, seniors plan ning to enter grad school, returning grad students, and first‑year law students!
students! Mozart Management phone:412‑682‑7003 email:thane @mozartrents.com Team Scotti (insur ance broker for major league baseball) seek ing an information technology intern to assist in technical sup‑ port, troubleshooting issues, organization and maintaining IT resources. Help with upgrading network equipment, assisting IT and other depart‑ ments with reports, tracking hardware and software inventory and other duties as assigned. Ideal candidate would have strong computer skills and a passion to learn. Familiarity with Access is required. Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently is necessary. Contact Dave Webster at dwebster@team‑ scotti.com for further information.
The Pitt News SuDoku 3/25/19 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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