3-29-17

The Pitt News

COLUMN: LOOKING AT PITT’S LGBTQ+ RESOURCES Page 7

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | march 29, 2017 | Volume 107 | Issue 148

County Controller criticizes PWSA’s lead plans

MOUNTAIN-ERRORS BASEBALL LOSES TO RIVAL WEST VIRGINIA AT HOME PAGE 8

Stephen Caruso

Contributing Editor At a press conference in her Downtown office on Tuesday, Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner considered the scope of lead in Pittsburgh households’ water and called it like she sees it: a public health crisis.

“One in four homes have lead lines, and the [Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority] doesn’t know where they are,” Wagner said. “It’s Russian roulette.”

The conference was not preempted by an official audit from Wagner’s office’s but instead by their own internal research, usually done to enforce fiscal responsibility and more efficient government. During the talk, Wagner criticized the speed and tactics that the PWSA and the city have used to address lead in Pittsburgh’s water — specifically that it is only replacing half of each afflicted homes’ lead service lines, or the pipes that run from the water mains under city streets into people’s homes.

The Authority is only half replacing lines because it claims it cannot work on private property due to state laws. The authority then leaves homeowners to shoulder the costs for the half of the line left underneath their lawns or driveways.

The PWSA estimates that 16,000 to 20,000 homes, or 20 to 25 percent of the water network’s households, have lead serSee Lead on page 3

Redshirt senior Jacob Wright was the most effective Panther at the plate on Tuesday, going 3-4 with a solo home run. Wenhao Wu SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

AKA Sorority, Inc. hosts self-esteem event Andrew O’ Brien Staff Writer

Glance at the cover of “Glamour” or “Cosmo” magazines, and chances are your eyes will meet the baby blues or emerald greens of a smirking model with flawless skin.

Her face is smooth and airbrushed, her every imperfection obscured with foundation and Photoshop. But when that model looks in the

mirror, she doesn’t see the same face you see on the magazine cover.

Touching on this issue of unrealistic beauty standards, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. — the oldest Greek-letter organization established by black women in the United States — hosted an event to boost female self-esteem and attack beauty norms. The event, which was held in room 837 of the William Pitt Union from 9 to 11 p.m. Tuesday, was intended for college

women. About 20 students and community members attended the event, “Lady of Steel,” which marked the close of ALA’s second day of SKEE-week — a week featuring programming that promotes awareness for the services the sorority provides to the community.

Shawnee Sparrow, a member of the sorority, started the night by teaching the audience how to recognize low self-esteem in themselves and See Self Esteem on page 4

News

SGB town hall brings low attendance Nolan Roosa Staff Writer

Student Government Board’s monthly town hall lasted only 15 minutes Tuesday night, a change from the typical hour-long meeting.

Nordy’s Place was nearly empty while board members reminded the few attendees to apply for SGB committee positions for the upcoming year.

SGB’s town-hall-style meetings, which begin at 8:45 p.m., lack the usual board and committee reports to leave more time for student input. The town halls are held once a month, and this week’s was SGB’s third attempt at inviting students. Only two students spoke during the open floor Tuesday night, one with concerns about the lack of space for lines in the Cathedral Cafe and another praising the newest tool Pitt unveiled to help students schedule classes.

Judicial Committee Chair Jad Hilal emSGB President-elect Max Kneis said the board will continue looking for more phasized the importance of these meetings, ways to reach the student body. Kyleen Considine STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

voicing frustration at students’ missed opportunity.

“Everyone has their one issue they want fixed...town halls are a great place to do it,” he said. “[The student body] underestimated the potential that SGB has to help out students.”

Though SGB leaders see town halls as opportunities to engage more people, students have yet to embrace the idea — the last town hall also struggled with turnout. SGB board member Max Kneis and Hilal cited midterms and the time of the year as reasons for low absence.

At the last town hall March 1, the board listened to two student groups: the Pitt Progressives as well as the Pitt Fossil Fuel Divestment Coalition, which is pushing the University to divest from fossil fuels. The board then tasked the First Year Council with carrying out research into other divestment movements at colleges around the country.

See SGB on page 10

Alma mater honors Bonner with leadership award John Hamilton

Assistant News Editor Washington & Jefferson College honored 1994 grad Kenyon Bonner Tuesday night for the leadership he’s displayed in his 13 years at Pitt.

Bonner, Pitt’s vice provost and dean of students, received the Maurice Cleveland Waltersdorf Award, given to W&J students and alumni who have the demonstrated leadership qualities similar to that of Maurice Waltersdorf — former 32-year chairman of the Department of Economics at the college, according to a W&J press release.

“Bonner is passionate about his work in student affairs and believes that working with college students is one of the greatest privileges in the world,” the release said.

After starting at Pitt as the associate

pittnews.com

director of residence life in 2004, Bonner quickly advanced through the ranks of the Division of Student Affairs, becoming director of student life after less than a year at the University. He received the Chancellor’s Award for Staff for Excellence in Service to the University, which is the highest honor the University of Pittsburgh bestows on staff, in 2013 for his engagement with students and staff.

Pitt named Bonner interim vice provost and dean of students in January 2015, a position he officially assumed February 2016.

As dean, Bonner is responsible for overseeing the Division of Student Affairs, which includes Student Life, Residence Life and the University Counseling Center.

When Bonner was hired as dean, Provost Patricia Beeson said he would focus on

evaluating the University’s advising and career services, expanding the OCC and addressing diversity on campus.

As part the Year of Diversity, Bonner has held two Dialogue with the Dean events focused on getting student input on issues of diversity.

“The spirit of this event is really a genuine interest in hearing from you students,” Bonner told the crowd at the first discussion. “In order to get where we need to be, we all need to be involved.”

Along with his focus on diversity, Bonner also places high value on learning outside the classroom. During the hiring process, Bonner said he would prioritize improving student involvement in the OCC. “We need to make it more seamless. Stu-

March 29. 2017

dents are participating in things we think they should be, but we have to show it makes a difference,” he said in his interview for the position.

Bonner graduated from W&J in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy. In his senior year there, he helped the college’s basketball team reach the NCAA Division III Elite 8. He was also the inaugural president of the Black Student Union and continues to work with the African-American community at the college.

After his undergraduate years, Bonner earned a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling at Kent State University. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in higher education management at the University of Pennsylvania.

2

Lead, pg. 1 vice lines.

Looking at the problem, Wagner said the city should step in to halt these partial line replacements and begin replacing the entirety of every lead service line for free with public money.

Pittsburgh lead issues were brought to light in April of 2016, when the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ordered the PWSA to test it’s water for lead. The results came back at 22 parts per billion, well over the 15 parts per billion action level required by federal law. With the high levels, the DEP then ordered the PWSA to start replacing lead lines.

In elevated levels, lead, which can enter the water from deteriorating pipes, can stunt mental growth and cause hyperactivity and aggressiveness in children.

Wagner called the current solution, that puts half the cost of safety from lead directly on the PWSA customers, the “pay up or be poisoned” method at the conference.

In a statement for the city, Mayor Bill Peduto’s Chief of Staff Kevin Acklin re-

sponded by citing commonwealth law which prevents the city from working on residents’ private property.

“As most lawyers know, Pittsburgh, unlike Philadelphia, is barred by the state Municipal Authorities Act from replacing residential lead service lines,” Acklin said in the statement.

While the PWSA refused to comment on Wagner’s press conference specifically, it has previously refuted that the authority has the right to work on private land.

It claims state law precludes it. Wagner instead asserted at the conference the public solution she advocates could be accomplished with a combination political will and funding.

“If [an issue is] a priority of the city, they find ways around [the law],” Wagner said.

Wagner attacked the “half measure on lead” in an official release today, citing the research of Virginia Tech’s Marc Edwards — who worked to expose the elevated lead levels in Flint, Michigan.

“Frankly, doing nothing is preferable to doing a half-pipe replacement,’” she said, quoting Edwards. When a lead pipe is disturbed while being half replaced, it frees

additional lead sediment into the water.

The County Controller also said a full line replacement plan protected renters who don’t control what their pipes are made of. While federal protections exist requiring landlords to inform renters about lead paint, no law requires testing or informing renters about lead pipes.

To fund the full replacement of lead lines, Wagner said the city should lift funds from other sources, such as the $10 million gained in a tax deal with the Rivers Casino last fall.

Wagner was also skeptical of Peduto’s role in the PWSA’s organization. He appointed a committee to look into rebuilding the PWSA , and personally intervened in the contract negotiations of current PWSA Executive Director Bernard Lindstrom — a decision usually left to the mayoral appointed PWSA board.

On all points, Wagner felt the mayor was using his power to push for the privatization of the PWSA, a charge Peduto has denied. The Mayor has considered creating a public-private partnership for the city’s water, however.

“It appears the County Controller instead wants to preserve the status quo at

the Authority and push massive tax increases on city residents, all while taking cheap political shots at those actually working to address the authority’s issues,” the statement from Peduto’s office said.

While lead has been a rising issue in the city since last April, the city officially announced its own action plan March 8.

After announcing three separate groups — including low income families, homes with lead over 10 ppb, and houses in areas where lead lines were being replaced.

While it’s approaching one year since the DEP first cited the PWSA, the city announced a plan to allot free water filters to every PWSA customer with the $1 million gathered from People’s Natural Gas, the PWSA and the city’s own funds.

However, in neither the first release nor today’s release did the city clarify a time frame for filter distribution.

Looking at the plan, Wagner felt it was a good “band-aid” but refused to see it as anything more.

“Even though filters are a good first step, we aren’t seeing them,” she said.

“There can not be a delay on a full solution.”

The Pitt News SuDoku 3/29/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

pittnews.com

March 29. 2017

3

Self Esteem, pg. 1 others.

“Being overly critical of yourself, ignoring your accomplishments and being pessimistic are all some signs of low self-esteem,” Sparrow, a senior chemical engineering major, said. “I do some of these — we all do — but having low self-esteem means you’re closer to the bottom of the [mental illness] spectrum.”

Sparrow identified the tendency to measure one’s own beauty against the ideal female beauty standard women see in movies and magazines as one of the chief causes of low self-esteem.

“Social media places a lot of pressure on women to look good,” Sparrow said. “Heaven forbid our eyebrows are not on fleek.”

Monay Cowan, a first-year communications and psychology double major, who heard about the Lady of Steel event over Instagram, agreed.

“A lot of women compare themselves to celebrities,” Cowan said. “It teaches them not to be themselves.”

After Sparrow finished her brief presentation, the event leaders took out a beach ball with questions regarding facets of self-esteem scrawled over it in black marker. Following the leaders’ instructions, the audience members passed the ball around from person to person.

pittnews.com

March 29. 2017

When they caught the ball, they read and answered whichever question their right thumb landed on.

Some questions were lighthearted, icebreaker-style inquiries, like, “Would you rather find true love or win $10 million?” Others were more serious and introspective, such as, “What is your advice to someone who wants to boost their self-esteem?” or “What is your least favorite thing about yourself?”

Alex Warner, a first-year English writing major, caught the ball and read “What is your greatest fear?”

Warner thought for a few moments, then answered, “I think my greatest fear is… I won’t believe in my strength to get back up.”

Because of the prevalence of issues with self-esteem and other related mental health concerns, Joslyn Wilburn, a senior communications major and SKEE-Week chairperson, said it’s important for AKA to host events like Lady of Steel to give these serious problems more attention. According to Wilburn, societal expectations for women’s body shape and size are just one example of how these preconceived ideals often do more harm than good.

“Women think they have to be size zero to be accepted,” Wilburn said. “They really don’t.”

4

Opinions

The Pitt News

from the editorial board

Seek valuable experiences outside of just leadership As the end of the academic year swiftly approaches, the season for college, grad school and job applications is upon us.

From first-year students trying to find their first internship to anxious seniors procrastinating their final papers, we’re all wondering if the classes we’ve taken, grades we received and experiences we’ve had are enough to set us apart from our peers and on the path to success.

The New York Times published a column this week about the tendency for American society, and especially college admissions, to place so much emphasis on the value of leadership that it has diminished its meaningfulness. And this sparked a discussion among the editorial board about what exactly we should be striving for when we pursue opportunities to lead.

Leadership is a must-mention buzzword during any college application or job interview today. Harvard includes it as one of the top criteria for admission to the university, following maturity and character. More than 80 percent of employers look for evidence of leadership skills on applicant’s resumes, according to a 2016 study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. And even at Pitt, one of the three short-answer questions on Pitt’s undergraduate application focuses entirely on how applicants have “exhibited outstanding leadership.”

At Pitt, we have an entire University office dedicated to fostering students leadership skills on campus. Programs such as Emerging Leaders or Nordenberg Scholars teach helpful skills but also further the traditional understanding of leadership as an elusive trait one must gain through practice instead of something that can be done by anyone in any field. It’s this one-sizefits-all approach to leadership that makes it a problematic core value in our society.

There’s nothing wrong with being a leader if that’s what you want to do. But when we favor leadership as one of our top qualities for success, we foster an inauthentic development of those

pittnews.com

skills. We tell students it’s more important to get a role doing any kind of leadership than pursuing something they’re actually passionate about.

In the Times column, the author spoke with students who said they often understand leadership skills in the context of jobs or the university to be synonymous with people who are authoritative and dominant — ideas that undoubtedly symbolize success. But the problem with those associations is that they perpetuate the idea that characteristics more strongly associated with being a follower — such as kindness, creativity and teamwork — are not valued skills to cultivate.

The traditional type of leadership we’re fostering among young people, the kind that prioritizes the spotlight and the opportunity to pad a resume, is not a holistic or healthy one. If it’s actual leadership we’re valuing, we should strive to uphold a definition of leadership that doesn’t just mean being in charge and making executive decisions.

There are plenty of important and constructive skills to be learned from behind the scene jobs that can also be valuable leadership experiences. Graphic designers, software engineers and researchers often aren’t considered leadership positions, but all of those careers require independent thought, analytical thinking and the ability to work with a team — all experiences just as valuable as overseeing projects.

Most people, in fact, start as students or apprentices. They begin as followers, where they not only learn their craft, but also begin critiquing the way their mentors and bosses lead. Experiencing that side of the power dynamic can be just as valuable as assuming control.

College and graduate admissions and employers have come a long way in recognizing how diversity among students and staffs contribute to successful institutions. Now it’s time to broaden our understanding of what it means to lead.

Editor-in-Chief ELIZABETH LEPRO

Managing Editor LAUREN ROSENBLATT

editor@pittnews.com

manager@pittnews.com

News Editor ASHWINI SIVAGANESH

Opinions Editor AMBER MONTGOMERY

newsdesk.tpn@gmail.com

tpnopinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor STEVE ROTSTEIN

Culture Editor EMILY BRINDLEY

tpnsports@gmail.com

aeeditors@gmail.com

Visual Editor JOHN HAMILTON

Layout Editor JORDAN MONDELL

pittnewsphoto@gmail.com

tpnlayout@gmail.com

Online Editor MATT CHOI

Copy Chief SIERRA SMITH

tpnonline@gmail.com

tpncopydesk@gmail.com

Alexandria Stryker | Assistant Copy Amanda Reed | Assistant News Editor James Evan Bowen-Gaddy | Assistant News Editor Copy Staff Henry Glitz | Assistant Opinions Editor Alexa Marzina Maria Castello Bayard Miller | Assistant Sports Editor Amanda Sobczak Matthew Maelli Meghan Sunners | Assistant Visual Editor Bridget Montgomery Mia DiFelice Corey Foreman Michelle Reagle Emily Hower | Assistant Layout Editor Kelsey Hunter Rachael Crabb Matt Moret | Online Engagement Editor Kim Rooney Rielly Galvin Stephen Caruso | Online Visual Editor Kyleen Pickering

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 CALVIN REIF

advertising@pittnews.com

Sales Manager SEAN HENNESSY

Inside Sales Manager MARISSA ALTEMUS

Marketing Manager LARA PETORAK

Digital Manager ISAAC PROCH

Graphic Designers Madison McClure

Marketing Assistant Katie Bozzo

March 29. 2017

Sydney Mengel

Production Manager MAYA PUSKARIC Account Executives

Robert Capone Matty Houck David Barone Jill Baldauf

Inside Sales Executive Scott Elias Arianna Taddei Izzy Krempa

Julianne Rohac Antonio Blundo Isabel Scrabis University Account Executive David M. Barone

6

column

Pitt measures up on LGBTQ+ resources Christian Snyder

universities,” said Peter Crouch, the president of the Rainbow Alliance, one of Pitt’s American universities have been at the most visible LGBTQ+ organizations. There are 18 buildings on Pitt’s Oakland campus forefront of cultural change for decades.

From free speech movements at Berkeley that have single-occupancy restrooms availin the 1960s to a student carrying her mat- able for use regardless of the user’s gender tress around campus to raise awareness of identity. sexual assault, many of our country’s biggest social movements have started at the collegiate level. And movements for transgender rights may be the next frontier we cross.

When President Trump’s Justice and Education departments announced their joint reversal of the Title IX executive guidelines late last month, they dealt a swift blow to the basic rights of transgender students across the country.

Trump’s actions are a giant step backwards. When the Obama administration announced the expanded protection in May 2016, it felt like a battle — at least the most basic of legal struggles — was won. Trump’s changes have left many in the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender students at local schools, distraught. But Pitt’s response was reassuring.

“In the wake of this announcement, I want to clarify that our current policies and practices regarding protection from discrimination based on gender and gender identity, including specific policies and practices regarding access to university facilities, remain unchanged,” wrote Pamela Connelly, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, in a mass email to the student And Pitt has other academic departbody last month. ments and social features that illustrate its Pitt updated its current gender nondisactive commitment to accommodating all crimination policy in 2015 after the Unistudents, similar to other universities with versity settled a contentious gender dissolid reputations for their LGBTQ+ resourccrimination lawsuit with Seamus Johnston, es in the U.S. Th e City University of New a transgender student who Pitt Johnstown York, Rutgers University and the University expelled in 2012 for continually using the male locker room. The extensive criticism of Pennsylvania all offer options for students Pitt received after the case was undoubtedly to pursue interests in LGBTQ+ studies on a big factor in the updated standards that are an academic level, as does Pitt through the now keeping it well in line with some of the Gender and Women’s Studies program. San country’s most LGBTQ-friendly universi- Diego State University has hosted a Lavender Graduation — a ceremony that specifities.

“The University’s current policy regard- cally honors LGBTQ+ graduates — for the ing bathrooms… is great and aligns well last eight years, and Pitt also started one last with the current best practices at [other] year.

Tufts University offers queer-friendly

Columnist

pittnews.com

housing on campus, called the Rainbow House, that is meant to provide a safe and comfortable living environment for all sexual and gender identities on campus. While Pitt has no on-campus housing designated specifically for queer students, the University did make gender-neutral housing avail-

Liam McFadden STAFF ILLUSTRATOR able in the Ruskin Hall apartments in fall 2016, empowering students to live in a way that expresses and confirms their gender regardless of sex assigned at birth.

“While [no queer-friendly housing] is not a huge problem, [Ruskin] has been able to accommodate all students, which is great,” said Crouch on Pitt’s updated living options.

Pitt also allows students to easily change their official name and pronouns to their preferred ones on their University diploma and other official documents, including issuing a new Panther Card at no charge. The whole process can even be done from your laptop.

“That still is a great step because it helps

March 29. 2017

students feel safer and know that the University is on their side if there is an incident,” said Crouch, referring to the University’s update of their existing policies.

In addition to name changing and pronoun use, the University has enabled trans students to begin their gender confirmation process here on campus. The Student Health Center can provide consultation, prescription and maintenance for students interested in cross gender hormonal therapy, and the Student Health Services pharmacy can fill these prescriptions right on campus.

With this access to medication comes the valuable assistance of Health Center nurses, who have been trained to teach patients how to self-administer hormonal medications.

It’s a relief to watch this shift toward nondiscrimination and see how Pitt is signaling to the city at large that equality is the new norm and that anything less is unacceptable.

Yet on a national level, Trump has signaled that he and his administration won’t be loyal to LGBTQ+ students in controversial cases. It is important now more than ever to note that just because there is a formal repeal of guidelines, it doesn’t mean we have to stop acting inclusively in our daily lives.

And, according to Crouch, it seems like we haven’t.

“In general, regardless of the current administration, public opinion is generally trending towards acceptance as more people become aware that trans people aren’t some sort of scary threat to others’ safety — that they’re just regular people,” he said.

Even with young people on college campuses working so hard to normalize these practices, there is still more to be done. In order to create sustainable change, it’s important to make sure these resources are normalized throughout society, and not just in our collegiate bubble.

And doing so now is the only option.

Just as it did for the civil rights movement or protests of the Vietnam War, history will not reflect kindly on those who choose to ignore transgender rights at this critical time.

Christian primarily writes on social justice and campus issues for The Pitt News.

Write to him at cjs197@pitt.edu.

7

Sports Mountain too tall to climb against West Virginia Ryan Zimba Staff Writer

In the first of two Backyard Brawl games this season, the Pitt baseball team fell to the West Virginia Mountaineers, 8-4, due to a horrendous fifth inning in which the Panthers gave up five runs and committed three errors.

The Panthers (11-11 overall, 4-5 ACC) were unable to surmount a seven-run deficit against the Mountaineers (13-9 overall, 2-1 Big 12) despite a late comeback attempt.

First-year pitcher Dan Hammer gave a solid effort for the Panthers despite a rocky start, going five innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits. Unfortunately for the team, sloppy defensive play leading to five unearned runs doomed Hammer’s start. But Hammer thought more of the blame lay with him instead of his defense. “[I] definitely could’ve been a lot better.

I had a ton of walks through the five innings,” Hammer said. “If I don’t have those walks, I think the defense could have been better.”

The Panthers were in trouble early after Hammer walked the first two Mountaineer batters. He turned things around quickly though, striking out the next batter before senior catcher Manny Pazos picked off WVU’s Kyle Davis at first. The Panthers managed to get out of the jam on the next play — a groundout to junior third baseman Nick Banman.

Pitt had a scoring opportunity of their own in the bottom of the first inning as the team had runners on second and third with just one out. But they were also unable to convert, and Banman and senior shortstop P.J. DeMeo were both struck out

by Mountaineer pitcher Isaiah Kearns.

Both pitchers seemed to find their rhythm in the next few innings. The Panthers went down in order in the bottom

pittnews.com

Panthers nab graduate transfer Matt Flanagan Steve Rotstein Sports Editor

It’s been nearly two months since Pitt locked up ESPN’s No. 31 football recruiting class in the country on National Signing Day, but the Panthers haven’t stopped adding to next year’s roster.

Rutgers tight end Matt Flanagan announced his decision Monday to enroll at Pitt in the fall as a graduate transfer.

Flanagan — who has started 17 games and played in 33 for the Scarlet Knights True freshman Dan Hammer gave up seven runs, five unearned, in an 8-4 loss over the past three seasons — will proto West Virginia.. Wenhao Wu SENIOR STAFF WRITER vide much-needed depth and experiof the second, and after Mountaineer in- ter fielder Brandon White got on base with ence at a position where the Panthers fielder Kyle Gray drew his second walk, one out, he found his way to third when have five players on next year’s roster Hammer shut them down in the top of Hammer was called for a balk, meaning with a combined zero catches for their the third. After three innings, the teams Hammer made an illegal pitching motion. career. had combined for only two hits, a pair of The Mountaineers converted, going up 3-0 “I would like to thank all my teamsingles by Pitt’s fifth-year senior left fielder on a ground ball which rolled right undermates, trainers and support staff for a neath the glove of DeMeo. Jacob Wright. great four years. After graduating in Two batters later, Austin hit a high fly West Virginia got their first hit of the May, I will continue my education at the game in the fourth, a leadoff single from ball to right field. Pitt sophomore right University of Pittsburgh and play my fiJackson Cramer. WVU’s third baseman fielder Yaya Chentouf ran under the ball, nal year of eligibility,” Flanagan wrote Cole Austin then reached first on a bunt, and it appeared the Panthers would get out on Twitter. and a subsequent sacrifice put runners at of the inning. But the ball bounced right NJ Advance Media first reported in off Chentouf ’s glove, allowing two Mounsecond and third with just one out.

November that Flanagan planned to The Mountaineers got on the board taineers to come in. transfer after graduating for “purely After this, Pitt head coach Joe Jordano one batter later with a perfectly executacademic” reasons. At Pitt, Flanagan ed squeeze play, meaning the team used went out to the mound to talk to Hammer plans to pursue a master’s degree in a a bunt to drive in a run. Cramer came but decided to keep him in. research-based science discipline after “[I told him] ‘Dan, you keep pitching. sprinting home before Hammer could graduating with a degree in biological make the play, and Austin came in when Obviously, we’re not doing a whole bunch sciences. the first-year pitcher threw to first to re- to help you from a defensive perspective,’” Flanagan, at 6-foot-6, 258-pounds cord the second out. In the middle of the Jordano said. “And that’s something he from Chester, New Jersey, totaled 18 recan’t control. All he can control is continue fourth, the Mountaineers led 2-0. ceptions for 145 yards and three touchOne inning later, everything fell apart See Baseball on page 10 See Transfer on page 9 for the Panthers. After West Virginia cen-

March 29. 2017

8

Transfer, pg. 8 downs in his three-year stint with the Scarlet Knights. He had only six catches for 29 yards last year but has a chance for a much bigger role at Pitt with the departure of the Panthers’ top two tight ends from last year Scott Orndoff and Jaymar Parrish.

Redshirt sophomore Chris Clark — the No. 1 tight end recruit in the nation in the class of 2015 — is the frontrunner to replace Orndoff as Pitt’s starting tight end, but he only has one game of college experience to his credit and has yet to catch a pass. Clark sat out last season due to NCAA guidelines following his transfer from UCLA. Senior Devon Edwards, who converted from tight end to defensive end and back to tight end for this season, also has yet to prove himself capable of a role as a prominent pass-catcher. And the Panthers’ other three tight ends on the 2017 roster are true freshmen who haven’t arrived on campus: Charles Reeves Jr., Grant Carrigan and Tyler Sear.

Reeves has the most potential to contribute right away alongside Clark, but Flanagan will provide Pitt’s coaching staff with a reliable option, having already started 17 games of major college football.

Flanagan joins former USC quarterback Max Browne as the second graduate transfer to commit to join the Panthers in 2017. Along with junior college transfer defensive tackle Kam Carter and 23 incoming high school recruits, Pitt now has 26 members in its 2017 class.

pittnews.com

PANTHERS OF THE MONTH ANDIN FOSAM

Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

Andin Fosam, a junior thrower from Robbinsville, New Jersey, had already proved before March that she was one of the best throwers in the ACC. After this month, though, Fosam now is considered one of the best in the country.

At last month’s ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships, Fosam finished in fourth place and earned second team All-ACC honors in

the weight throw, hurling the 20-pound object 19.24 meters. But Fosam had no trouble switching to the outdoor hammer event, as evidenced by her record-breaking performance in Friday’s Carnegie Mellon University Invitational.

Fosam walked into CMU’s Gesling Stadium as the site’s record holder thanks to a 51.50 meter throw at last year’s invitational. But with

a 61.67 meter throw Friday, Fosam smashed her own record in addition to the Pitt record of 58.87 meters, set in 2005 by Amanda Walker.

The London-born Fosam heads into the Pepsi Florida Relays this weekend in Gainesville, Florida, as the second-ranked thrower in the ACC and No. 7 thrower in the nation, according to Pitt throwing coach Brent Shelby.

JOSH FALK Pitt senior Josh Falk is living proof that wins can be a misleading stat for starting pitchers.

Falk is coming off arguably the best month of his career, and though he hasn’t been personally credited with wins this month, the Panthers have repeatedly gained victory when he takes the mound.

Falk’s last two outings have come against ACC rivals Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. Although his bullpen blew leads he protected and he didn’t get much run support from his offense — meaning the wins were not

added to his personal record — his stellar pitching helped the team win on both occasions.

Pitching against the Fighting Irish March 20, Falk tossed eight scoreless innings in the best start of his Panthers career, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out six. Reliever Yaya Chentouf blew his lead in the ninth, but the team eventually won in 12 innings, 2-1.

Against the Hokies on Saturday, Falk scattered six hits over seven innings, only giving up two runs while striking out a career-high 10

March 29. 2017

batters and walking none.

Pitt went on to win 3-2 after breaking a tie in the bottom of the eighth inning.

So far this season, Falk has pitched his way to a 2.47 ERA and held opposing batters to a batting average of 0.194.

Much of his success comes from keeping men off base — he gives up just 1.03 walks or hits per inning and leads the team with 38 strikeouts.

Falk will likely take the mound again in the Sunday finale of the upcoming weekend series against the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina.

Anna Bongardino STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

9

Baseball, pg. 8

SGB, pg. 2 Dhruv Kohli, Facilities, Technology and Transportation Committee chair, said increasing the role of the communications committee — a new committee formed last semester in SGB to specifically promote its events — will hopefully improve attendance in the future.

Town halls are “still a new concept,” President-elect Kneis said, but the board will continue to explore as many avenues for outreach as possible.

“These town-hall-style meetings don’t hurt SGB,” he said. “They don’t require any extra time or meetings.”

Allocations Pittsburgh Club Baseball requested $1,773.34 for a conference series at Penn State. The board approved $1,571.32 and denied $202.02.

Men’s Ultimate Frisbee requested $3,857.64 for their eastern 2017 competition. The board approved the request in full.

The Pitt news crossword 3/29/17

to throw pitches… [The mound visit] was more of a kick in the backside to my position players.”

West Virginia added two more runs off of a single by catcher Ivan Gonzalez and a throwing error by junior Pitt first baseman Caleb Parry before the inning mercifully ended. At the midway point of the game, the Mountaineers firmly controlled the game with a 7-0 lead.

The Panther offense, which had been struggling all game, almost capitalized off of inaccurate pitching in the sixth. With two outs, WVU reliever Tanner Campbell walked three consecutive batters, loading the bases. The Mountaineers then replaced Campbell with Sam Kessler, who struck out Pazos — the first batter he faced — to end the inning.

After a scoreless top of the seventh for the Mountaineers, Pitt got on the board in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run by Wright. Wright — playing with an illness — was the lone bright spot for the Panthers offense, going 3-4 for the game.

The Mountaineers scored another run

in the ninth, but the Panthers showed some life in the last half inning thanks to two walks. The team had the bases loaded with nobody out and managed to get three runs, but West Virginia was eventually able to shut the door, winning 8-4.

After struggling for most of March, the Panthers’ offense seemed to get going this past weekend. The team was coming off of a three-game sweep of Virginia Tech, during which the Panthers scored 20 runs against the Hokies. The surge, however, didn’t extend into Tuesday night, with the team going a combined 2-26 outside of Wright.

“The things that we’ve been working on were all in order coming into today,” Jordano said. “We kind of got away from it a little bit, and you saw the result.”

The Panthers will look to bounce back this weekend when they return to conference play in a weekend series against Duke in Durham, North Carolina.

“We’re going to continue to work hard… It doesn’t matter who we’re playing or where we’re playing — it’s about what we do,” Jordano said. “We obviously had a rough day today, but we’ll have another opportunity on Friday.”

pittnews.com

March 29. 2017

10