Vol. 104 Issue 149
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@thepittnews
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Student initiative for a smokefree campus goes live Jessica Iacullo For The Pitt News
As Mick Brennan lit the cigarette dangling from his lips, he commented on a potentially looming reality: a tobacco-free Pitt campus. “I like being able to smoke on campus,” Brennan, a sophomore majoring in information science, said. “It’s convenient.” Student Government Board member Graeme Meyer, a sophomore majoring in bioengineering, is pushing a tobacco-free policy on Pitt’s campus, starting with an online survey to gauge students’ opinions on going tobacco-free. The survey has garnered 154 responses since it went live April 15 on the Student Government Board website. In the 19-question survey, Meyer asks if students would be comfortable with any of three options: creating designated smoking areas, making Pitt completely smoke-free or banning all tobacco products on campus. The survey also asks whether students use tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes and other smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco. After evaluating student responses, Meyer will decide which of the options, if any, would be best to include in a proposal to Pitt administration. Meyer has not started drafting a proposal as of April 16. Meyer said the initiative comes from a health standpoint, particularly the correlation between smoking and lung cancer and the effects of secondhand smoke. Meyer is also concerned with upholding Pitt’s title as one of the healthiest college campuses in the country. According to Greatlist. com, Pitt ranked 12th on the list of healthiest colleges in 2012. “With such a medically attuned community, it just doesn’t seem right to not have that
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LYING DOWN TO TAKE A STAND
policy,” Meyer said. Meyer’s policy would come in the wake of Pitt’s failure to make Greatist.com’s list in 2013 of the healthiest college campuses, of which Virginia Tech was the only Atlantic Coast Conference school. Greatist.com compiles the list using nominations from readers, information on the Internet relating to health services at schools, student surveys from College Prowler, a site of college reviews written by students, The Princeton Review and a value-based scoring system for each school in consideration for the list. Meyer said he worked closely with Marian Vanek, the director of Student Health Services, to assemble the survey, which is currently aimed at students. Faculty may take the survey as well, but Meyer said students Students simulate death to protest deaths of factory workers. are the primary concern at this stage in the Subhana Chaudhri | Staff Photographer. surveying process.. Meyer said the Wellness Committee, a Student Government Board committee, Student Health and the Healthy U, a Student Affairs health initiative, will assist with the distribution of paper copies of the survey through The groups are trying to persuade Pitt tabling, flyer distribution and social media. Macie Ellis to require its licensees — anyone who pro“We support the findings of the Surgeon For The Pitt News duces Pitt apparel — to sign an accord so General that tobacco use in any form, active and/or passive, is a health hazard,” Vanek said The lifeless bodies strewn across the Wil- that Pitt apparel is not made in factories in an email. “Thus, we support Graeme and his liam Pitt Union on Wednesday were actu- with unfair or dangerous working conditeam with their efforts to evaluate the poten- ally standing up. tions. The Bangladesh Accord on Fire and tial of the University becoming a tobacco-free Ten students took to the ground for a Building Safety will make corporations living and learning environment.” second “die-in” protest by No Sweat: Pitt responsible for the workers in factories Meyer said he did not want to bombard stu- Coalition Against Sweatshops and Ameri- in Bangladesh. dents with emails about the survey, but rather, cans for Informed Democracy. Instead of Joe Thomas, co-founder of AID and No hopes they will find it on the SGB website. staging a sit-in, the students lie down as Sweat, said signing the accord is an impor“It has the potential to render them ineffective, as people begin to ignore the emails,” if they were dead to represent the 1,129 tant step for Pitt and that students have workers who died when the Rana Plaza the power to change the apparel industry. Meyer said. Since Meyer’s project is in the survey phase, garment factory in Bangladesh that collapsed last April. Read the rest on pittnews.com
Students lie down, protest again for workers’ rights
Smoke-Free
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April 17, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
In an article published Monday, April 14, titled “Board goes public with student groups’ budget appeals,” The Pitt News reported that the Allocations Committee approved the Board’s request for the cost for Board members to attend the Professional Association for SQL Server conference. This information is incorrect. The Allocations Committee approved the Board’s request for the cost for Board members to attend the Pennsylvania Association of StateRelated Students conference. The Pitt News regrets this error.
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SMOKE-FREE he said he has not contacted many administrative members besides Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kathy Humphrey. Meyer said he’ll determine his next step based on the survey responses. “When you smoke around other students, you are subjecting them to secondhand smoke,” Meyer said. “It’s about respecting people’s right to clean air.” Brennan expressed conflicting sentiments. “I don’t think I harm others with secondhand smoke,” Brennan said. “There’s other air.” Meyer said he’s researched many successful tobacco-free campaigns, including those at University of Maryland, Ohio State, University of Michigan and Michigan State University, which do not impose harsh punishments, if any, and said this approach seems more efficient than strict enforcement policies em-
In an article published Tuesday, April 15, titled “Nordenberg celebrated, praised on honorary day,” The Pitt News reported that “members of the Resident Student Associated marched to the event carrying signs.” This is inaccurate. Those marching with signs were Resident Assistants, not members of the Resident Student Association. It was also not the intention of The Pitt News to imply that the Resident Student Association was the only group responsible for the planning of the event. The third paragraph of the article states the other student groups involved in the planning of the event. The Pitt News regrets these errors.
ployed by other universities.For instance, at Ohio State University, smoking is prohibited on all university-owned and operated properties, and students or faculty who eitness direct repeat offenders can report them to their Student Conduct Councils. Meyer said he is not prepared to make a firm statement on how repeat offenders would be punished until he has the survey results, but said that they would likely go through the University judiciary system just like those who break other campus rules For Meyer, the main priority isn’t the University’s enforcement but to “promote awareness and use peer pressure to enforce the policy.” Meyer’s initiative comes at a time when the University System of Georgia, an organizational body of public institutions of higher learning in Georgia, will enact a ban on smoking, including e-cigarettes. The ban will apply to all 31 universities in the system and will begin Oct. 1, 2014. Marion Fedrick, the USG’s vice chancellor
for human resources, said in a press release on the organizational body’s website that the policy aims “to preserve and improve the health, comfort and environment of employees and any persons occupying USG facilities.” The USG policy applies to all employees, students, contractors, subcontractors and visitors and is applicable 24/7. According to the statement, all USG-related events shall be tobacco- and smoke-free. Tofollow suit with the USG, Meyer plans to use his “peer pressure” model to encourage students to use the resources of Pitt’s QUIT program, which stands for “Quit Using Irritating Tobacco.” Megan Stahl, a health educator at Student Health, said the QUIT program is a free service offered by The Office of Health Education and Promotion as part of Student Health services to help students quit using tobacco. According to Stahl, the QUIT program is available to Pitt students regardless of the type or amount of tobacco they use and includes weekly one-on-one counseling sessions for students.
In an article published Thursday, April 10, titled “Books and bakes: Hillman hosts a cake party,” The Pitt News reported that Leam Bridge, a male, won “overall favorite” at the Edible Book Fest competition for a “The Giving Tree” cake. This information is incorrect. Leann Bridge, a female, is the name of “overall favorite” winner. The Pitt News regrets this error.
A health educator helps the students to understand their use, to develop a QUIT action plan and to transition to a tobacco free-lifestyle during their appointments, according to Stahl. QUIT offers students nicotine patches at no cost. The QUIT program is based in the Office of Health Education and Promotion inside the Student Health office at Nordenberg Hall. A question in Meyer’s survey asks if students know about QUIT because he plans to assess students’ knowledge of the program and, if awareness is low, to develop a PR plan with Student Health and the environmental committee Becky Brown, a sophomore majoring in biology, said she doesn’t like smoking or secondhand smoke. “It’s gross,” Brown said. But Lindsey Guerrini, a freshman studying athletic training, said she felt that smoking does not affect nonsmoking students. “I don’t really care about smoking as long as it’s not directly in my face,” Guerrini said.
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OPINIONS
EDITORIAL
Pitt must work to implement sustainability office
Students and faculty members gathered Wednesday at the William Pitt Union to discuss the importance of environmental sustainability. Mark Dixon, producer of the documentary “YERT (Your Environmental Road Trip),” headlined the symposium. Dixon passionately advocates the pursuit of “your environmental road map.” He wants individuals to think deeply and proactively about not only what they use, but also how they use it. University students have taken to this message. Especially in the past year and a half, students and student groups have worked to actualize environmentalist plans, which prompted the University to make considerable progress. Pitt has led sustainable efforts, including plastic bag quotas and real food calculations, the latter of which concluded last Friday. Now, the University is altering positions within the school administration to implement more widespread environmental policy. On Tuesday, the Student Government Board introduced a bill that calls for the creation of a University office dedicated to sustainability. The office would help student environmental groups with green initiatives under the coordination of a current administration staff member and with assistance from the SGB environmental chair. Student activists have made similar calls for a sustainability office in the past, but with little efficacy. It is now time for University administration to match this student enthusiasm for sustainability with action. The University’s action would
align Pitt with many other ACC schools, such as the University of North Carolina and the University of Virginia, that have already opened offices dedicated to sustainability. Despite student groups’ efforts, true and lasting sustainable initiatives can only develop with the support of top University officials. Students should be commended for their efforts in recent years to promote responsible environmental policies. But now the University must respond from the top, namely through the implementation of an official University sustainability office. By doing so, Pitt would represent the effectiveness of a true joint venture between students and administration. Student leaders are excited about this prospect. Jess McDonald, a senior majoring in environmental studies, summarized this idea: “There is definitely room for improvement, but I believe that Pitt students and the Pitt administration are ready to really get to work. Since great strides were made in just this last semester, there are even more amazing projects yet to come.” Ken Arble, also a senior majoring in environmental studies, put it clearly: “An Office of Sustainability would help to bring administration and students together.” With the efforts of student leaders and the backing of school administration, Pitt can prove a national leader and compete with its ACC counterparts in addressing the increasingly relevant issue of environmental sustainability.
MCT Campus
KAISER
Modern advertising: It’s not so bad Channing Kaiser Columnist Advertising is changing. Spelling out “bologna” and using a cuddly polar bear to sell soda doesn’t cut it anymore. Nowadays, if you really want to sell your product and attract a large audience, you have to get creative, and a lot of companies are doing this by jumping on the social justice bandwagon. In reaction to these campaigns, a pivotal question has emerged: Are the messages of social justice behind these advertisements somehow degraded because their primary purpose is to sell us something? Personally, I don’t think it matters. Let’s look at Honey Maid. Honey Maid’s newest ad shows an array of families — including homosexual couples — enjoying
graham crackers. Apparently watching homosexuals eat graham crackers is really upsetting to some people, and Honey Maid received a slew of angry letters. Instead of throwing away the hate mail, Honey Maid hired two local artists to create a sculpture out of it that spelled out “love.” It was a smart move for Honey Maid. The response cemented Honey Maid’s status as a progressive, liberal company — and also got its name in the public spotlight. And the move was low-risk. Since nine out of every 10 letters Honey Maid received were in support of the company’s original ad, Honey Maid knew that pushing its progressive angle even further would isolate few consumers. Victoria’s Secret is another company that recently joined the social activism brigade with
its “Pink Loves Consent” advertising campaign. The ads feature models — all of whom represent different races and body types — wearing underwear with slogans such as, “No means no” and “Consent is sexy.” The website even goes as far as having a “Then and Now” page in which Victoria’s Secret reveals how some of its underwear used to promote rape culture. According to the “Pink Loves Consent” website, Victoria’s Secret previously made underwear sporting slogans like “No peeking” and “Sure thing,” which the company now says promotes rape culture. It is social advertising at its finest — the key word being advertising since both companies are still trying to promote a prod-
Kaiser
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April 17, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
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KAISER uct. But I don’t see that as problematic. The companies ultimately want to make money from these campaigns, but their aim for profit does not diminish the importance of the messages behind the advertisements. The ideology of tolerance and openness, which the advertisements address, requires greater publicity and demands further discussion. And what better way to place such ideologies in the spotlight than
THE PITT NEWS Patrick McAteer, Editor-in-Chief editor@pittnews.com
to have them touted by big-name brands? The question of advertising intention came to the forefront with the video “First Kiss,” which features 20 strangers meeting for the first time and then kissing. The video is filmed in black and white and set to depressing, sappy music. The video went viral almost instantly, gaining nearly 77 million views in just four weeks. But people became upset when they realized that the video was all part of a campaign for Wren clothing, an indie clothing line based in Los Angeles. Wren
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never tried to hide its involvement with the advertisement — the video opens with “Wren presents.” But people were shocked that the video’s primary goal was to sell clothes using models who play strangers meeting and kissing for the first time. Does that make the video any less moving, any less important? It doesn’t matter why the video was produced. If people like the message and find it inspiring or emotional, does it matter what the company’s intent was? Also striking is that people are more
upset with the Wren clothing campaign than they are with the Honey Maid or Victoria’s Secret campaigns, as though social issues are allowed to be commercialized, but romance and love are not. Advertising campaigns with messages of social justice force the public to think and reflect upon important issues, and that is ultimately the most important facet to take away. Yes, companies aim to make a profit, but that doesn’t change the importance behind their messages. Write to Channing at clk87@pitt.edu
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,- car toons 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.
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ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT
‘Brutal Youth’ explores the awkward challenges of growing up. Photos courtesy of Anthony Breznican
BOOKS
Former Pitt News EIC prepares to release debut novel, ‘Brutal Britnee Meiser For The Pitt News
Anthony Breznican is widely recognized as an Entertainment Weekly senior movie writer and Academy Award reporter, but his journalistic roots began with The Pitt News in the late ‘90s. The former editor-in-chief makes his fiction debut in the new comingof-age novel “Brutal Youth,” which will be released June 10. The story focuses on high school freshman Peter Davidek as he enters the corrupt and dangerous environment of Saint Michael’s Catholic School. After witnessing an appalling act of violence on the first day, Peter and his friends
learn to stand up to their oppressors and navigate their way to survival using unconventional and entertaining methods. Through a combination of thought-provoking action and dark humor, Breznican epitomizes the horrors of high school. The Pitt News spoke to Breznican in an email about the challenges of growing up, his time at Pitt and how to make it as a writer. The Pitt News: You went to Catholic school around the same time as protagonist Peter Davidek. How much of your experience is reflected in the fictional Saint Michael’s? Anthony Breznican: A lot of my memories of school and teenage life are reflected here, although, the volume is dialed up on the dark and demented parts. Growing up
is an ugly, awkward business for everyone. There are always people willing to elevate themselves by stepping on your neck. But what we remember once the dust settles are the people who reached out and helped us through. That’s what I drew on — those vital friends who shielded us when we felt crushed. TPN: Peter seems to be a bit of an underdog when he first signs up for Saint Michael’s. Why do you think readers will be able to relate to him? AB: He’s this 14-year-old kid who just wants to slip by under the radar, go unnoticed and not make trouble for himself. But right away, he gets drawn into this crisis at the school, and that sets off a whole chain
of events for him — good and bad. Now, he could have laid low, but he felt compelled to help, to do the right thing. We all want to do good and stand for something. I believe most people start out that way, and at some point, it gets beaten out us. If we’re not careful, we go from being the one willing to run out and help, to the one pushing over the statues. I think that’s something anyone can relate to. We all know what it’s like to feel scared, and the lucky ones figure out how to avoid letting that fear harden into a kind of bitterness. TPN: The cover image is very powerful.
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April 17, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
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THEATER
‘Candida’ strives to bring classic comedy to young audiences Richard Koppenaal Staff Writer
Katie Conway doesn’t see how college-aged audiences could turn down a weekend trip to the theater, especially when its costs rival another weekend staple. “It’s fifteen dollars to come see a show,” said Conway, group sales and audience development manager at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. “It’s cheaper than a pizza.” “Candida,” the latest pizza-priced production at the O’Reilly Theater in Downtown, will debut tonight and run through May 18. Ted Pappas, who is in his 14th season as producing artistic director at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, directs the classic British comedy, which George Bernard Shaw wrote in 1894. The play focuses on one day in a romantic tug-of-war between two men bidding for the heart of the titular character (Gretchen Egolf). Candida is married to a well-respected pastor, James Morell (David Whalen), but she’s still courted by Eugene Marchbanks (Jared McGuire), an affectionate poet. The play’s humor and themes of love, Pappas said, are what primarily make “Candida” appealing to a younger audience. “I think if you gave a copy of the play to kids, some would respond to it,” McGuire said. “But to see it and to see how much passion is
McGuire and Egolf are two-thirds of ‘bermuda’ love triangle. Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Public Theater
in this play, and if there’s anything that kids can respond to — or young people in general — it’s unrestrained desire.” Conway hopes that these themes, coupled with special discounts for Pitt students, draw a younger audience to the show. Pitt students can receive a discounted $15.75 ticket, which could regularly cost up to $60, for any show when they present their Pitt IDs. “Getting young people in the theater and making it accessible to them, especially from a price point, is a priority of ours,” Conway said. McGuire views his character as the perfect foil to Candida’s more straitlaced husband.
“He’s just a poet and a dreamer,” McGuire said. “He doesn’t want to go back to school. He just wants to lie around and dream.” Eugene, after being taken in by Candida and her husband, falls in love with his hostess even though his feelings aren’t necessarily reciprocated. “The love triangle is more of a Bermuda triangle. It doesn’t really exist in a sense,” McGuire said. “The triangle, if there is one, comes about because Eugene is very deftly able to put a seed of doubt in Morell’s mind after he pronounces his own love for Candida.”
Pappas argues that Candida is a true masterpiece with themes and humor that transcend its age. “It’s still funny and exciting because the subjects he writes about and the arguments he makes and the jokes he makes still matter today ... [and] are still interesting and funny,” Pappas said. Pappas said that Shaw’s development of Candida’s character as an intelligent and influential woman is particularly groundbreaking, considering the time period in which the play was written. “This is a play whose leading lady, whose heroine, the title character, is a woman who isn’t even allowed to vote, who really isn’t allowed to hold a position in commerce or in medicine or at a university. And yet, she is incredibly intelligent and incredibly capable,” Pappas said. While there are two primary male characters, Candida subtly steals the spotlight — and power — from them. “He has in his play a capitalist, a parson and a poet — three extremes of life — but none of them are the bad guy. They’re all necessary for a society to keep moving forward. At the center of it he has a woman, who seems to be lurking in the background, but is truly ruling.”
FEATURE
Unblurred, blends art, activism and entertainment Jack Trainor Staff Writer
Laura Jean McLaughlin’s old bookstoreturned-studio is one of the many local treasures on display during this month’s Unblurred, Garfield’s gallery crawl event. “Today’s his favorite day,” McLaughlin said, referring to her cat who was receiving almost as much attention from visitors as McLaughlin’s zany, cartoonish, critter-themed sculptures and prints. One furry collage of a little grey cat sat back in her workshop among jars of clay and paints. “That’s real cat hair, you know,” she said, smiling without looking up from her register as she finalized a purchase. Artists, activists, musicians and the general public convened April 4 on Penn Avenue in Garfield for Unblurred, which is held on the first Friday of every month. For more than a decade, the gallery crawl has showcased
Pittsburgh’s affinity for the arts in an all-night event that features a variety of studio art, free booze and a newly added after-party hosted by Garfield restaurant Verde. Gallery crawlers also flocked to see what was inside artist Jason Sauer’s Most Wanted Fine Art studio, which was advertised by a large inflated speech bubble with “OMG!” printed across it, hovering above the old brick studio’s doors. The studio housed a collection of Jason Woolslare’s vibrant pop art prints of robots and superheroes, an acoustic house band playing Bob Marley covers and homemade beer from a friend of Woolslare.Woolslare, who has participated in the Unblurred event for years, was busy chatting up friends and strangers alike from the moment the doors opened. “You have a lot of people that come out for the free beer,” he said two weeks after the event in a phone conversation. “But it’s a fun time too. Artists are accessible, and people come up and talk with you, which is the
great part. I hope it carries on this way for a while.” At one point, rain briefly poured over the crawl, causing everyone to find shelter in the nearest gallery. Then, the skies opened up to reveal a rainbow perfectly arched across Penn Avenue that provoked gallerygoers to dance and celebrate in the street. As much of a cultural celebration that it is, Unblurred is more than just an art showcase. Many different activist groups posted up within galleries alongside artists to raise awareness for environmental issues — most prominently fracking. Garfield Artworks, an art and performance space, put on an art exhibition entirely for the purpose of raising money to support the group Protect Our Parks, whose mission is to ban fracking in local Pittsburgh parks. By 9 p.m. at the April crawl, the donation collector at the door had an overflowing cup of bills as the gallery space flooded with thirtysomethings and their dates.
Mad Science Supply and Surplus, a shop that sells quirky products to satisfy the needs of everyone’s inner mad scientist, also took advantage of Unblurred’s crowds with an informational exhibit. The Mad Science Supply exhibit stressed clean renewable energy and water conservation with Green Mountain Energy Company, a national energy company that specializes in sustainable solutions that manned a table outside the shop’s door. While most of Unblurred’s featured participants have been established in the community for years, the crawl allows new businesses and artists to make names for themselves, too. Los Sabrosos Dance Company, a dance organization specializing in a variety of styles of dance lessons and performances, moved to Garfield from Downtown three weeks ago — hardly having time to settle in — but has already found a broad clientele.
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8 FILM
April 17, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
‘Noah’: Darren Aronofsky’s $130 million disaster Shawn Cooke Staff Writer
“Noah” Directed by: Darren Aronofsky Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins Grade: CIf you had told me in 2006 that “The Fountain” wouldn’t end up being Darren Aronofsky’s worst movie, I’d have assumed you hadn’t seen it. But alas, in 2014, Aronofsky gives that stunningly overblown passion project a run for its money with another one — the decidedly secular biblical adaptation “Noah.” Much of the conversation surrounding the film has been obsessed with the creative liberties taken in adapting its sacred source material. But for a piece of narrative and filmmaking, accuracy and efficacy are not always congruous. Aronofsky never pretends to attach any type of a “based on a true story” tag to “Noah,” so the differences are forgivable, but the bland action, excess and narrative ineptitude are not.
Just like the flood he portrays, Aronofsky’s “Noah” is a disaster — a $130 million disaster. The story’s a simple one. Maybe you’ve heard it? Noah (Russell Crowe) has a series of visions from “the Creator” (Aronofsky’s spin on “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”), signaling the apocalypse through an earthly water main break. To prepare, Noah and his family build a wooden cruise ship for a co-ed pair of every living creature on Earth. All the while, Tubal-cain (Ray Winstone), who brutally killed Noah’s father when he was a boy, rallies up an army to attack Noah and his family. When the flood eventually strikes, it sweeps all of Tubal-cain’s army away save Tubal-cain, who sneaks onto the ark. Noah predictably devolves into a state of madness, as most alpha-male authority figures do during the apocalypse, and threatens his own family when they disobey the Creator. Your Sunday school teacher might have left out those details. Above all else, “Noah” is another gargantuan-budget action flick with a lot on
its mind, which is a recipe for disaster more often than not. Aronofsky isn’t subtle about his messages: the corruption of man, environmentalism, preserving resources as well as a possible nod to veganism all take center stage. But very little of this navel-gazing can amount to much when giant, rock-encrusted angels are stomping around the earth. For all of his high-art ambitions, Aronofsky ultimately falls into the genre trappings of other massive action tent poles. The rock-encrusted angels, or “Watchers,” bear a similar stature, destructiveness and badly written dialogue to those CGI robot cars. For all his auteurism, Aronofsky films his action scenes just like the next guy, with copious amounts of chaos, destruction and noise. They can be a mind-numbing blur, which makes the moments of astonishing beauty seem like even more of a letdown. In the midst of all the pandemonium, “Noah” makes room for some captivating sequences, as we’ve come to expect from all Aronofsky joints. Noah tells his children the story of creation, Adam and Eve and
Cain and Abel, accompanied by a gorgeous and off-kilter full-CGI visual of the stories. Aronofsky even sneaks in some gorgeous accelerated documentary-style footage of water spreading throughout the earth, along with a POV shot from the flood’s first raindrop as it falls onto Crowe’s face. And somehow, the character drama in “Noah,” which has been one of Aronofsky’s strong suits in the past, falls remarkably flat. Before the flood, we’re treated to some laughable scenes with Noah’s grandfather, Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins). Hopkins’ Methuselah plays up the wise and nebulous old man trope to the verge of parody, particularly during a moment when he blesses Noah’s pseudo daughter-in-law (Emma Watson) with the power to conceive. Methuselah’s blessing inevitably leads to some inner-family turmoil on the ark with a furious Noah, who doesn’t quite approve of intervening with the divine. And in the film’s final act, Aronofsky puts some of the message-making on hold for several scenes of extensive melodrama.
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BREZNICAN How does it connect to the novel? AB: That was created by a designer named Rob Grom. It’s this amazing, abstract representation of that burning inside you that sometimes gets so intense it just bursts out. The tie is a little clip-on, which figures prominently in the story as a source of torment. Rob even included a logo I made for the school, with the Latin motto: Sancti Patiuntur, Malo Viget. I’ll let the Latin scholars translate its literal meaning, but it’s a different way of saying “only the good die young.” TPN: You were once the editor-in-chief of The Pitt News, and now you’re a well-known writer for Entertainment Weekly. How did you get to where you are today? AB: The Pitt News was my main classroom, and I loved it. Still do. I desperately wanted to be a writer, but my parents were against it. My dad said I’d be writing signs that say, “Will work for food.” I would never have had the guts to do [it] if not for an instructor at Pitt named Harry Kloman, who in my final year at The Pitt News became the journalism adviser. He encour-
April 17, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com aged me to think about journalism and eventually helped me land an internship at the Associated Press in Pittsburgh — which led to a job with the AP in Los Angeles. I covered cops, earthquakes and politics for a few years, and then gradually picked up some Hollywood stories, since it’s a company town. Eventually that became the main event. TPN: What advice would you give to people who want to turn their writing into a career? AB: Know your limitations and push like hell to overtake them. Believe in yourself,
but don’t fall victim to entitlement. A lot of young writers seem to think that a sprig of talent makes them a towering oak. It’s like, you’ve got a long way to grow, buddy. Pay your dues. There are plenty of people who will discourage you. You don’t have to buy what they say, but you better hear it. With the right attitude, they can make you jump higher and run faster. Occasionally, you’ll find someone who reaches back to help you along. Do that same thing for others. If someone shares your dream, help them if you can. Some day they may be the one helping you.
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NOAH
Noah makes some crazed threats, and his family responds with appropriate sorrow, but it’s often hard to believe — or care — that any of these threats will materialize. In his best films, Aronofsky compellingly delves into the darkest corners of the human psyche. He grapples with these themes as an afterthought in “Noah,” though, and only after his immaculate destruction and preachiness have waned. Hopefully he’ll have a smaller budget next time.
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April 17, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
BASEBALL
SPORTS
Pitt’s offensive struggles continue, drops sixth-straight game Kevin Wheeler For The Pitt News
Offense again proved to be a problem for the Panthers baseball team, which only managed two hits in a loss at Kent State, as Pitt was unable to capitalize on starter Casey Roche’s longest outing of the season. The Golden Flashes (23-12, 9-3 MidAmerican) did not allow the Panthers a hit after the first inning as both hits coming in the top half of the first frame, providing Pitt starter Roche with no run support in the loss at Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium. The 4-1 loss marks another tough outing for the Panthers because of their inability to score runs when they need them. Of Pitt’s nine losses in April, seven include Pitcher Casey Roche gets no run support in loss. Heather Tennant | Staff Photographer games where Pitt’s offense could not put more than two runs on the board, including last night’s game against Kent State. the Panthers’ bats seemed alive and well, game with a double to left field, giving the With the loss, Pitt’s road record has now forcing Kent State pitcher Michael Clark Panthers some life. After a sacrifice bunt dwindled to 6-13 this season, and the team to throw 46 pitches in his fourth start of by outfielder Boo Vazquez and a walk to is now mired in a six-game losing skid. the season. starting pitcher Roche, Vranka eventually Through the first two innings of play, Senior Stephen Vranka led off the crossed home plate for the first run of the
SOFTBALL
game on a fielder’s choice out at second, which caught Roche attempting to steal from first base. But Clark, who picked up the win of the night, would not give up another hit during his five-inning performance, improving his record to 2-1. Pitt struck out 10 times and left nine runners stranded on base. They did not advance a runner to third base after the fifth inning. Vazquez spoke about the team’s recent struggles at the plate. “We have to be consistent in having quality at-bats,” Vazquez said. “If we hit balls hard, good things will happen.” Wednesday’s loss is the Panthers’ ninth in their last 10 games, dropping them to a 16-20 overall record on the season. Pitt head coach Joe Jordano provided his thoughts on the Panthers’ current slide. “Obviously we are in a difficult stretch
Baseball
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Softball team can’t pull off upset of No. 8 Florida State John DeMarco For The Pitt News
Florida State’s softball team rolled into Vartabedian Field on a chilly Wednesday afternoon bundled up in heavy coats and winter hats. The weather has been indicative of Pitt’s play as of late: cold, having now lost seven games in a row after dropping both games to the visiting Seminoles. The Panthers knew they faced an uphill battle taking on the eighth-ranked team in the country in a doubleheader, but they were not prepared for Seminole shortstop sensation Maddie O’Brien, who finished with two home runs and seven RBI in the two-game sweep of the Panthers. Florida State 5, Pitt 2 The Panthers (13-24, 4-14 ACC) were enthusiastic and loud from the start, not backing down from the challenge of facing eighth-ranked Florida State (41-6, 18-3 A
CC). Spirits ran high in the home team’s dugout as it kept the pressure on early, having at least one runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings. Even Pitt starting pitcher Alexa Larkin dealt a quick six-pitch third inning, continuing the scoreless tie. She was throwing at all areas of the plate, keeping batters guessing and working out of jams. “We made decent adjustments at the plate, and the pitching staff showed improvement,” said head coach Holly Aprile. However, O’Brien hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth to jump out to a 1-0 lead, erasing Larkin’s early success. From that point, Florida State’s play started to heat up, and the team didn’t turn back. At the beginning of the fifth inning, Florida State added another run and grabbed a 2-0 lead. The Panthers responded quickly in the bottom half with a Tori Nirschl single to left field, scoring
junior first baseman Carly Thea all the way from first base on a fielding error, making the score 2-1. Junior pitcher Savannah King came in relief at the start of the sixth inning and was very effective, shutting out the Seminoles by only surrendering one hit until O’Brien belted her second home run of the game and 20th of the year, increasing the Panthers’ deficit to 5-1. In the end, Pitt was only able to add one more score courtesy of Thea, and the valiant effort ended with Pitt suffering a 5-2 loss. The Panthers gave Florida State pitcher Lacey Waldrop all she could handle in her complete game victory. Waldrop moved to 27-4 on the season after pitching seven innings of one-run ball. Larkin was pinned with the loss for Pitt, dropping her record to 6-8. “Even though we were down, we con-
tinuously battled through the game,” Larkin said of the first game. Florida State 10, Pitt 3 The Panthers’ late momentum in Game 1 carried over to the earlier portion of the second contest. That continued effort can be attributed to the words of Aprile after she gathered the team in left field to speak to the team about its loss in Game 1. “I told them I liked the way we were swinging the bats, and we need to have the same attack mode,” she said. King started Game 2 of the doubleheader on short rest by escaping the top of the first after Florida State loaded the bases. In the bottom frame, Thea and Nirschl were both stranded in scoring position, one of many missed opportunities for Pitt to claim a lead in both games. King loaded the bases again in the sec-
Softball
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April 17, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
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The Pitt News Crossword 4/17/2014
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April 17, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com ACROSS 1 __ comedy 6 First vice president 11 Tar’s direction 14 Hike 15 Not adept in 16 Prefix with state 17 Nobody special 19 No. that may have an ext. 20 Lab subjects 21 Arrest 22 Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy 24 Nobody special 29 “They made us!” 30 “Bring on the weekend!” 32 Edna Ferber novel 35 24-hr. news source 37 Cartoon monkey 38 Museum supporter, familiarly 40 Complain 42 Heathrow approx. 43 Speeding sound 47 Waist-reduction plans 48 Sharpen 50 Stuck on a stick 52 Nobody special 57 City northeast of Colgate University 58 ’60s hot spot 59 Yalie 60 Superdome city’s Amtrak code 61 Nobody special 66 Suffix with alp 67 Parting word 68 Commandeer 69 Selected on a questionnaire, with “in” 70 Cinque plus due 71 “Enigma Variations” composer DOWN 1 Halloween carrier? 2 Grub or chigger 3 Quinn of “Elementary” 4 Emmy-winning forensic series 5 “Women in Love” director Russell
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SOFTBALL
4/24/14
By Jeffrey Wechsler
6 Father of Isaac 7 They’re handy for overnight stays 8 Small, medium or lge. 9 “A revolution is not a dinner party” statesman 10 Guide 11 Enjoying a Jazz performance? 12 Organization that supports the Dalai Lama 13 Money drawer 18 Lit. compilation 23 Asian holiday 25 Victory cry 26 Much of Israel 27 Place to get off: Abbr. 28 Jones who plays the announcer in “The Hunger Games” 31 Apparel sometimes protested 32 Chicken paprikash, e.g. 33 “Hmm ... I was thinking of something else” 34 Tormented, as with doubt
Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved
Taylor Henry and Pitt drop both games to visiting Florida State.ww Bobby Mizia | Visual Editor
(c)2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
36 West Pointer 39 Spotlit number, perhaps 41 Dress length 44 Texting exclamation 45 Good scoring opportunity, in hockey 46 Rhesus monkey, e.g. 49 Gumshoe 51 Sagging
4/24/14
53 South Asian rulers 54 Woody Allen mockumentary 55 “My Fair Lady” lady 56 Sweeter, in a way 57 Windows alternative 62 Pindar product 63 Parade member? 64 Put into operation 65 __ canto
ond inning, only to face a red-hot O’Brien. She cashed in with a three-run double, giving her seven RBI for the day and a 3-0 lead for the visiting team. Pitt battled back in the bottom of the second with two runs of its own. Kaila Balatgek scored by a Florida State throwing error, and the next batter, Jordan Fannin, slapped a double down the third base line to trim Florida State’s lead to 3-2. Once the top of the third inning began, Pitt seemed to run out of steam. What began as hopes for redemption was soon muddled by a long finish to the afternoon. Florida State cruised to another victory, scoring seven more times to win 10-3. Florida State starting pitcher Jessica Burroughs only allowed two hits and struck FROM PAGE 10
BASEBALL right now, and we are working to get through it,” Jordano said. “We have to get our confidence back and play through it.” Roche provided the sole bright spot for Pitt in the game, tossing a solid four innings in a losing effort, giving up two runs (one earned), three hits and one walk on 57 pitches. Roche’s two runs came in the fourth inning after Zarley Zalewski reached base on an error by Pitt shortstop Dylan Wolsonovich. Kent State first baseman Cody Koch promptly smacked an RBI double down the left field line, bringing Zalewski home on the play. Jeff Revesz added an RBI
out nine in five innings of work. Ashlee Sills’ RBI single to left field in the sixth provided the only scoring play for the Panthers beyond the second inning. Consequently, Pitt increased its losing streak to seven games and recorded its 14th loss in ACC play. The obvious standout of the afternoon was O’Brien, whom the Panthers wanted no part of as the second game lingered on. The Panthers intentionally walked her four times in game two after hitting for a perfect batting average on the day and smashing two home runs. Pitt will look to bounce back this Friday and Saturday when it hosts Georgia Tech for a three-game series.
single of his own. Kent State tacked on two more runs before the game’s end. There’s no telling when the Panthers will get back into the winning column, but they have a golden opportunity to do so at home this weekend against 20th-ranked Clemson in a three-game series with ACC implications. Senior pitcher Matt Wotherspoon, much like the rest of the Panthers, is looking forward to coming back to Pittsburgh. “I think we’re comfortable at home,” said Wotherspoon. “If we play hard, we will put ourselves in a good position to win the series.” The Panthers and Tigers will face off in the first game of a three-game set Friday at 6:00 p.m. at Charles L. Cost Field in the Petersen Sports Complex.