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May 27, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Pitt releases salaries for top earners Dale Shoemaker News Editor While the IRS requires Pitt to publicly name its highest-paid employees, Chancellor Patrick Gallagher was not on the list this year.

Under the right-to-know law, Pitt released its income tax returns last week. As a nonprofit organization, Pitt is exempt from paying taxes on its revenue, but still has to file a 990 tax form with the IRS. As a part of the form, the IRS requires Pitt to list its highest paid employees.

Among them are head basketball coach Jamie Dixon, former head football coach Paul Chryst and Arthur Levine, senior vice chancellor and dean of the School of Medicine.

Because Gallagher took office at Pitt in August 2014 and Pitt’s fiscal year ended on June 30, his salary was not listed on the 990 form.

Pitt spokesperson John Fedele, though, said the Chancellor’s salary was set at $525,000 per year with five yearly raises of $100,000 until 2019. Assuming Gallagher doesn’t leave Pitt before July 31, 2019, Fedele said, he will make $1,025,000 per year after that. Next year’s 990 form, however, will not list Gallagher’s complete salary, Fedele said.

“Since Chancellor Gallagher came to the position in August 2014, next year’s 990 figure will only reflect the months he was here, not his base salary,” Fedele said in an email.

To compare, former chancellor Mark Nordenberg made a total of $898,417 during his last year, according to the form.

Since the other top earners weren’t new, Pitt listed their salaries on the form.

According to the form, Dixon was the highest paid in the 2014 fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. During that time he made $3,088,438.

Chryst came second in earnings. Before he left to coach at Wisconsin, he made $1,647,938.

Behind Chryst, Levine made $1,055,644, and former athletic director Steve Pederson made $841,797 before he and Pitt agreed to part ways in December.

Also listed on the tax form were Pitt’s other expenses over the last fiscal year. In total, Pitt brought in more than $2 billion in revenue and paid out more than 60 percent in salaries.

Not green enough

Campus environmentalists say Pitt should do more here or a garden there.”

“We’re not accusing the University of not doing anything concrete, ever,” Matway said.

Pitt is one of the greenest colleges in the U.S., “[Pitt] should have a solid idea of where it’s according to a new Princeton Review ratplanning to go and how it plans to get there.” ing, but some student activists are still not Pitt does have a plan, though, according to satisfied.

Fedele. Both Facilities Management, which is At the end of April, Pitt completed its in charge of operating the buildings on camfirst-ever Year of Sustainability, an initiative pus, and the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Provost Patricia Beeson established for the Innovation, which conducts environmental 2014-15 academic year to increase Pitt’s comresearch, are currently leading multiple susmitment to environmental sustainability. Adtainability projects, Fedele said. ministrators said the project was a success, but “There’s sustainability up and down the some students, like the University,” Fedele said. members of environDuring the Year of SusCLAIRE MATWAY, mental club Free the tainability, Pitt granted fundFormer FTP co-president Planet, said its scope ing to students and faculty was too limited.

Introducing sustainability into the academic conver- to support sustainabilityNow, the Princeton related lectures and events, Review has included sation, centering discourse around sustainability, hir- asked members of the Pitt Pitt in its 2015 Guide community to contribute to 353 Green Colleges, ing faculty, creating courses — all very good things. their ideas for greening Pitt’s which it published on campus and created the StuApril 16, and FTP memdent Office of Sustainability bers’ attitudes have not changed. Since the “Free the Planet is mistaking the Pro- to connect student groups involved in sustainGuide came out, FTP has reiterated its opinion vost’s initiative — which was specifically for ability issues. that while the Year of Sustainability made academic and research projects — with the Also in 2014, to celebrate the tenth anniPitt conscious of sustainability, it didn’t do totality of the University’s efforts,” Fedele versary of Pitt’s Mascaro Center for Sustainenough to actually reduce the University’s wrote in an email. able Innovation, Pitt administrators invested environmental impact.

When creating the Guide to 353 Green Col- $37.5 million in support of sustainability reIn an open letter it delivered to Pitt admin- leges, The Princeton Review staff surveyed search. istrators on April 6 and later published to its college administrators about their schools’ enNick Goodfellow, a former FTP board Facebook page, FTP expressed disappoint- vironmental programs and strategies. Then, member, said while Pitt’s creation of the Stument with the Year of Sustainability’s limited they converted this data into a “green rating” dent Office of Sustainability and the position efforts and said Pitt made no changes to its between 60 and 99. Schools with green rat- of Sustainability Coordinator is a good start, energy and water consumption, its storm- ings of 83 or higher made it into the Guide. it’s not enough to accomplish a real change. water management or its infrastructure as According to its Princetonreview.com pro- A department of administrators would have part of the initiative. file, Pitt’s main campus has a green rating of been better, he said.

Amidst these complaints, Pitt spokesper- 90 out of a possible score of 99.

“We really want to see the University hire son John Fedele urges students to realize that David Soto, a spokesperson for The Princ- the necessary staff — a department or a team this year’s progress should not define the Uni- eton Review, praised Pitt’s commitment to that focuses on sustainability,” Goodfellow, versity’s efforts to become more sustainable. sustainability. He was particularly impressed a senior communication and urban studies “The Year of Sustainability was a success, by Pitt’s efforts to divert 42 percent of its waste major, said. but it doesn’t mean that our sustainability ef- from landfills, to spend 10 to 15 percent of its Fedele declined to comment further on forts have stopped, nor does it indicate that food budget on local and organic food and Pitt’s sustainability efforts. our sustainability efforts began that year,” to ensure that new construction projects are Matway, along with Goodfellow, hopes Fedele said in an email.

LEED-certified. that Pitt will make the changes that could Claire Matway, former FTP co-president, “It’s a very select group of schools that increase its green rating even further. said that as it was intended, the Year of Sus- make it into the Guide,” Soto said.

“With some work, Pitt could make some tainability was a good idea.

Matway acknowledged Pitt’s efforts, but huge leaps on that chart,” Matway said. “We “Introducing sustainability into the aca- called for the administration to develop a have the oomph and the energy to be higher demic conversation, centering discourse more unified plan to reduce its environmental on the list, and we have the responsibility to around sustainability, hiring faculty, creat- impact, rather than installing “a green roof climb that chart.”

Mark Pesto Staff Writer

ing courses — all very good things,” Matway, a senior urban studies major, said.

But FTP had expected more out of the Year of Sustainability, it said in its letter.

“The administration’s approach … has primarily emphasized academic programs rather than meaningful reductions in our own institution’s environmental footprint,” Free the Planet wrote.

However, Fedele said the Year of Sustainability’s programs and initiatives represent just a fraction of Pitt’s overall commitment to sustainability.

May 27, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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Instagram says emoji could be a form of language, experts, students not so sure Alexis Mazzeo For the Pitt News Scott Fahlman didn’t mean to start a trend.

When Fahlman, a computer science researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, would communicate with colleagues on online message boards in the early 1980s, he needed a way to let them know when he was being serious and when he was joking. With a few simple strokes on the keyboard, he typed “:-)” and the figure quickly became a way to denote jokes.

At the time, he didn’t realize he’d become widely known for inventing the emoji.

Now, Instagram Engineering researchers have published a study that supports the idea that these text-based images are evolving into a new form of language. Published to its Tumblr page on May 1, Instagram’s research found that nearly half of the comments and captions on Instagram posts contained emoji characters — the report argued that as a result, emoji are becoming a language themselves. Fahlman, however, as well as other linguists and students, don’t agree.

Fahlman said people can convey certain meanings with emoji with a pretty good chance of being understood. However, it cannot exist as a fully developed language.

“I suppose emoji could become a real language if they evolved into something much more complex, such as Egyptian hieroglyphics,” Fahlman said.

The research found that users define emoji meanings based on their own intuition. This definition based on intuition is called Distributional Hypothesis, meaning that people apply word meanings to an emoji character given the context of the words used along with it.

Instagram concluded emoji hold

bits of language that do not hold much meaning on their own. However, these discourse particles give extra information about how to interpret a sentence, phrase or word.

Collister also said that meaning in words is partly expressed by the tone of voice a person uses, which is difficult to interpret in text. However, she did

LAUREN COLLISTER,

Electronic publications associate at Pitt

Emoji do represent one particular evolution of the English language to fit casual written language in online and graphical mediums. meaning after studying emoji trends and definitions. It found Finland had the highest usage of emoji with 60 percent of their text containing at least one character. To compare, about 38 percent of text in the United States contains at least one emoji.

Though Instagram argued that emoji are changing vocabulary and expression on Instagram, Lauren Collister, an electronic publications associate at the Office of Scholarly Communication and Publishing at Pitt, disagrees.

Collister said that emoji is not an evolving language — emoji are only a part of language. Linguists call these parts discourse particles, which are

admit that they hold strong semantic values especially when conveying popular iconic meanings, such as the heart emoji.

“I do not think emoji are a language all on their own, but rather a part of our rapidly evolving online language,” she said.

Another issue Collister has with identifying emoji as a language are the varying interpretations across different languages and cultures. For example, Collister had once sent a table-flipping emoji to a friend in Hungary.

“In the U.S., we generally perceive the table-flipping emoji to represent anger or frustration about something.

But my friend interpreted it as a show of great strength,” Collister said.

Instagram recently added support for emoji use in hashtags, which allows users to tag and search content with emoji icons. In its research, it looked at common word and slang associations with different emoji characters, offering them a possible meaning for the character. For example, Instagram defined the “face with tears of joy” emoji, which ranked first in emoji usage, as “lolol”, “lmao”, “lolz” and several other slang terms. The “women with bunny ears” emoji had more distinctive meanings such as, “#sistasista” and “#sisterfromanothermister.”

By looking at both words and emoji together in a post, the Instagram research found that users create meaning by combining the two.

“Emoji do represent one particular evolution of the English language to fit casual written language in online and graphical mediums,” Collister said.

Stephanie Corey, a senior chemistry major, supports the idea that emoji are evolving into a new language because they are becoming more personal in their use.

“People are basing their relationships with other people off of the emoji they receive and/or give them,” Corey said.

Emily Schartner, a pharmacy graduate student, uses emoji daily, but always accompanies them with words, she said.

“I don’t think it could be a language. I think they can be very misinterpreted,” Schartner said.

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May 27, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS

Education on bystander intervention required to prevent sexual assault

What does sexual assault look like?

Does it have to be explicit physical contact, like groping, or can it be more subdued, like telling someone to smile?

Last semester, a group of Carnegie Mellon University students developed “Decisions that Matter,” an interactive experience that illustrates forms of sexual assault likely to appear on college campuses. Unlike most other sexual assault educational initiatives, “Decisions that Matter” teaches the importance of bystander intervention over victim blaming — a step toward eradicating today’s rape culture.

This online graphic novel-style game hones in on a bystander’s responsibility in uncomfortable situations like catcalling or crude dancing at a party. The user approaches three difficult sexual assault scenarios and must decide whether or not to intervene. Focusing on bystander accountability, rather than solely the victim’s actions, helps to diffuse the destructive nature of victim blaming.

Most sexual assault education approaches focus on the victim — whether it’s nail

polish that changes color when you put your finger into a drugged drink, rape whistles or programs that push victims to report their attackers post de-facto. “Decisions that Matter,” though, is a novel, educational tool because it places the onus of responsibility on everyone, not just the victim.

Stephanie Fawaz, a graduate student at CMU who helped design the interactive experience, said the creators understood the bystander role to be a position of potential power.

“When witnessing an incident of sexual assault, there are lots of actions that a bystander can take to try and disrupt what’s happening,” she said.

Fawaz said the idea to focus on bystander intervention came from her team’s client, Jess Klein, coordinator of gender programs and sexual violence prevention at CMU. According to Klein, bystanders can help diffuse a situation by “speaking up and speaking out, [practicing] accountability [and] challenging someone’s entitlements.”

Fawaz and Klein alike hope the interactive game will change our current victim-

blaming culture. Through role-playing, users can practice empathy for victims, which will likely translate to sexual assault prevention.

While the game doesn’t perfectly mirror real life, it comes pretty close. The illustrations are depicted from the player’s point of view — you can see a red Solo cup in your hand and the other characters in the simulation address you, directly. The main characters, Natalie and Luke, use colloquial language and even swear, so the game doesn’t come off as forced or unrealistic.

Most importantly, though, the simulation gives you a limited amount of time to make important decisions about whether or not to intervene in a sexual assault scenario, mirroring the snap decisions we all must make in the real world.

The reaction to the simulation has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Fawaz.

Whether the person going through the experience succeeds or fails to prevent the assault, “people seem to really start thinking critically about the choices they were

making and reflect on what they think they should do when this happens to them in real life,” Fawaz said.

Currently, the design team is speaking with outlets like Schell Games and entering the game into competitions and festivals in hopes of creating a more mainstream educational application. With a dearth of productive sexual assault education materials, Fawaz hopes that “Decisions that Matter” will help people “grasp the issue and [its] implications … better.”

By creating an engaging platform for college students to learn about bystander responsibility and sexual assault prevention, Fawaz and company are spreading awareness. Even if the simulation only helps one person get out of an uncomfortable situation, it’s still a net-positive.

While we hope that you are never in a situation where you or someone around you experiences sexual assault, it’s better to be prepared — to know what sexual assault looks like. Try out “Decisions that Matter” and join the movement to end sexual assault on college campuses.

COLUMN

Going the distance: Four ways tech is improving relationships Cecile Truong Columnist

Without FaceTime, there’s no way I would have been able to date my boyfriend for the past two years. He’s three time zones away at University of California, Berkeley, across the country from Pitt.

If this were a few decades ago, my relationship would never last. Both in separate states, we would have only been able to connect through written letters or landline calls. Today, though, with the influx of long-distance technology, it’s not only possible — but worth it — to endure a long distance relationship.

Of course, not all forms of communication are created equal, as explained by the Media Richness Theory, developed in 1984 by Richard L. Daft and Robert H. Lengel. According to this theory, the less social cues transmitted — such as facial expressions, body language or tone of voice — the less rich the correspondence.

So, video chatting over FaceTime really does trump texting, even if you are an emoji fiend.

Although new technology cannot completely eradicate the restraints of distance, it does allow for quicker, more personal forms of communication. According to a February 2014 study by the

Pew Research Center on couples and technology use, 66 percent of U.S. adults who are married or in committed relationships use technology to stay connected, whether it be through emailing, calling, texting or video chatting. Young couples in general especially report feeling closer to their spouse or partner thanks to technology.

We get it — technology is an important part of all relationships. But these four recent developments are improving the quality of long distance relationships in ways you can’t ignore.

1. Want to plan a surprise trip to see your lover? The iPhone app “Simply Us”

helps long distance couples plan and coordinate their schedules. It’s an automatically updating, shared calendar that either you or your significant other can add events to. I personally use Google Docs to plan my time with my boyfriend, but the function is similar. Whichever you decide, using technology to streamline dates with your lover has definitely simplified and beautified the whole planning experience.

2. Missing your significant other’s touch? The iPhone app “Couple” has a feature called “ThumbKiss,” giving you that

Troung

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May 27, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 4

TRUONG long-awaited touch — sort of. Partners touch the same spot on the screen, emitting a vibration on both phones, mimicking real touch. Users can also share to-do lists, set reminders, find events and restaurants for the next date night and sketch together in real time, allowing you to play a game of hangman while you both have a break between classes.

THE PITT NEWS

3. Looking for intimate contact with someone miles away? You and your significant other can purchase “Pillow Talk” wristbands for each other. They come with a speaker that you put under your pillow, and the wristband picks up your heartbeat and transmits it to the speaker under the other person’s pillow. You’ll be able to hear the real time heartbeat of your loved one, making it feel like you’re lying on their chest. The wristbands are undergoing beta-testing in the U.K. and will be available online soon.

E S T A B L I S HE D 1 9 1 0

Harrison Kaminsky Editor-in-Chief

editor@pittnews.com Dale Shoemaker, News Editor Theo Schwarz, Visual Editor newsdesk.tpn@gmail.com

photos@pittnews.com

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tpnsports@gmail.com

Copy Staff Sarah Choflet Anjuli Das

tpnlayout@gmail.com

Bridget Montgomery Amanda Sobczak

4. Aching for your loved one’s arms?

Consider purchasing a “Hug Shirt.” A “Hug Shirt” is a shirt containing sensors that feel the strength, duration and location of the touch, in addition to the skin warmth and the heartbeat rate of the sender. Then, it recreates the sensation of touch and warmth of the hug to the Hug Shirt of the distant loved one.

These inventions involve more social cues — like touch and sensation — than your traditional form of long-distance contact, making it a richer conversation.

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.

5 These new ways of keeping in touch erase old-school methods like letter-writing or email. Why type out “I love you,” when you have the option to say it face to face?

Well, screen to screen.

I’m not the first to admit it, but long distance relationships really do suck sometimes. But until teleportation is made possible, go ahead and buy that Hug Shirt for your loved one — it helps.

Cecile Truong primarily writes about college and social issues for The Pitt News.

Write to Cecile at cet41@pitt.edu. advertising@pittnews.com

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May 27, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT WHO WANTS TO BE A

Ninja Warrior

Competition sucks —

but “Vampire Professor” back for more in “American Ninja Warrior” Brady Langmann For The Pitt News Athletes auditioned at Swissvale’s Carrie Furnaces on Friday and Saturday. Theo Schwarz | Visual Editor

Pitt’s “Vampire Professor” Joel Brady upped the stakes for his “American Ninja Warrior” audition this year — by about 30 feet.

“I got up and got a chance to do a dive off of the 30-foot platform in my professor suit,” he said, referring to the garb he wears to class each day. “I hung from my toes from the top platform and did like a bat-hang, and then released and dove into the water.”

Last weekend, for the second year in a row, Brady competed in NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior,” a reality TV show in its seventh season that features athletes as they try to conquer an imposing obstacle course.

This weekend, the show filmed one of its regional competitions at the Carrie Furnaces in Swissvale, a nowdefunct blast furnace. About 750 fans and 125 to 150 competitors showed up for filming each day, which ran from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Although the hurdles change with

each course, Pittsburgh’s obstacles included the 15-foot tall Warped Wall, a ramp that competitors have to scale with only a running start and the Unstable Bridge, a windy, narrow passage that derails contestants with even the slightest misstep.

Last year, Brady conquered the Quintuple Steps, the Spinning Log, the Cat Grab and the Hanging Spikes before stumbling on the Warped Wall.

To reach the legendary climac-

Ninja

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May 27, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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CINEMA

Gomez-Rejon doses witty, emotional drama in “Me and Earl” Nick Mullen Staff Writer

The set for both “The Fault in Our Stars” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Pittsburgh again becomes the epicenter of an emotional and tragic coming-of-age story in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.”

Gomez-Rejon, who directed episodes of “American Horror Story” and “Glee,” adapted the drama from a book of the same name by Pittsburgh-born author Jesse Andrews. It stars Greg Gaines (Thomas Mann), an intelligent but reserved student at Schenley High School. Along with his friend, Earl (Ronald Cyler II), Greg makes films that parody classic and foreign cinema, inspired by his eclectic father (Nick Offerman).

After Greg’s mother (Connie Britton) forces him to spend time with Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a classmate who was recently diagnosed with leukemia, Greg hesitantly obliges, and the two become friends. Eventually, Rachel’s friend suggests to Greg that he make a movie for Rachel, and Greg must confront his feelings of genuine friendship with her and accept her ill fate.

FROM PAGE 6

NINJA

tic obstacle, Mount Midoriyama, at the national finals in Las Vegas later this summer, competitors must advance through several rounds of the competition. Up to this point, no one has made it far enough to even try to climb Midoriyama, so NBC doubled the cash prize from $500,000 to $1 million this season.

The results of the regional competitions are embargoed until after broadcast, which is yet to be determined.

With his khaki pants, sweater vest and green bowtie, Brady’s professor garb fit in with the other unconventional costumes at “Ninja Warrior.”

The Ninja Nurse donned scrubs, while Harlem Globetrotter Flip White wore his red, white and blue warmup suit. Matt Zacharkow, dressed as the Ninja Baby, ran the course wearing only a diaper and

Greg narrates the film, adding com- tached and intelligent high schooler who mentary and explaining scenes. The movie thinks that making passing connections also shows select clips from Greg’s and with people will help him avoid making Earl’s stop-motion movies made with di- genuine ones. Mann’s monotonic delivery orama pieces, which serve as analogies to of cynical and sarcastic statements portray explain Greg’s thoughts and ideas. his indifference.

True to the Cooke’s Rachel book’s Pittsburgh is a bitter and emoroots, many East Me and Earl and the Dying Girl tionally withdrawn End neighborgirl whose cancer Grade: A hoods, Pitt and visibly advances Starring: Thomas Mann, Olivia throughout the Oakland get cameos in the film. The film. She is initially Cooke, Ronald Cyler II high school scenes distrustful of Greg, Directed by: Alfonso Gomezwere filmed at the but later comes to former Schenley realize that he truly Rejon High School, where cares about her and Andrews attended can make her feel school, and in North better. Cooke shows Oakland, with both the Cathedral of Learn- Rachel’s bitterness and pessimism through ing and the Chevron Science Center visible. her facial expressions and blunt and bleak Greg enrolls in Pittsburgh State University, delivery of updates about her illness. a possible reference to Pitt. Rachel even In one scene, Rachel tells Greg that she has a photograph of Towers hanging above decided to stop taking her cancer medicaher bed. tion. For the first time in the film, Greg The emotional scenes between Greg shows true emotion and admits that he and Rachel are heavy, genuine and beauti- cares about Rachel. He becomes angry fully acted. Mann portrays Greg as a de- and passionate, divulging into a series of

broken thoughts and feelings about Rachel and why she selfishly shouldn’t choose to end her own life.

This scene lands especially hard because seeing Mann act and speak so passionately underscores the severity and importance of the scene. Cooke maintains Rachel’s apathy and pessimism, and pleads to let her make the decision for herself.

The chemistry between the actors feels genuine, with emotion and tension slowly building throughout the scene.

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is a coming-of-age story that combines the quirky and witty characters of “Juno” with the emotional gravitas of “The Fault in Our Stars.” Greg is similar to Juno as a witty but reserved know-it-all thrust into a serious and emotional, though ultimately transformative, situation. The relationship between Greg and Rachel is tragic and deep, eventually leading to closure, similar to Hazel’s and Augustus’ relationship in “The Fault in Our Stars.”

As Greg ultimately learns in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” connecting with others, even if for a short time, is always better than being alone.

a bonnet. Zacharkow said the costume helped him overcome his social anxiety and depression.

“Everybody out here has balls to stand up there — you got all of the competitors watching you, all of the contestants, you know it’s being filmed like this,” Zacharkow said. “And then, anybody who’s dressed up, it magnifies that experience. It’s either going to make you or break you.”

According to Kristen Stabile, the show’s co-executive producer, the psychological challenge is exactly what makes otherwise talented athletes wipe out during the first few obstacles.

“There’s gonna be a Ninja Warrior. Of course we know it can be done, but it’s like anything — you have to not make a mental mistake, it’s not just a physical mistake,” she said. “Sometimes, there are guys who could do this course 50 times, and they fall on the second obstacle and you’re like, ‘What?’”

Even Pittsburgh native Brianne

even become the backdrop for the season finale. Although he entered “Ninja Warrior” through the walk-on process, waiting in line for more than a week to earn his shot at the course, Carslaw was thrilled to compete in front of the setting.

“I think that this is gonna be one of the best backdrops of the season,” he said. “The Carrie Furnaces are giving us such a unique background, no other city has given it.”

Brady expects to be back at Pitt as the professor of Vampire: Blood and Empire this fall, which will be his first time teaching the class since the show dubbed him the “Vampire Professor.”

For those planning on taking his course, Brady said he’s always been happy to discuss his ninja expertise with students, as long as it doesn’t interfere with academics. “[Students] ask me about it, you know I try to tell them that I’ll be happy to talk about the TV show, maybe in office hours or something,” he said. “I don’t want it to compromise the integrity of the coursework.”

McLaughlin, a silver medalist in women’s hockey during the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic games, was anxious before her first bout with the course. Not used to competing without her hockey squad, McLaughlin trained with Steel City Parkour and said she planned on leaving the rest to the same instincts she uses on the ice.

“It’s just me out there. But like hockey, even though if you have nerves you get in the game, the second the puck drops, you just go and do it,” she said. “So I’m hoping I’m able to do that here, once I get on the first obstacle I’ll just calm down and make it through, I guess.”

If the scale of the obstacle course didn’t strike the rest of contestants’ nerves, then the backdrop of towering, industrial-looking Carrie Furnaces added an epic feel to the event. At more than 90 feet high, the furnaces loomed over the fan-filled bleachers and the rest of the “Ninja Warrior” setup.

Pitt alum Scott Carslaw, a former gymnast, said he suspects that the locale might

The Pitt News Crossword, 5/27/2015

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May 27, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com ACROSS Help with a heist Senate __ Rascal First name in fashion 15 First name in fashion 16 Transmission repair franchise 17 Digging tool with an abstract pattern?

20 Wrecks 21 How a scolding may be given 22 First and last words of “Green Eggs And Ham” 23 Winter Palace resident 24 Mathematical array with a spotted pattern?

31 Champagne label word 32 Olympic hawk 33 Reunion attendee 34 3-Down is in it 36 Arafat of the PLO 39 Broadway feature 40 Carne __ 42 Pupil’s place 44 Letters from your parents?

45 Fish with a linear pattern?

49 Snaps 50 Much 51 College milieu 55 Ghoulish 59 Volume with a plaid pattern?

61 Son of Abraham 62 Top 63 Run without moving 64 “Married to the Mob” director 65 Appealed 66 Some votes 1 5 9 14

DOWN 1 Twice vier 2 Lout 3 Besides Chile, the only S.A. country that doesn’t border Brazil 4 Neck tissue

5/28/15

By David Poole

5 Italian cuisine herb 6 Cockpit figs.

7 Satya Nadella of Microsoft, e.g.

8 Self-seeker 9 Like nearly onethird of Africa 10 Kirk or Picard: Abbr.

11 Brest friend 12 Year in which Frederick II died 13 Snail-paced 18 Bangladesh capital 19 Streetcar relative 23 Hard-to-call contests 24 It was originally named Brad’s Drink 25 Indian __ 26 Bust gp.

27 Bronze component 28 Orchestra section 29 Madonna and Lady Gaga 30 Gabrielle’s friend 31 Hotel freebie 35 Collection to burn

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

37 “Now __ seen everything!”

38 Embarrassed 41 Tranquil 43 One way to be taken 46 What some eyeglasses lack 47 Polar concern 48 Oil-rich peninsula 51 Within 52 One taken to court

5/28/15

53 Leading man?

54 Eighth of a fluid ounce 55 Fast-spreading Internet phenomenon 56 Murder mystery staple 57 Something to cast 58 Laboriously earns, with “out” 60 Stomach acid, to a chemist

May 27, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Trio of new bigs will be key to turnaround year Dan Sostek Sports Editor

bounds per game.

The route the team is taking to alleviate its frontcourt woes is somewhat similar to the failed approach last season, which has been an approach that hasn’t worked

After a 2014-2015 season in which the Pitt men’s basketball team struggled to establish a strong presence in the paint, Alonzo Nelson-Ododa head coach Jamie (33) will have to make Dixon is making a an impact for Pitt big gamble headbasketball to reestablish ing into the upitself nationally. | TNS coming season.

With former Richmond forward Alonzo NelsonOdoda announcing his transfer to Pitt this past weekend, the Panthers are bringing in three new big men, in the form of Nelson-Ododa, junior college commit Rozelle Nix and Brown transfer Rafael Maia.

The trio will replace a group of departures, as center Tyrone Haughton announced he was leaving the program in March, while center Joseph Uchebo is reportedly not expected back with the team as well.

The decision to overhaul the position was a fairly obvious one.

Last season, the Panthers ranked second-to-last in the ACC in blocks, while ranking last in the conference in defensive re-

well for Pitt in recent years. The Panthers haven’t had a junior college player make significant contributions since Jermaine Dixon from 2008-2010, and the team hasn’t found a game-changing player via a Division I transfer of late. Sheldon Jeter has been the most consistent transfer in recent memory, while others like forward Derrick Randall and guard Trey Zeigler didn’t meet expectations.

While this is all we have right now to gauge the current situation, it isn’t fair to dismiss these new players solely based on performances of past players coming from similar situations. Maia and Nelson-Ododa both produced significantly more at their former schools than Randall did at Rutgers, albeit in lesser conferences than the old Big East or the ACC. Nix also possesses enviable size at nearly seven feet and has put an emphasis on improving conditioning, shedding significant weight in preparation for the season. Once sitting around 350 pounds, Nix is already down to 300 pounds, while still working on getting in better shape.

The biggest ques-

M Hoops

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BASEBALL

Pitt needs consistency to compete in ACC Stephen Caruso Contributing Editor

Joining a new athletic conference is never easy. Pitt head baseball coach Joe Jordano is learning that firsthand.

Since Pitt hired him in 1998, Jordano led Pitt to nine Big East tournaments, including five straight from 2009-2013, and became the winningest coach in Pitt baseball history. Under Jordano, the team had a .560 winning percentage while in the Big East, including a program record 42 wins in 2013.

But then, Pitt joined the ACC. Since then, Pitt baseball has struggled to a .404 winning percentage, including a .339 winning percentage in conference games.

The numbers don’t lie. ACC baseball has not been kind to Pitt.

This shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

As of right now, the ACC has five teams in the RPI top 25 — including No. 1 Miami — tied with the SEC for most top ranked teams. The Big East doesn’t have single team in the top 50.

And things won’t get any easier down the line. According to Baseball America, the recruiting classes of four ACC schools — Virginia, North Carolina, Florida State and Miami — for the 2014 school year rank among the top 25 in the country. All four of those teams are on the list of top 25 teams this year, so it appears to be a case of the rich getting richer.

The bottom line is things will not get easier for Pitt anytime soon. But while the rest of the ACC may have the flashy recruits and high rankings, baseball is a sport that respects the fundamentals.

Baseball

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May 27, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

FROM PAGE 9

BASEBALL With some growth and consistency, Pitt could find a way to compete in its third year in the ACC. It started this season well enough in conference games, managing a 3-3 record against then-No. 1 Virginia and No. 11 North Carolina in its first two ACC series. The games included a 1-0 win against UVA, in which Pitt sophomore starter T.J. Zeuch out-dueled UVA ace and heralded MLB draft prospect Nathan Kirby, as well as a 3-2 extra inning effort against UNC. Three consecutive series losses against ACC opponents followed the strong start, bringing the team to a 9-20 conference record by the end of the year. They also failed to beat another ranked team after the early success, losing all six games.

The saying “you can’t predict baseball” comes to mind to describe the start, but it is important to pay attention to the work Zeuch did early on.

As the No. 1 starter, Zeuch starts the first game over every weekend series.

T P N S U D O K U

When the Panthers take the first game of a conference series, they have won all but one of the series, and gone 7-5. When the Panthers lose the first game, not only have they lost every series, but they have gone 2-16. Zeuch hasn’t simply feasted on bad teams — Virginia was the best team in the country when he dominated them.

His performance hints that he has the potential to become a top-tier pitcher in the conference. He’ll look to make that jump next season.

Like Zeuch, most of Pitt’s team is young.

The Panthers are losing six seniors, including slugger Boo Vazquez, as well as fielders Eric Hess and Jordan Frabasilio. However, young bats like sophomore Nick Yarnall, sophomore Jacob Wright and freshman Charles LeBlanc will take their places quickly. All can hit for average and take a walk, giving Pitt more base runners and more scoring opportunities.

With an ace in development and a team of on-base threats, there is no reason to think Pitt couldn’t find more wins in conference matchups. Jordano has shown himself to be a winner at Pitt — a change in conference should not change his attitude.

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FROM PAGE 9

M HOOPS tion will end up being how the players fit in Dixon’s program. Dixon likes to find players that mesh well with the way Pitt plays, rather than mold his game plans around particular players. This inability to adapt to Pitt’s style of play was evident in particular with Haughton, who did not see the floor once in his lone season at Pitt last year, despite not having any injuries.

With Nelson-Ododa coming from a program of repute in Richmond, and Maia hailing from a school like Brown,

one would think that those two will be able to make the transition. It also appeared that Nix was a player that Pitt was very interested in, meaning that Dixon must have seen a way for the center to fit into the fold.

This triumvirate of big men will be crucial to Pitt’s success this upcoming season.

None will be asked to do too much, though, as juniors Mike Young and Jamel Artis will likely still start at the five and the four, respectively. But the ability to spell those two with effective post players was something the Panthers sorely lacked last season. If two of the three can be effective next year, Dixon’s gamble will have paid off.