The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | April 7, 2017 | Volume 107 | Issue 155
SCHENLEY APARTMENTS TO OPEN IN JULY
John Hamilton and James Evan Bowen-Gaddy
Author Meghan Daum reads a chapter from her book, “The Unspeakable,” during a talk in the Frick Fine Arts building on Thursday evening. Thomas Yang STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
MEGHAN DAUM SHARES STORIES WITH STUDENTS
Abhignya Mallapelli Staff Writer
A casual game of charades between A-list celebrities was the perfect opportunity for writer and editor Meghan Daum to transcend the line between being present and invisible. Daum’s experience at a star-studded party as an aspiring screenwriter served as the premise for “Invisible City,” an essay in her recent book, “The Unspeakable,” Daum’s most
recent collection of personal essays. “I was, in effect, invisible. I was the human embodiment of a fly on the wall,” she said. On Thursday night, the Alexandra L. Rowan Memorial Foundation and the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series brought Daum to read excerpts from her 2014 work in the Frick Fine Arts auditorium as part of the Rowan Festival. The Alexandra L. Rowan Memorial
Foundation was created after 2013 graduate Alexandra Rowan, an English and communications double major, died suddenly from massive pulmonary embolism. Her parents now support writing students through internships, awards and seminars. Each year, the foundation hosts a writing festival at Pitt. This year’s lineup includes a publishing Q&A, master classes taught by esSee Meghan Daum on page 4
News Editors The doors of Schenley High School will reopen soon, but to the distaste of some former students, it won’t be for class. Tenants will occupy the former classrooms, which are now converted to luxury apartments. PMC Property Group is now leasing 180 units in the building with move-in dates starting as soon as July. The Schenley Apartments will contain one- and two-bedroom units, which will start at $1,295 and $1,995, respectively. PMC/Schenley HSB Associates LP purchased the building on Bigelow Boulevard and Centre Avenue from Pittsburgh Public Schools for $5.2 million in 2013. Schenley High School closed in 2008 when, amid financial troubles, Pittsburgh Public Schools chose to close the school rather than pay the estimated $75 million or more to fix asbestos and other issues. The historic building, which opened in 1916, was very modern for its time. The architect, Edward Stotz, Sr, designed the building with rounded corners and a compact design, bringing the construction costs to over $1 million. During community planning in 2012, Schenley Farms residents argued about the ideal usage of the building, with many in favor of high-end apartments or condominiums and others in support of student housing. Residents offered these differing views in emails sent to the Schenley Farms Civic Association — a planning group dedicated to maintaining “the neighborhood as See Apartments on page 3
News
Impact Journalism Edition on stands Monday
PITTSBURGHERS TALK GERRYMANDERING
Stephen Caruso
Districts are redrawn every ten years, lution is grassroots like this,” Schuneman swung elections since at least the early 1800s. The name was first used in a news- at the same time as the U.S. Census, to said, looking around the room of conpaper political cartoon after Massachu- accommodate shifts in congressional del- cerned citizens. Sue Broughton likes squiggles. And as In her talk, Broughton said, although setts Governor Elbridge Gerry, elected egations based on state’s populations. a speaker for Fair Districts PA, she gets to Many times, these committees are ap- gerrymandering was common in U.S. in 1812, drew an electoral district favorshow concerned voters a lot of them. able to his party that was compared to the pointed by elected officials and so may history, it became an issue worth acting Fair Districts PA, is a non-partisan still draw partisan political maps. In 2011 on because of modern data mining techshape of a salamander. activist group against gerrymandering — Politicians are able to shape electoral to 2012, the state Supreme Court threw niques and piles of super-PAC money. when a political group moves the Combined, these let parties draw boundaries of electoral districts new electoral maps with pinpoint to help their own election odds or precision, making districts with as to hurt their opponents — which many loyal voters as possible. formed a year and a half ago. “The party in power draws maps Broughton’s favorite example as they want them,” Broughton said. of the practice is Pennsylvania’s Despite being a Democrat, Nancy 7th U.S. Congressional District — Glynn, 52 of Wilkins Township, said which includes the Philadelphia the issue is bipartisan. She recognizsuburbs. As a map projects bees that even if Pennsylvania is gerhind her, she shows the room its rymandered by Republicans, Demotwisting, turning borders that cut crats abuse it in other states. through five different counties, Glynn, one of the hosts of the carving up Philadelphia suburbs event from Temple Sinai, thought and farmlands alike. Broughton fighting gerrymandering was imporsaid it looked like “Goofy kicking tant because as long as it exists, both Donald Duck.” parties will say “I’ll gerrymander you The crowd of 80 sitting in Oaknow, you’ll gerrymander me later.” land’s Rodef Shalom’s auditorium To end the vicious cycle, Fair laughed at her description. They Districts PA’s goal is to pass Pennsylwere gathered at the event — hostvania Senate Bill 22 and make it an ed by Rodef Shalom and Temple Siamendment to the state constitution. nai to encourage “social action” — The bill would let independent, prito learn about gerrymandering, a vate citizens, not elected politicians, vintage American political weapon draw district borders. Sue Broughton speaks to a crowd at the Rodef Shalom auditorium in Shadyside about made more dangerous by technolTo become part of the state congerrymandering. Stephen Caruso ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR ogy and money. The group planned stitution, the bill has to pass the state to raise awareness and lobby their legislature twice, then win a public legislators to stop it. referendum. Fair Districts PA hopes The meeting was centered to accomplish all of this by 2020 for around an hour-long talk by districts at both a state and federal level out Pennsylvania’s redistricting map made the next redistricting cycle. Broughton, 70, who recalled her start in Some attendees seemed more optimisbecause districts are usually drawn by by its redistricting committee. Pennsylvaactivism as an environmentalist in the tic than others about reaching the goal. nia will redistrict again in 2020. state legislatures themselves. 1970s. Her biggest lesson from her youngJosh Schuneman, 29, of Friendship, But for Glynn, a Pitt faculty member Seven U.S. states — including Calier days are that to enact change, it takes fornia, Arizona and Idaho — create their has known about gerrymandering ever who’s still upset about the outcome of the more than energy and ideas — it requires congressional and state districts by an since he saw a Daily Show segment a few 2016 election, the goal seems worthy of a knowledge of how to pass bills. appointed committee. Another seven, years back. As an independent, he cares fight. “If you don’t understand the legisla“It’s going to take a lot of hard work a including Pennsylvania, use a committee about the issue as a way to restore power tive process ... you’re at a disadvantage,” lot of communication, but why not? Let’s to design only their state representatives’ to the common voters. Broughton said. “The only way we’re going to find a so- go for it,” Glynn said. maps. In America, gerrymandering has Contributing Editor
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Apartments, pg. 1 an upscale, single family community,” according to their website. The Schenley Farms Civic Association said in 2015 PMC has “no intention of marketing apartments in this building to students.” Despite PMC taking out a visual advertisement for the apartments in The Pitt News, Norman Cleary, president of the Schenley Farms Civic Association, said the quality and price of the apartments make them geared less toward students. “It’s a more upscale development, not to say students shouldn’t rent in the building,” Cleary said. “Many of the Oakland neighborhoods have housing well-suited to lower rents and bettersuited to the student markets.” According to Cleary, the SFCA reached the decision to develop the building as apartments –– instead of condominiums –– in order to preserve the historic building. Condos are considered residential properties and are not eligible for the historic tax credits available for apartments and other commercial properties. “It became obvious quickly that these folks knew how to develop historic buildings,” he said, noting PMC’s track record in redeveloping historic buildings, including the former Phila-
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delphia School District administrative building. “They’ve become excellent stewards of the building.” PMC leasing consultant Christopher Girard said demand for leases has been high so far. “Future tenants have especially liked the original hardwood floors and chalkboards that we were able to preserve,” Girard said in an email to The Pitt News. Many Schenley High School alumni, however, who learned math and science on those
chalkboards, are not thrilled with the new use of the building. Zach Galuska was in the last class of students to pass through the high school before it closed. He lived in Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood and attended Schenley as part of their magnet program — a program that brings in students beyond the normal geographic boundaries of a public school for more rigorous academics. Galuska said Schenley was special because it brought together students from all over Pitts-
Schenley High School will reopen as high-end apartments in July. John Hamilton CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
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burgh. “[Schenley] had people from rival neighborhoods sitting together in class, playing cards with each other and laughing,” Galuska said. “That’s something that doesn’t happen. And it did there, every day.” Galuska said he was also impressed with the economic diversity of students at Schenley High, where he saw “kids from six-figure homes hanging out with kids from the projects.” Now, he said, that diversity is going to disappear. “They’re luxury apartments — people are paying $1,500 a month to live there,” Galuska said. “How many of those kids are going to go to public schools?” Galuska said he and other students testified at Pittsburgh Public School board meetings in 2008 to try to keep the school open. “We walked down after school, and we protested, and we had a lot of support from the community,” Galuska said. “But they already had their minds made up.” Though many Schenley alumni are frustrated with the outcome of the project, residents in the Schenley Farms area, like Cleary, who lives close to the building, are happy with the development. “[PMC is] very pleased with the success of the project and how well it’s been received in the neighborhood,” Girard said.
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Meghan Daum, pg. 1 tablished writers including Daum and readings from Rowan Award winners. David Rowan, Alexandra’s father, presented awards at Thursday’s event to students who excelled in creative writing. Abigail Wang, April Yoder and Juliette Rihl won awards and monetary prizes for their work in poetry, fiction and nonfiction, respectively. Geeta Kothari, the writing festival’s director, introduced Daum by mentioning where her work has appeared, including The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine and The Los Angeles Times, where she wrote opeds for 11 years. “I’m not sure when she sleeps, but I do know we’re very lucky to have her here with us tonight,” Kothari said. Daum commanded the attention of the room, standing under the auditorium lights as she read about her first celebrity dinner party experience in Los Angeles that left her feeling invisible but with ample opportunity for observation. “You could say I moved to Los Angeles in order to have a lot of things at once,” she began. Daum’s tale of attending a dinner party hosted by illustrious writer and director Nora Ephron was a vehicle for her discovering her true passion. Daum casually described, her tone lighthearted, receiving a fax with directions to Ephron’s house with instructions to create a list of related items for a “game.” She admitted she spent 20 hours finalizing this list, which ended up consisting entirely of rock bands that had birds in their names. These lists were used during the party for a competitive game of charades. Once at the party, she struggled to make conversation since asking her fellow dinner
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guests what they did for a living was out of the question. She sat next to actress Meg Ryan, who turned away from her at dinner to speak to another neighbor about President George W. Bush’s then-recent election. She had more success with Steve Martin, who talked about his work for the “Pink Panther” remake. Nicole Kidman, Arianna Huffington and Larry David were also among the celebrity population in attendance. Her interactions with each of them were not especially enlightening, since “no one listened to anyone.” “One unspoken rule seemed crystal clear: do not speak about business,” she said. Daum detailed her many attempts at conversation, eventually accepting that in the presence of such celebrities, it was difficult to be heard, even during her successful guessing in a game of charades. “I entered a kind of zen space, a pact with my ego,” she said. The celebrity charade experience, she claimed, was the only one she ever attended. After that, she realized screenwriting was not in her future. “The screenwriting world was lively,” she said, adding that many in the community were, as she described it, desperate or sad, like students who are smart but not the smartest. Daum answered questions for the remainder of the night, offering advice about writing, life and the redemption narrative. She described the redemption narrative — a concept based on processing a crisis and becoming a “better person”— as “terribly reductive.” The expectation for people to come out of traumatic experiences “better” is unrealistic, because according to Daum, “life doesn’t work that way.” “Isn’t the best possible outcome that you’re the same person at the end of [any] trauma?” she challenged.
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SPONSORED CONTENT
FINANCIAL FRIDAY:
Preparing Your Finances for Studying Abroad Mark Mulkeen
College can be thought of as an investment in which you pay for the opportunity to earn a degree, and cash in on the investment by getting a job your degree qualifies you for. But that doesn’t have to be the only way of thinking of it; college is also an experience, and a potentially enriching and exciting part of that experience is studying abroad. It’s a fantastic way to see the world, but if you do decide to study abroad, you should ensure the experience isn’t breaking the bank. You can take many actions to control the amount you spend for your experience, and searching for scholarships is a good place to start. You may have thought your scholarship search ended when you began college, but that’s likely not the case. Studying abroad potentially increases your expenses, but it also opens up a wealth of opportunities for scholarships to financially support your experience. Scholarships to help support studying abroad are offered by Pitt to students throughout the university, regardless of their concentrations of study. A big example of scholarships like these is the Nationality Room Scholarships, which are sponsored by Cathedral of Learning Nationality Rooms and range in amount from $3,500 to $5,000. The school within Pitt that you’re enrolled in may offer scholarships for studying abroad as well. For example, the College of Business Administration currently provides about $180,000 annually in scholarships for Pitt Study Abroad programs. The Swanson School of Engineering also provides funds for Study Abroad scholarships annually, so check with your school to see if they offer their own scholarships for studying abroad.
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Outside scholarships are also offered far and wide, so expand your search outside the University of Pittsburgh as well. Many scholarships for studying abroad exist, and the only thing limiting the search is you, so search as much as you can. Scholarship searching is not the only area you should be researching though. Comparing the potential budgets of different Study Abroad programs is an important type of research to conduct as well. Study Abroad expenses vary widely based on the type of program chosen. Fortunately, the Pitt Study Abroad site lists the specific expenses for each program. However even with the expenses listed, choosing the program that works best for you financially can be a difficult and overwhelming task. The Study Abroad site goes a step further in helping you here by providing a budgeting tool in the form of an excel template, which allows you to compare and plan expenses. This template shows different expenses for you to enter by category, which adds up to an estimated total expense for the program. The same process is then done with financial resources you would receive for the program, such as financial aid, family contributions, and more, to give you an estimate of total financial resources. The template allows you to compare the estimated finances of up to three programs at a time. Once you do decide which program you have chosen, make sure to keep your chosen program in the budgeting tool so that you can more accurately plan your Study Abroad experience. It is also worth mentioning that Pitt run programs are not the only ways to study abroad. However, taking an alternative route can affect the financial aid you currently receive.
PHOTO VIA PEXELS
As mentioned earlier, your financial situation varies based on the program you choose. One big factor to look out for is the way your financial aid could change if you enroll directly to study abroad. Direct enrollment refers to enrolling in a university abroad for a semester, rather than studying abroad through a Pitt run program, where financial aid is often still available. Pitt Academic Scholarships and need-based grants are not available to students during semesters abroad if they do so through direct enrollment. Additionally, Pitt does not process government grants and loans if a student is directly enrolled abroad. Pitt offers a wide range of its own programs, so you still have many options without considering direct
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enrollment. But if you do decide direct enrollment is the best option for you, be aware of the change in your financial aid that will occur. Studying abroad can be an expensive process, but it’s also quite the enriching experience, making it a difficult opportunity to pass up. If you do decide to study abroad, take steps toward keeping the experience financially feasible. Searching for scholarships, comparing the budgets of programs, and making sure you keep your current aid are just some areas of research that could affect your cost of studying abroad. With that in mind, leave stone unturned and plan your finances as much as possible before departing the states to study abroad.
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Opinions column
from the editorial board x Pitt Tonight
RECOGNIZE GRAFFITI
Top 10: Questions for the new host of ‘Pitt Tonight’ Pitt students were treated to an inevitable surprise this week: the announcement of the new face of “Pitt Tonight,” the campus variety show modeled after late-night talk shows. Current host and senior Jesse Irwin will give up his desk to first-year Andrew Dow starting next fall. You probably have questions concerning the new host, and so do we, the people who will eventually write for his show and the hardhitting journalists who will cover him. Here are ten questions we have for the next host of “Pitt Tonight.”
6. If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Follow-up question: If it does make a sound, is it similar to the sound that we make when we’re sneaking downstairs for snacks late at night? 5. Do you promise to put all of your assets into a blind trust when you become host? We here at “Pitt Tonight” and The Pitt News are extremely worried about trickledown embezzlement. Just because President Trump can do it doesn’t mean you can, Andrew.
10. If you had a spice rack, what ten spices would you choose to put on it? This will tell us a lot about Andrew. Is he more of a spicy or sweet kind of guy? If he mentions nutmeg, cinnamon and clove, then 4. Is this a mole or a second belly butwe will most definitely be expecting impeccaton? bly well-seasoned treats on a daily basis. Asking for a friend. 9. Oreo or Double Stuf Oreo? 3. What is your stance on Syrian PresiThis question will include a brief demonstration of his eating and dunking preferences. dent Bashar Al-Assad’s use of chemical Also: no third party write-in answers allowed. weapons on people in his own country? Feel free to come back to this question, We don’t care how much you like the pumpkin spice or the birthday cake flavors — we only it’s a tough one. care about the real deal. 2. Hey, buddy, you wanna buy a watch? Some of us have resorted to moonlight8. In your Facebook Live appearance Wednesday, you said you “plan to rule with ing as ornate watch salespeople to put ouran iron fist” and “would rather be feared selves through college. It’s not the best gig, than loved” where the marketing depart- but it pays. Plus, if you start selling, you get a free trench coat. Well, it’s a uniform, but it’s ment is concerned. What does that mean? Does this fierce outlook apply to the other still free and you get to keep it. sections of the show as well? As host, you will 1. Are you going to leave us like that be asked to answer for your positions. other guy? What was his name — Jeffrey Irweiner? 7. Have you ever been convicted of a Anyway, just don’t tease us along for the next felony? We know they don’t do background checks three years. at “Pitt Tonight,” so we just want to have all the information before you get up there.
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as a valid form of art Elise Lavallee Columnist
In America, graffiti is often a staple of disadvantaged communities, associated with crime and poverty, and generally unwanted. But in some places, where the culture and atmosphere differs, graffiti is a welcome aspect of the community. In a small neighborhood of Toronto, known as Kensington Market, graffiti covers nearly every inch of exposed wall along the main streets. The neighborhood is home to small, individually owned businesses — think vegan bakeries, microbreweries, tattoo parlors and art galleries — that give the area a very hip and young vibe. The businesses owners within the neighborhood are highly tolerant of taggers and other street artists because of the way their work embodies the character of the area. The actual art that is the graffiti isn’t much different from what you would see in cities around the U.S., but the way the neighborhood perceives and appreciates the graffiti is. Meanwhile in Oakland, beneath the Panther Hollow bridge is a large graffiti tag reading “disarm.” Though the phrase may seem out of context in the middle of a peaceful park, it’s likely a comment on the hostile state of the world today. Further down, and slightly off the trail, the word “lost,” is inscribed on a cement block with bright pink lettering. Underneath a drainage pipe that is cluttered with different graffiti, a bright white “god” stands out over the other tags — the “O” embellished with a halo. But despite the artistic nature of the graffiti
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and the message the artist probably meant to convey, people still see this type of graffiti as a disruption to the wholesomeness of the park instead of legitimate art. But when we fail to see the positive aspects of graffiti, always defaulting to what they take away from a community, we not only reduce the value of the graffiti artist as an artist but also the artistic value of the work itself. Though some graffiti does cause real property damage and criminal implications, we should still respect it as a form of artistic expression all the same. “It’s not so much if someone thinks of graffiti as a crime. Graffiti is a crime, so I would expect everyone to think of it as that,” said Pittsburgh-based graffiti artist Apathy — an alias that allows the artist to keep anonymity among the public and recognition among the graffiti community. “But if someone views it as vandalism, I would say they are less likely to open their eyes up to the art form behind the crime.” American graffiti began in Philadelphia in the late 1960s when artist Cornbread started tagging walls with his name in order to get the attention of a girl. From there, graffiti exploded across metropolitan areas, including New York, Chicago, Baltimore and Los Angeles, providing individuals with an outlet to create and express themselves in a public manner. The surge in tagging — particularly on public and private property — led to an increased need for law enforcement to regain control of public spaces. The legal system in the U.S. clasSee Lavallee on page 7
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Lavallee, pg. 6 sifies graffiti as a form of vandalism, criminalizing graffiti and devaluing the political and social messages the artist’s mean to portray with their work. In Pittsburgh, an artist can be charged with a violation, misdemeanor or felony depending on the extent of the damage. The legal association with vandalism is a large part of the reason graffiti artists are often referred to as vandals, especially in areas where graffiti is connected to other types of criminal activity like gangs or violent crime. Like most forms of artistic expression in the United States, graffiti is protected under the First Amendment. Though artists can be punished for defacing property, they cannot be punished for using their work to express things such as political dissatisfaction. The federal government protecting graffiti in this way is important because it shows their recognition of graffiti as an art, even if it’s not the most agreeable. But this understanding isn’t always how it plays out in real life. Behind just its illegal nature, there are many ways people use graffiti that have created this negative association. In cities such as Chicago and New York, gangs use graffiti as a
way to mark their territory. Even if the marking itself is not threatening to the community, the violence associated with gangs causes the community to lump gangs and their negative characteristics together with the art of graffiti. And this association makes it much harder for graffiti to exist as a legitimate form of creative expression. Our language and culture greatly influence the way we perceive graffiti. Oxford diction-
aries define graffiti as “writing or drawings scribbled, scratched or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place.” Unlike vandalism, which is derived from the Latin word “vandalus” — meaning the willful destruction of something beautiful or venerable — the word graffiti is derived from the Italian “graphein,” meaning to write. This difference alone should be enough to show that graffiti is not synonymous with van-
Graffiti in Kensington Market in downtown Toronto. Photos courtesy of Christian Lavallee
dalism. Writing is not vindictive or destructive but a means of expression, just as graffiti is. “Because of this untraditional art form that I practice, I’ve come to accept many things people wouldn’t traditionally consider ‘art’ [as] art,” Apathy said. “In my opinion, anything that stimulates one of our [five] senses is art, if that is what the artist intended it to be.” This is something we should all be doing — recognizing art that an artist intended to be recognized as such, not picking and choosing our own definitions of art because of cultural, social or political influences. Even with its illegal status, graffiti artists and their work deserve the same amount of respect that other artists receive. The illegality of graffiti isn’t the issue — the law is important to protect property. But just because it’s illegal doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate it and view graffiti with the same mindset that we view any other art form. Though it’s more common to see on public transportation or park benches than in a museum, the value of graffiti as art is no different no matter where it is. Elise primarily writes about education and environmental issues for The Pitt News. Write to her at eml94@pitt.edu.
The Pitt News SuDoku 4/7/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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7
Sports
OVER
Knight
SENSATION
By the end of her first weekend as a collegiate pitcher, true freshman Brittany Knight had carved out a starring role in the circle for the Panthers. | by Rebecca Sauers You can’t pitch any better than Pitt true freshman Brittany Knight did Feb. 10, in her first game of college competition. Still, she was startled when a trainer approached her during a practice the next week. “Oh, congrats on ACC Pitcher of the Week,” the trainer said. “I was like, ‘What? Like, what in the world?’” Knight recalled. Knight took the circle for the first time in a Panthers uniform on a Friday night in Florida in the middle of February, and she performed like a seasoned vet. Facing the University of Central Florida Knights at the UCF Invitational in Orlando, Florida, Knight pitched a complete game shutout in Pitt’s 6-0 win. “It was weird because you come here, you’re so excited to have your first college outing, you’re a freshman, you’re nervous, especially being a pitcher,” Knight said. “You lead the team on defense. You lead the team through the game. And to be able to lead them well my first weekend out and be rewarded was really great.” By the time the weekend was over, Knight already had two more wins and a save to her name — all without allowing an earned run in 16 2/3 innings of work. She made for an easy choice for the first ACC Pitcher of the Week award in 2017. “It was a great feeling, because my team was behind me, and they contributed to me getting that. Everyone was just really excited for me,” Knight said about the award. “I think it was nice because it helped my family realize how hard I’ve been working here this winter, and that I can do this.” Judging by her performance, the recognition shouldn’t have been much of a surprise. Although she was competing on a bigger stage and at a higher level, baffling batters is nothing new to her. Coming from a hometown of about 2,000 people in Windham, Ohio, Knight now spends every day at Pitt with a softball family about half as large as her entire high school class. She was one of 42 students in her graduating class at Windham High School. “[At home] some years we didn’t even have enough girls to field a softball team,” Knight said. “Not a lot of kids branch out and go to college, and not a lot of kids understand what it’s like to play college athletics. I think me being here See Brittany Knight on page 9
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Elaina Zachos SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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Brittany Knight, pg. 8
“
We’re right there, right on the edge of our breakthrough, of being that powerhouse team
the coaches pitch to the kids. She didn’t join a league where the players pitch until she was 9, but it didn’t take long for her to discover her primary position. “Brit didn’t start off as a pitcher. She was just a proficient player,” said her father, Allen. “I guess through default, in one of our earlier tournament games, she got placed on the mound. Although she was pretty wild, she settled down and did pretty well. She liked that leadership role of being a pitcher as opposed to being a position player.” Her mother Diana was her first coach, but soon Allen took over and coached her in travel ball up until she was in seventh grade. After that, he said they had to step back and let her learn from other people. Allen said he and his wife have dedicated their lives to supporting their kids, but during his daughter’s first college game, his focus was just as much on his daughter’s team as her individual accomplishment. “My reaction was thankfulness to her teammates,” Allen said. “They worked hard, really hard in the offseason. That’s what I told her, that her success is based on everyone around her, and that’s the way See Brittany Knight on page 10
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shows them that they can do it too.” But she still relies on the support of her immediate family to get her through the day. “I think the main thing I do is take time out of my day to talk to my family. I’m very close to my parents,” Knight said. “Whether it’s riding on the 10A up from the Cathedral or after practice and I’m frustrated with whatever, I’ll just call them and talking to them will make me feel better.” Even with Knight away from home and competing in tournaments across the country, her parents still find a way to cheer her on from the stands. They traveled more than 1,000 miles down the coast from the family’s hometown to catch their daughter’s first bit of college action. “They always came to stuff, or they took turns, or they’ve taken time off work for me. They’ve always supported me, been there for me, and made sure I had what I needed. It’s just such an important thing to have as an athlete — your parents supporting you,” Knight said. Knight started playing softball when she was 5 years old, joining a league where
Elaina Zachos SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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Brittany Knight, pg. 9 [she has] to think.” Although playing alongside new teammates, Knight might as well have been back in her hometown, tossing shutouts for the Windham Bombers with her parents looking on. Over the course of her high school career, she won numerous awards and mowed down more than 1,000 batters, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA as the school’s valedictorian. “Brittany has that makeup that few kids have. It’s hard to explain what she’s about,” Allen said. “Even in school, she had to be the valedictorian. It’s about everything she does. If she works a summer job, she has to be the best salesman. It’s who Brittany is.” From leading the Bombers to backto-back Northeast Athletic Conference championships to her flawless first week with the Panthers, Knight’s competitive nature allows her to block out the noise and just pitch. “She’s internally driven. We never had to tell her to do things, she always just did it,” Allen said. “I have three kids, and that’s what sets her apart from the rest of
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the kids. She never had to be steered in a direction, she steered herself.” Knight fielded several offers for Division I scholarships, including one from Ohio State University. But she made her mind up early on where she wanted to play in college, giving her verbal commitment to Pitt during her sophomore year of high school. She was looking forward to having a pitching coach that would work with her every day and push her to be her best. Panthers pitching coach Lauren Cognigni — a former star pitcher at Saint Joseph’s University — has provided that for Knight. “I think she was really excited to get with Lauren and to have a pitching coach that she could work with every day. I mean I know she was because we talked about it,” Pitt head coach Holly Aprile said. “She’s really like a sponge. She takes in all the information.” Aprile recognized Knight’s competitive spirit early on in the recruiting process, and said the first-year pitcher has instilled the same mindset in her more-experienced teammates. “We have greater depth, we have a lot of competitiveness, a lot of drive to be bet-
ter, to be great,” Aprile said. “This was a kid that just went out and attacked it.” When Knight arrived at Pitt, the Panthers already had a pair of established pitchers on the roster. Junior Kayla Harris won 16 games last season, and sophomore Sarah Dawson has been effective as both a starter and a reliever. Both have pitched a perfect game in the last two seasons, and both know what it takes to succeed at the Division I level. But Knight didn’t shy away from the competition, instead using their experience to her own benefit. “When I first came here, I was watching them a lot,” Knight said of Harris and Dawson. “Sarah, she just goes out there and she throws the ball hard. No matter what. [As for] Kayla, I think I’ve learned poise. She’s confident in herself, in her pitches and she’ll stick to her game plan.” After proving herself a worthy member of the rotation in the team’s opening weekend, Knight became comfortable enough to seek out helpful hints and advice — and even offer some back. “With them being open and admitting their flaws, that openness where we can just talk to each other and learn from
April 7, 2017
each other has helped me a lot,” Knight said. “I’ll ask them what I’m doing wrong, what I can do to be better and they’ll tell me straight to my face what needs [to be] changed.” Harris isn’t afraid to admit she’s taken some pointers from her first-year teammate. “I noticed she lets loose. She’s very relaxed and confident, and I think that kind of rubbed off onto me,” Harris said. “This year, I’ve been a lot more confident and I’ve been taking it one pitch at a time, and when Brittany is out there, you can see that she really owns the mound.” After the Panthers got off to a 9-0 start to earn their first national ranking in program history and rise as high as the No. 19 team in the nation, the team has endured a rough stretch. Pitt now sits just above .500 at 18-16 overall, but only 1-11 in ACC play. “I just want [the team] to know I have their backs,” Knight said. “Pitt softball has really come up the past few years, and we’re right there, right on the edge of our breakthrough, of being that powerhouse team ... I just really want to make Pitt softball one of the top dogs to mess with.”
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