The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | April 9, 2018 | Volume 108 | Issue 144
PITT DANCERS MARATHON FOR KIDS GREEK LIFE ACTION PLAN PROPOSES CHANGES Christian Snyder Contributing Editor Following a nearly semester-long social probation, fraternities and sororities will be permitted to resume normal operations in the fall 2018 semester, but with a few changes. Pitt released a working action plan for Greek life last Monday in response to two offcampus events which occurred during the spring 2018 semester. The first, a student hospitalization following a Sigma Chi off-campus recruitment event, occurred in January. In February, a dozen students approached police with allegations of hazing against sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner barred all Greek organizations from serving alcohol through a modified social probation in JanuParticipants cheer at Saturday’s Pitt Dance Marathon, which raised more than $230,000 for the ary and said Student Affairs would be evalChildrens Miracle Network Hospitals. Thomas Yang VISUAL EDITOR uating the future of Greek life at Pitt. Now, paigns as well as donor drives. Money and medical treatments growing up, and with the announcement of the working acBriana Canady and Samuel raised through the event supported the I’ve come to know children who weren’t tion plan, Bonner said he believes “significant Weber Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, that fortunate, who struggled with dif- progress has been made.” The Pitt News Staff “I’m proud that the fraternity and sororan organization that raises money for ferent illnesses,” Cole, a senior environStudents in the Cost Sports Center ity community has embraced this process mental studies major, said. children’s hospitals. spent most of Saturday sweating — but and has been so engaged,” Bonner said in a At the start of the event, all the parAlexis Cole, the PDM fundraising not from running laps or drills. statement. “I’m confident we will have a plan director, said the event drew plenty of ticipants created a runway, standing on Instead, about 1,450 people danced to in place that helps to provide a safer environpeople from both inside and outside opposite sides of the field, as patients of top-40 hits over a period of 16 hours unment for our students.” of Greek life. She has participated in the Children’s Hospital ran through the der neon lights. Th e working action plan is available for PDM in the past and enjoyed that she crowd, smiling while everyone cheered These people were participants in the public review and comment until April 11, was helping children dealing with eat- and high-fived them. The Imagination Pitt Dance Marathon, one of several funand the fi nal plan will take effect for the fall ing disorders, genetic diseases and birth Project — a group of Pitt students who draising events held during Greek Week. 2018 semester. Greek organizations will redefects. She said staying on her feet for visit hospitals dressed as superheroes This year, the event started Saturday at 8 main on modifi ed social probation until the 16 hours — both as a dancer and as an and princesses — played with children a.m. and lasted until midnight. Dozens process is completed, according to spokespresent after the dancing started. organizer — was well worth it. of teams participating in the marathon The constantly changing lights and person Kevin Zwick. “I’ve always been super fortunate to collected funds from friends and family have had a childhood free of hospitals See PDM on page 4 See Greek Life on page 3 members through email and letter cam-
News
D R A G QUEENS AND KINGS STRUT PAST BOUNDARIES Madeline Gavatorta Staff Writer Performers lip-synched, danced and seductively plucked money from people’s hands with their mouths while pop song remixes played in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room Friday evening. “Drag is about pushing boundaries,” the emcee for the first half of the night, drag queen Anne T. Christ, shouted at the start of the show. Rainbow Alliance’s 18th-annual Drag Show — held Friday night — featured seven drag queens and two kings dancing under stage names. The event, which was the kicker to Rainbow’s annual spring Pride Week, raised around $320 for SisTers Pittsburgh — a Pittsburgh-based shelter for transgender and nonbinary people. About 200 audience members watched as dollar bills fluttered onto the stage and gathered around the shiny platform heels of drag queens as they strutted down the runway in sequin bodysuits. Rainbow President Kate Shindle, a senior biology major, said they looked for around 10 drag stars who could energize a crowd and bring signature moves to the show. Shindle said seeing a drag king or queen prepare a look for their performance is amazing. “Drag queens … really have to make a complete blank slate of their face and reapply everything else on, like eyebrows and everything,” Shindle said. The first performer of the night was Point Park alum Michael Zito from Lawrenceville. Dixie Surewood — Zito’s drag alias — danced on stage to Rihanna’s “We Found Love” in a green, blue and black leotard with black tights and boots. Zito, 30, said he’s been watching drag shows since he was a young man living in Lewiston, New York. “When I was 18 I would go to the drag shows back home and I just always wanted to be that person on stage, so I moved here and I was like, ‘Let’s start this,’ and have just been evolving ever since,” he said. “I just love entertaining.”
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Left: Drag king Kitt Kavanaugh closes Friday’s Rainbow Alliance Drag Show as the final performer of the night. Thomas Yang VISUAL EDITOR Right: Drag queen Niona Skylar performs to “It’s Raining Men” at Friday’s Rainbow Alliance Drag Show. Thomas Yang VISUAL EDITOR Zito performs two to four times a week in Pittsburgh, frequently at LGBTQ+ bars Cruze and Blue Moon. The switch to Dixie Surewood, who he describes as “an unapologetic mix of old and new drag,” takes Zito an hour and a half. It includes putting on makeup, padding, tights and a wig. But the performance itself is the most important part. “You’re doing a good job [if you can] make people forget about where they are and what they are worrying about,” Zito said. The emcee, drag queen Anne T. Christ, also performed. Wearing pink eye shadow with dark black eyeliner, dressed in black heels, a short dress, black tights and a shiny pink jacket, she lip-synched to a mix of Halsey’s “Bad at Love” and “Strangers” and Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” while strutting up and down the runway. Christ’s given name is Madison Scull, a junior communication, sociology and gender, sexuality and women’s studies major. She first started performing in drag at Rainbow’s Drag Show in 2017, making this year’s event her “drag birthday.” She said it takes her around two hours to get into drag — the hardest part is putting on curveaccentuating pads. “And you have to put four pairs of tights over them usually to make them look real and not like … couch foam,” Scull said.
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Scull said she enjoys doing drag, and has performed at Cruze a few times in the past year. It can be an expensive art — Scull said drag queens will take foam from couches on the side of the road to help cut down cost. But the only time the endeavor is not enjoyable, she said, is when she’s in a rush. “I like to say that makeup smells fear,” Scull said. “If you are in a rush, you’re going to mess it up and it’s going to be a disaster.” Scull sometimes gets ready with fellow queen Agnes Senga. Senga, who performed at the drag show Friday night, is “homecasted” — permanently performing— at There Ultra Lounge Downtown every Thursday. Senga danced to a multi-song remix, including Dua Lipa’s “New Rules,” Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” and “Call Me Mother” by RuPaul — an iconic drag queen and host of the show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Dressed in a neon yellow and black outfit with a fan as a prop, Senga had people come up to her after the show and talk about their interest in drag. “Sometimes the best part about doing drag is when you inspire someone else to do drag,” Senga said. Twice during the show, the host brought up randomly selectSee Drag on page 3
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Greek Life, pg. 1 The plan consists of four main sections — policy, educational, assessment and support and partnerships. Policy The policy section of the plan outlines formal changes to Greek life structure, like new steps required to host social events with alcohol and new minimum community service requirements. If the plan is enacted as written, Greek organizations would be required to register events of all kinds, including social events both with and without alcohol, philanthropy events and recruitment events. Greek organizations would be required to serve “unsalted food and non-alcoholic beverages” at any chapter event with alcohol, which would be limited to one registered event per weekend. The plan also requires a minimum of 10 sober members at events with alcohol, and prohibits hard liquor at all Greek life events. The Interfraternity Council recruitment process would also be formalized, delayed and extended, according to the document. Educational Before joining a fraternity or sorority, all
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new members would be required to attend a “Greek 101 session” which will cover new member requirements as well as sexual assault prevention and hazing education. The educational section of the plan introduces preventative education regarding alcohol safety and risk management and proactive education regarding leadership and extracurricular enrichment. Among the types of enrichment listed is the Greek Leadership Academy for the fall 2018 semester and a Rising Greek Leadership Academy for the spring of 2019. Currently Pitt’s course directory does not include listings for either, but at schools like Cornell University, Greek Leadership Academy is offered as a one-credit class. Greek organizations would also see proactive actions like the introduction of a President’s Retreat to be held in September 2018. The plan also focuses on training Greek life advisers through resources such as webinars and newsletters. Assessment The plan proposes ways to enforce the educational and policy sections, including a third-party external review of Greek life “from a macro to a micro level.” According to the working action plan, all findings from
the study except individual chapter-level recommendations would be made public. Each Greek organization would also be required to submit a “scorecard” to the Cross Cultural and Leadership Development website in the summer of 2018, which would include conduct standing, academic statistics and community service statistics for each chapter. This would be publicly available on the CCLD website. Support and Partnerships Finally, the working action plan proposes additional support for the Greek community, including a plan to increase “utilization of Student Affairs Marketing” to promote community achievements with a quarterly newsletter. The plan also proposes academic award ceremonies to recognize members of Greek honors societies and members on the Dean’s List. The plan would require all advisers to make at least one visit to their chapter per semester, and all chapters to have a “professional academic mentor.” The plan also proposes a variety of other actions, including making more campus spaces available for social events with alcohol.
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Drag, pg. 2 ed audience members — the first time to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off ” and the second time to Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie.” Clothes flew off as the seven audience members danced to get the loudest crowd cheer at the end. The winner from the first group was Chisom Obasih, a junior neuroscience and Japanese major. “I like to dance all the time so I thought it would be effortless to go up there and do I what I usually do, but it’s actually very hard to come up with different moves and keep lip-synching while you dance and try to grab the attention of the audience,” Obasih said. Shindle said audience participation at the drag show is a good way for people to explore the freedom that drag can offer. “It’s a really great opportunity for people to express themselves in a way that isn’t normally allowed, or at least that we don’t normally get an opportunity to do,” Shindle said. Senga, who described herself as a “crowdpleaser,” said she considers performing and entertaining, especially in drag, to be her calling. “It’s that moment you do something really crazy or something fierce and the crowd responds and they’re screaming,” Senga said. “It’s like that drug I’m addicted to.”
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PDM, pg. 1 upbeat music kept students awake and ready to dance for as long as they were able. Students who weren’t dancing played cornhole, soccer or hung around waiting for the next shift of dancing to start. People danced in two different shifts, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then from 4 p.m. to midnight. Junior economics major Eric Goldhorn, one of the directors of the marathon, put in a full day at the event despite not dancing. As an organizer, he worked at the event from 6:30 in the morning until the end of the night. Caitlin Steve, a sophomore majoring in environmental studies and a member of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority, said she appreciated being able to participate in the marathon since she believes making an impact on the lives of young children is something everyone should try to do. “It’s nice to look around and see everyone have such a great time while contributing to such a great cause,” Steve said.
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PDM arranged three different options — dancer, dreamer and fund-raiser — allowing people to dance based on their availability and helping to ensure any student could participate. Dancers danced for the entire 16 hours, while dreamers danced for eight and fundraisers fewer than eight. Ayesha Godiwala, a junior majoring in biology and another member of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority, said that leading up the event, she was reminded why they chose to participate in this event. “Our sorority sisters love to come out and support this event, and seeing everyone who wants to be here to make a difference is incredible,” Godiwala said. At the end of the event, participants gathered around the stage, sweaty and tired from hours of jamming to pop and classic rock. When the executive members of PDM announced the event raised a total of $231,083.26 — close to last year’s amount of $250,187.73 — the crowd erupted into cheers. Godiwala was thrilled by the news. “Just knowing that we’ve raised enough money to help a couple of kids is
Students dance to techno music during the final hour of Saturday’s Pitt Dance Marathon. Thomas Yang VISUAL EDITOR truly incredible,” Godiwala said. Jemy Varghese, a first-year studying biological sciences, was happy to participate in PDM this year. She hoped the effort students put into the event would bring children with serious illnesses a
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brighter future. “It was amazing that so many students could come together to help another child fight through their obstacle so they too could one day get to college,” Varghese said.
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Opinions column
from the editorial board
Pa. GOP has no room to talk on negative ads If feel-good positivity is your thing, you probably already know not to go looking for it in Pennsylvania state politics. But if you needed a reminder, Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul Mango was ready to help this weekend. Mango, who’s hoping to win the GOP primary May 15 and go on to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf this November, has been struggling to gain a foothold in the race against Republican state senator Scott Wagner. Wagner’s already received the official state party endorsement and the accompanying resources, and he was leading Mango in GOP straw polls even before then. As a result, Mango has recently begun to resort to full-on attacks over the airwaves against the frontrunner. In a particularly sharp ad published on his YouTube channel Thursday, Mango called Wagner names from “slumlord” to “deadbeat dad.” “Greedy Wagner sued an 84-year-old woman who didn’t want his garbage service,” a disapproving narrator says, before video footage of Wagner seemingly attacking a campaign tracker plays. “And coming soon — violent Wagner.” After state party officials urged Mango to take down the “despicable” spot, he doubled down, increasing the ad’s airtime purchases instead. And while the state GOP is concerned Mango’s attacks will hurt their chances of eventual victory against Wolf are probably well founded, it’s hard to sympathize with a party leadership that’s more than fine with dirty attacks when it stands to benefit. In last month’s special election in the soon-to-be defunct 18th Pennsylvania congressional district, Republican affiliated groups spent more than nine million
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dollars to support Republican candidate Rick Saccone by tearing down his opponent, Democrat Conor Lamb. Many of the ads focused on a glib pun on Lamb’s last name, saying he would follow the agenda of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., like a sheep. The accusation was a strange one, especially in light of Lamb’s explicit pledge to vote against retaining Pelosi as leader of Democrats in the House of Representatives. But there was no clamor among state Republicans to remove the misleading ads. Clearly, truth is less important than political advantage for the local GOP leadership — at least when it comes to campaigning. Even in the gubernatorial race, Republican leadership appears oblivious to the hypocrisy of their sudden aversion to negative political ads. Admittedly, it’s hard to beat Republican attacks against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf in the 2014 race. In that contest, a party campaign flier circulated to voters insinuated a connection between Wolf and notorious Philadelphia abortion doctor and convicted infant murderer Kermit Gosnell. Ads sponsored by state Republicans taking aim at Wolf haven’t reached quite that level of salacious negativity yet in this year’s race. But there’s no reason Pennsylvania’s GOP leadership won’t repeat history as soon as a candidate emerges victorious out of the primary field. If Republicans want to make their demands that the anti-Wagner attack ads come down more credible, they might want to start by looking at how they campaign themselves. Fixing negativity in politics is a two-way street, and the GOP isn’t holding up its end.
‘Blockers’ breaks with problematic tropes
Miles Robbins, John Cena and Geraldine Viswanathan on the set of “Blockers.” UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Delilah Bourque For The Pitt News When I had the opportunity two weeks ago to see “Blockers” on campus before the release date, I dragged my friends out with me, ready to be disgusted. We all shared similar sentiments about how the movie looked generally pretty bad. In the age of #MeToo, the Women’s March and other rising feminist movements, I felt angry Hollywood would produce a movie diminishing the sexual agency of girls only a few years younger than myself. I was prepared to sit in a dark room and eat some popcorn while feeling annoyed for two hours. Yet “Blockers” is a surprisingly feminist movie that uses often raunchy comedy to explore the stereotype that parents must prevent their daughters from having sex. These stereotypes that are the basis of a generally funny, sometimes touch-
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ing movie are harmful to real-life girls. Parents infantilize their daughters through overt policing of their sexualities, even into adulthood — a double standard considering it is rarely the same for sons. “Blockers” centers on three parents — Lisa, Mitchell and Hunter, played by Leslie Mann, John Cena and Ike Barinholtz, respectively — who discover their daughters Julie, Sam and Kayla made a pact with one another to lose their virginities on prom night. Lisa and Mitchell drag a reluctant Hunter along with them to stop the girls and hilarity ensues. The movie takes a few feminist turns, considering that the plot is based on the idea that parents should have control over their daughter’s sex lives. When Mitchell’s wife, Marcie, discovers the trio’s plan, she goes on a long monologue about how Mitchell shouldn’t be policing their daughter’s sex life. Hunter’s reluctance is due to the very same See Bourque on page 7
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Bourque, pg. 6 reason, and he is only on board with the plan when he thinks Sam, who he believes is a lesbian, will be pressured into doing something she does not want to do. All three parents have good intentions — they don’t want their daughters getting hurt. And while everything ends up happily enough in comedies like “Blockers,” the real-world story doesn’t always end with parental acceptance of the choices for real-life girls — and can sadly have lifelong consequences. When the trope of an overprotective parent — often the girl’s father — “protecting” their daughter from boys’ impure intentions is applied in real life, teen pregnancies and STDs can go untreated because sexually active teenage girls fear telling their parents. This affects both the health of the daughter and any baby born to a teen mother who is reluctant to be honest about her sexual activity with her parents. According to data from a 2009 study in the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, when parents take an interest in talking to their teenage daughters about healthy sexual relationships, teen pregnancy rates go down. Statistics from the Journal of Adolescent Health also show school systems that implement comprehensive sex-ed — as opposed to abstinence-only — have lower teen pregnancy rates. There is a long-held stereotype of how fathers should act when their teenage daughters are just beginning to date, a stereotype held up by countless pieces of media — there was even an ABC Family comedy, “Eight Simple Rules,” based on the idea that a father had “rules” for boys who wanted to date his daughter. The rules included: “Safe sex is a myth. Anything you try will be hazardous to your health,” and “Dates must be in crowded public places. You want romance? Read a book.” Isn’t this kind of ridiculous? There is such a thing as safe sex — and it’s entirely possible for teenagers to have it, provided they’re taught what
safe sex is. This kind of behavior continues well into adulthood, both in media and real life. Countless movies and television shows depict an adult woman bringing her boyfriend home to meet her parents, normally for a holiday or a family event, and her overprotective father forcing the boyfriend to sleep in a different room than his daughter. In “Meet The Parents,” for example, Greg Focker is forced to stay in the basement when he and his girlfriend, Pam, go to her family home for her sister’s wedding. Greg forgets he isn’t supposed to flush the downstairs toilet and inadvertently floods the backyard where the wedding is supposed to take place with septic back-up — an issue that could have been avoided had he and Pam been staying her upstairs bedroom. Both characters in this movie are consenting adults, who have most likely already had sex with one another, and are in a long-term, serious relationship. The only reason they’re asked to stay in separate rooms is because of a perceived protection of the daughter’s innocence. Why is it that parents feel the need to protect their daughters from their own choices? These aren’t thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girls — oftentimes, they’re legal adults. Older men aren’t preying upon them — they’re having consensual sex with people their own age. Some, including the well-meaning characters of “Blockers,” might argue that parents of teenage girls are just trying to protect them from a decision they’ll regret. But of course, parents don’t prevent their daughters from going to college, or driving, because they might do something they’ll regret. Having a regrettable or awkward sexual experience — provided that it is safe and consensual — is an important part of life. Parents don’t deserve to have dominion over their daughters’ sex lives — girls often suffer at the hands of reductive stereotypes about having sex. And while “Blockers” may help to start a conversation about these problematic attitudes, we have to take the next step: work to fight them in our own lives. Write to Delilah at dgb22@pitt.edu.
“Parents don’t deserve to have dominion over their daughters’ sex lives...”
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The Pitt News SuDoku 4/9/18 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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Sports
Parker Stewart transfers from Pitt see pittnews.com
weekend sports
SOFTBALL UPSETS, GYMNASTICS GOES TO REGIONALS Stephen Cuddy Staff Writer
Though some students may be struggling with the stresses that the end of the semester brings, Pitt athletes weren’t cracking under the pressure over the weekend. Track athletes continue to set personal bests, the baseball team improved on their impressive win percentage and the softball team registered a historic victory. Gymnastics The Pitt gymnastics team competed in the NCAA Regional Championship in the St. John Arena at Ohio State University Saturday, placing fifth overall out of six teams and finishing with a score of 195.125. This season — Samantha Snider’s first year as head coach — was the first time since 2013 that the team made the regional competition. First-year Haley Brechwald and senior Catie Conrad participated in All-Around for the Panthers. Conrad performed best on the day, ending up in ninth place with a 39.075, while Brechwald finished last in 12th place at a 38.625. With the end of the regional, the gymnastics team concluded its season. The team went 7-18 overall and 3-3 in the EAGL. With the end of the regional, the gymnastics team concluded its season. The team went 7-18 overall and 3-3 in the EAGL as the squad set school records on overall balance beam and uneven bars. See pittnews.com for a full recap. Track On the first day of competition in the Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Virginia, the Panthers saw success in distance events. Senior Rebecca Peters claimed the first victory of her career in the women’s 5000m race with a time of 16:57.94. Three other runners finished top-10 in the distance events. Junior Miranda Salvo took eighth in the 800m with a time of 2:11.50 after winning her heat. Sophomore Dante Wilson placed fifth in the men’s 800m with a time of 1:51.48. Senior Melanie Vlasic finished seventh in the women’s 3000m steeplechase while setting a personal record with a time of 10:55.79.
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Redshirt senior pitcher Matt Pidich struck out eight batters during Saturday’s 9-4 victory over Boston College. TPN FILE PHOTO The track team will head to Knoxville, Tennessee, to compete in the Tennessee Relays from Thursday to Saturday. Baseball The Panthers won both games in a doubleheader against Boston College Saturday, 9-4 and 6-4, but lost 8-0 against Boston College Sunday. Redshirt senior Matt Pidich got the start in the first game against Boston College Saturday, striking out eight batters and allowing only one run across his 5.1 innings on the mound. Firstyear outfielder and designated hitter Ron Washington Jr. led the way offensively with two RBIs. The game started out with both teams trading runs back and forth. The Panthers broke away with an explosive fifth inning where they registered five runs. In the second game, Washington Jr. led the way offensively again, going 4-5 with an RBI. Sophomore Alex Amos, redshirt senior Frank Maldonado and junior Cole MacLaren all had multi-hit games, too. Amos had two RBIs and MacLaren had one. Junior Yaya Chentouf and sophomores Chris Gomez and RJ Freure combined for 13 strikeouts and six walks throughout the contest. Chentouf’s
performance in relief gave him the win on the day as the Panthers pulled away in extras. The Panthers were unable to pull off the series sweep over Boston College Sunday, losing an 8-0 blowout. Redshirt junior Blair Calvo’s start was short-lived, and he was pulled after 2.2 innings — during that span he allowed two runs and four hits. Sophomore Dan Hammer came in for relief, but he did not last long either, sending just 1.1 innings on the mound. He gave up four runs and three hits. Offensively, it was also a tough day for the Panthers, as they registered just one hit. The team will next face Kent State at the Charles L. Cost Field this Tuesday evening. The game will begin at 6 p.m. Tennis The struggles for the tennis team continued as they lost to Clemson Friday, moving their losing streak to six in a row. They now have a record of 6-11 overall and 0-10 in conference. Junior Natsumi Okamoto and first-year Claudia Bartolome captured singles victories after the Panthers claimed the doubles point. Junior Luisa Varon and Okamoto won their match 6-2. Bartolome and junior Clara Lucas sealed the point with a 7-5 victory.
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Bartolome won her singles match 6-4, 6-3. Junior Gabriela Rezende lost in three sets by scores of 6-4, 0-6, 2-6 to No. 20 Marie Leduc. Frey also fell in three sets, 6-7, 6-4, 1-6. Okamoto won in three sets. She went down 2-6 in the first set, but she rallied and won the last two 7-6 and 6-3. The tennis team will attempt to record their first ACC win of the season against Georgia Tech Friday at home. Softball The spoils were shared between the Panthers and Seminoles during their doubleheader Saturday — No. 13 Florida State won the first game 2-1, but Pitt snapped the Seminoles 36game ACC win streak in the second part of the day winning 1-0. In the third game of the series Sunday, the Seminoles beat the Panthers in five innings, 8-0. In their first matchup, junior Sarah Dawson pitched a complete game, giving up eight hits and two runs in six innings. On offense, senior Erin Hershman’s bunt led to a throwing error that scored freshman Hunter Levesque, providing the team’s first and only run of the first game. Florida State scored two off of a line drive to win on a walk-off, winning 2-1. Pitt came back in the second game, though, claiming victory in extra innings. Senior Kayla Harris threw a complete game shutout across eight innings, striking out two. Her two strikeouts came with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the seventh, avoiding another walk-off. In the eighth, junior Marissa DeMatteo singled to start and senior Giorgiana Zeremenko had the game winning RBI single two batters later, finishing 1-0. The Panthers failed to capitalize on the momentum from Saturday’s victory and lost 8-0 to Florida State Sunday. After a six-run second inning from the Seminoles and little offensive output from the Panthers, the game was over after just five innings, with Florida State taking the game with a mercy rule. Georgia Tech will visit Pitt for an ACC weekend series beginning this Friday at 5 p.m.
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column
McConnell-Serio needed to go Dominic Campbell Staff Writer Pitt Athletics decided to uproot the second basketball program this offseason as it fired women’s coach Suzie McConnell-Serio Thursday. McConnell-Serio spent five years as head coach with the Panthers but didn’t have much success, going 67-87 overall and 22-58 in the ACC. Pitt had a record of 10-20 and 2-14 in the ACC last season, and capped it off with a 72-38 blowout loss to Wake Forest in the first round of the ACC tournament — McConnell-Serio’s last game. Only one of McConnell-Serio’s campaigns was successful — the 2014-15 season. That team included future WNBA player Brianna Kiesel, who led the Panthers to a 20-12 record, including a win in the NCAA tournament. McConnell-Serio is just another on the list of coaching changes athletic director Heather Lyke has made since joining Pitt last year. Lyke dismissed Kevin Stallings, the men’s basketball coach, and Greg Miller, the women’s soccer coach in both of their respective offseasons. Athletics also brought on Samantha Snider, who took over as gymnastics coach when Debbie Yohman retired, as well as Katie Hazelton, who took over as diving head coach when Julian Krug retired. Though it may seem unusual to hire a new head coaches for each basketball programs, Pitt has been in this type of situation before. Men’s coach Ben Howland left for the UCLA job and Pitt fired women’s coach Traci Waites, leaving two vacancies at the Pete in 2003. Still, McConnell-Serio is a Pittsburgh legend when it comes to women’s basketball in Pennsyl-
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year Pitt joined the ACC. No one was expecting to be a national title contender, but only one season above .500 isn’t acceptable for any team in a good conference. There was also a lot of roster turnover in her final years at the head coaching position. After the 2015-16 season, two key players — Stasha Carey and Fred Potvin — both transferred. Carey was a two-year starter and the Panthers’ leading scorer, and had been a top shot-blocker and rebounder in the ACC, while Potvin was the team’s best 3-point shooter. The next year also saw a huge departure with the face of the program and hometown kid, Brenna Wise, leaving for Indiana. Wise had started both of her two years as a Panther and was both the leading scorer and rebounder. Despite coming into Pitt to rebuild a women’s program that wanted to be competitive in the ACC, it seems that McConnell-Serio couldn’t get the team any real sustaining success as head coach. The promises from the 2014-15 NCAA tournament berth never transferred to the next three years she was here and the program fell back into mediocrity. The low point of McConnell-Serio’s stint as head coach was losing to Duquesne in the City Game each of the four years she was head coach. She came to Pitt to reach new heights and ended Suzie McConnell-Serio is the third coach to be dismissed by athletic director up getting passed on by her old program, which Heather Lyke. Thomas Yang VISUAL EDITOR actually made the NCAA tournament for the first time without her in 2017. McConnell-Serio deserved to be fired. If Pitt 2013. Except for her first season, McConnell-Se- seven of the conference’s teams made the NCAA rio led the Dukes to 20-win seasons each season, tournament, five were ranked in the top 25, two wants to have a better women’s basketball team, including a Women’s National Invitation Tourna- made the final four and Notre Dame won the the program can’t settle for seasons were you get blown out more than you win games. It isn’t easy ment berth in those five seasons. To top it off, she NCAA championship. That is the conference McConnell-Serio was firing a local legend like McConnell-Serio, but was inducted in the Women’s Basketball Hall of hired to win in when she got the job in 2013, the Lyke made the right call. Fame in 2008. vania. She played high school basketball at Seton LaSalle and was considered a Penn State luminary. She also coached at Oakland Catholic from 1991 to 2003, winning three state championships. After a stint coaching in the WNBA, she came back to Pittsburgh and coached the Duquesne women’s basketball team from 2007 to
It’s surprising that a woman who had so much winning experience as head coach had such a difficult time winning at Pitt, but troubles with turnover and a tough conference were difficult for anyone to overcome. The ACC is one of the toughest conferences in women’s basketball. At the end of this year,
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• NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER
For Rent North Oakland 3 BR Apartment on 732 S. Millvale Ave. Available August 1, 2018. $1320-$1620 +gas & electric. 412-441-1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesmanagement.net. Summer Sublet Newer townhouse on S Bouquet St, on site laundry, dishwasher, central air/ heat and private deck overlooking Cathedral of Learning and Phipps Conservatory. Several bedrooms available. Rent from May to end of July, $350/ month. Can view the property @ Oaklandpropertyrentals.com, respond at website or 412-688-0533 hard line, davmanthei@ hotmail.com
South Oakland 2 Bedroom Apartment. Rent: $1599 + electric. Available August 1, 2018 on Louisa St. 412-441-1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesmanagement.net. 2 BR apartment, newly painted, hardwood floors, appliances. Private home - 2 & 3rd floor. 2,000 sq. ft. Rent includes all utilities. $850/mo. 412-498-7355.
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South Oakland 3BR house on Niagara Street $1000/mo +all utilities. Recently renovated with new windows, wiring, cable installed in all rooms. No pets. On Pitt shuttle route. Near Pittsburgh Playhouse. Call 412-303-4716. Apartments for rent. 2, 3, and 4 bedroom apartments available. Some available on Dawson street, Atwood street, and Mckee Place. Newly remodeled. Some have laundry on site. Minutes from the University. For more info please call Mike at 412-849-8694 Available May 2018: House for rent in South Oakland. Large 4 bedroom, 2-story house with basement. 2 bathrooms, fully equipped eat-in kitchen, living room, dining room, front and back porches, full basement w/free washer and dryer. Near universities, hospitals, and public transportation. Contact: 412-337-3151 Before signing a lease, be aware that no more than 3 unrelated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance
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For sale
• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS
services
• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE
with codes. Call City’s Permits, Licensing & Inspections. 412-255-2175. House for rent. South Oakland. $2100. 412-337-9916 M.J. Kelly Realty. Studio, 1, 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes and Houses. N. & S. Oakland from $750-$2500. mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412-271-5550. www.mjkellyrealty. com STUDENT HOUSING. Updated 4, 5 & 6 Bedroom Houses w/ multiple baths. Dishwasher, laundry, some w/ air conditioning and/or parking. August availability. 412-445-6117. Studio & 1 Bedrooms Available Fall 2018. Heat included. 412-261-4620. Various size apartments available in South Oakland. Newly listed for fall
notices
• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER
tails: 412-683-7300 or visit: www.jcrkelly. com
Shadyside 1 bedroom luxury apartment. 2 apartments available in a beautiful brick home with private entry, private laundry, off-street parking or garage, newly remodeled throughout. Kitchen w/ Dishwasher, Granite
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Deadline:
Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978
countertop & more! Located on Morewood Avenue, 15 minute walk to Pitt/ CMU, Walnut Street. 5 minutes to UPMC Shadyside, West Penn Hospital. One block to Busses, hospital/ Pitt/CMU shuttles and many restaurants. Available August 1st, 2018. No Pets. $1095+ g/e. Call Jason at 412-922-2141. Pics/info: tinyurl.com/ morewood1br Shadyside: STUDIO($750), 1 BEDROOM-($850), 2 BEDROOM-($1140). Excellent location. Fully-equipped kitchenette, A/C, wall-to-wall carpeting, Near Pitt shuttle bus stop. Between Walnut Street and Ellsworth shopping districts. No pets. Includes heat. 412-628-1686.
Southside
2018. Call John CR Kelly Realty for de-
R A T E S
SOUTHSIDE FLATS 1, 2,and 3 BR houses and apartments, some with AC. Call Mike 412-708-1695.
Rental Other 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 houses available. August 2018. South Oakland: Bouquet St, Lawn St, Ward St. North Oakland: Bigelow, & Craig St. Call 412-287-5712.
The Pitt news crossword 4/9/18
I N D E X
Rentals & Sublet
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Rental Other
Employment Other
Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2018 & sooner. Oakland, Shadyside, Friendship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availability online, check out www.forbesmanagement.net, or call 412.441.1211
Employment Research Studies Participants Wanted for Paid Psychology
Comfort Keepers, a Post-Gazette Top Workplace, is seeking caring individuals. Caregivers work alongside seniors to provide companionship, light housekeeping, personal care services. Flexible hours available. If interested call 412-363-5500 Great summer job!!! WAITER/WAITRESS, DISHWASHER/COOK: 20hr/wk, great working environment. Cafe Sam, 5242 Baum Blvd. Apply Monday-Friday 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
organized, and able to multitask. Fluent in Word & Excel. Please send resumes to: coreadmi@pitt.edu
great opportunity to
SUMMER WORK
Anticipated 20-37.5
Participants wanted for an alcohol research study at Carnegie Mellon University To be eligible for this study, you must: •Be 21-25 yrs. old and own a smartphone •Drink alcohol at least weekly •Be able to show valid
Shadyside Management Company needs full-time dependable landscapers, painters, and assistant roofers for the summer. Must be at least 18 years old. No experience necessary. $10/hour plus additional attendance bonuses are available, if earned. Work involves landscaping, painting, roofing, and general labor. Perfect summer job for college students!
photo ID •Be willing to consume alcohol You may earn up to $365 for your participation in this multi-session study. For more information, call The Behavioral Health Research Lab (412-268-3029) Note: Unfortunately, our lab is not wheelchair accessible.
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Mozart Management phone: 412-682-7003 email: thane@ mozartrents.com
printers, and software! Pay rate of $12/hour.
visit www.pittsource. com and search posting # S-06376-P. Wanted: Part Time, Weekend, & Seasonal Servers & Lifeguards Private country club looking for part time lifeguards and servers. Food and beverage product knowledge and experience is required for server position. Weekend, evening and holiday availability is very important. Please apply in person at:The Pittsburgh Golf Club 5280 Northumberland Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Or contact Chris McVay for server position. And Don Weiss for Lifeguard position at 412.621.4530
The Financial Information Systems department at the University of Pittsburgh is seeking a part-time student employee for an Assistant Support Assistant position. This position will as-
Our department is seeking a student worker for a year-round position with an 8:30 am start time 4 days per week. Schedule can be flexible. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Distributing mail, answering the door and phone, minor lifting of supply boxes, campus deliveries and general office duties as requested. We are looking for an individual who is reliable, well
ers, mobile devices,
hours/week. To apply
Research Join KEYS Service Corps, AmeriCorps. Mentor, tutor, and inspire Pittsburgh area youth. Summer and fall positions with bi-weekly stipend and education award. Full and part-time. Possible internship credit. Call 412-350-2739. www.keysservicecorps.org
learn about comput-
sist with the triage of tickets received by the help desk. Additional duties will include
Services Services Other Phlebotomy Training Centerwww. justphlebotomy.org 2 evening classes weekly, 5 weeks + excellent Clinicals. Call 412-521-7334.
assisting with the inventory, installation, and troubleshooting of computers, mobile devices, and printers. Daily tasks will also include general office duties, such as picking up and delivering campus mail, ensuring printer consumables are in stock, stocking the breakroom supplies, etc. This is a
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