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letter from the editor
As we started to work on the cover for this issue, we originally had the Google Maps-inspired route ending — rather predictably — at the Cathedral of Learning. It’s a logical choice — the Cathedral is a towering presence almost everywhere on campus and at The Pitt News we have the pleasure of watching the sun bathe its facade in a golden glow every evening from our office windows. This 96-page issue is your guide to getting to know your new campus and city. Check in with your student government (page 10) and Pitt’s new athletic director (page 35). See how your fellow students are engaging in politics (page 18) or hosting their own late-night comedy show (page 41). But if there’s own piece of advice we want to pass along in this issue, it’s that sometimes you need to get out of the Cathedral’s stretching shadow to get the most out of being a Pitt student. Check out our picks for coffee in Pittsburgh (page 48) or some of the events we’re most excited this summer (page 12). Read stories about the changing transportation in Pittsburgh (page 50) — from buses (page 45) to bikes (page 21) — to see how to get around the city that you’ll call home for the next four years. Many of you probably chose Pitt because you didn’t want to go to school surrounded by dairy farms or a never-ending sea of suburbs. Good choice — now get out there and explore the city. Welcome to Pitt, John Hamilton, Editor-in-Chief
table of contents
Class of 2021: Welcome to Pitt .............................................................................. 6 Fun under 21 ......................................................................................................... 8 Meet the Student Government Board .................................................................. 10 Summer in the ‘Burgh .......................................................................................... 12 Column: Recreational Xanax and college ............................................................ 13 Q&A with Kevin Stallings ..................................................................................... 16 Panthers do politics ............................................................................................. 18 Campus cycling community ................................................................................. 21 Column: Life as a trans woman at Pitt ................................................................ 23 Column: Pitt football to continue success ............................................................ 25 Column: Live music over parties ......................................................................... 28 Hanging out in Schenley Park ............................................................................. 31 Mathmatical art .................................................................................................... 33 Lyke a pro ............................................................................................................ 35 Column: Pitt soccer turnaround ........................................................................... 37 Being a good roommate ...................................................................................... 38 Andrew Dow’s new gig ........................................................................................ 41 Retro Oakland ..................................................................................................... 42 Buses: what to know and where they go .............................................................. 45 Staff Picks: Coolest coffee joints .......................................................................... 48 What students are wearing .................................................................................. 49 Bike lanes and bus ways ..................................................................................... 50 First-year athlete reflections ................................................................................ 54 Column: Pitt’s ACC status ................................................................................... 58 Column: The single life ........................................................................................ 63 Softball superstar ................................................................................................ 64 Gettin’ thrifty ........................................................................................................ 72 Column: EDs and higher ed ................................................................................. 83 Column: Between the sheets .............................................................................. 88
cover by anna bongardino and john hamilton
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Class of 2021: Welcome to Pitt by Jordan Mondell | Layout Editor
The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid isn’t quite ready to release the full data on the class of 2021. To give you an idea of who you’ll be joining at Pitt, here are the demographics of undergraduate students from the 2016-2017 school year. Welcome aboard!
arts & sciences
10,934
undergraduate enrollment by school nursingg business
2,069
523
who we are
engineering g g
2,976
where we’re from United States of Pitt
men
47%
midwest
women
53%
3% 1%
5%
west 676
170
great lakes
1,483
4% 5%
southwest
AK + HI
224
22
73% White Black Asian Hispanic or Latino Two or more races
southeast
591
midatlantic
27,142
636
top 7 countries of origin canada: 55 brAZIL: 59 TAIWAN: 78 SAUDI ARABIA: 87 KOREA: 107 INDIA: 340 CHINA:1,734
Other pittnews.com
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FUN UNDER 21: ACTIVITIES FOR EVERY PITT STUDENT Senior Staff Writer
Club Zoo Pittsburgh’s most famous under 21 dance hub is the largest nightclub in the city. This 21,000 sq. ft venue holds up to 2,000 partiers along with five soft drink bars and an enormous dance floor, and is open every Friday and Saturday night from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Party to Top 40 hits and hip-hop tracks blasting at 75,000 watts under incredible lighting and visual effects and maybe enter one of the contests held every weekend with cash prizes.
Forward Lanes Bowling Forward Lanes has made a niche for itself in the heart of Squirrel Hill since 1950 and its location is only a 15-minute bus ride away from campus. If it’s Wednesday afternoon and you absolutely must practice your arm swing in a bowling alley with nostalgic midcentury decor, we suggest heading down here. Specials run each day of the week, and during normal hours it costs a grand total of
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CMOA Jordan Mondell CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
BOWLING Playmor Bowl Love to bowl your heart out but not your wallet? Check out Brunswick Zone Playmor Bowl for some cheap fun any night of the week — just don’t stay out too late if you’ve got an 8 a.m. lecture. Playmor Lanes hosts 32 bowling lanes along with a menu of classic American eats. Roll with $2 games and shoes on $2 Tuesdays after 8 p.m. and unlimited bowling on Friday nights after 10 for $10.89. Snack away on laneside fries and wings while sparing and striking under disco lights.
Cruze
Kyleen Considine SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CLUBS Cruze Bar This LGBTQ+ friendly nightlife staple is located in the heart of the Strip District and is home to a large dance floor and state-ofthe-art sound and lighting system. Cruze is well-known for its inclusiveness as well as its high-energy atmosphere, and a few times a month it opens its doors to any and all students over 18 looking to let loose. College Thursdays and Saturday night 18+ events range from wet and wild Foam Parties to bright and flashy Neon Glow gatherings. The dates for these events may sometimes vary, so check the venue’s Facebook event calendar or call to clarify days and times. The cost to attend an 18+ Cruze event is usually around $10. Present your student ID in certain cases to get a student discount of up to 50 percent.
$5 for one game and $3.50 for shoe rentals. This unique art museum was created in Call in to ask about student discounts. Then the 1970s by artists to support artists. It cagrab some pretzels from the snack stand and ters to lovers of installation art, and is sure go crazy. to entertain those unfamiliar with the art form as well. The museum is comprised of Arsenal Lanes three buildings throughout the Mexican War Lawrenceville’s favorite bowling center Streets in Pittsburgh’s North Side and admishas a different event going on every day of sion is free for Pitt for students. Examine the week. Several are 21 and over, but All- thought-provoking, site-specific artwork deYou-Can-Bowl Saturdays and Weekend signed to transform your perception of the Midnight Madness events are open to ev- space it’s built in as you travel between the eryone and affordable. Arsenal especially ap- three charming ivy-covered brick buildings. peals to anybody who’s not a big fan of fluo- Check the museum’s online calendar for rescent lighting and neon colors, considering dates for garden parties and free ARTlabs. it’s on the second floor of a large brick building and houses more old-fashioned technolOUTDOORS ogy. Game prices tend to be in the $10 range. Mount Washington Overlook Burgers and hot dogs abound. Travel for free with a student ID up either the Duquesne or the Monongahela InMUSEUMS cline in a railcar to reach the greatest view The Andy Warhol Museum of Pittsburgh possible. The Mount WashingIt’s not much of shocker that a museum ton Overlook provides a spectacular look dedicated to one of the greatest American at the city skyline any time of day or night. artists is located in the city of his birth. What Go during the day to see the sunlight glintis a nice surprise is that Pitt students can ing off the Ohio River or in the evening to browse the museum’s collection of Warhol’s see the lights of the city sparkling in the artwork spanning four floors and archival distance. Hike down Grandview Avenue to materials for free with a student ID. Head on examine the cityscape from all angles. Take down to the North Shore during your free a stroll around the neighborhood after you time to check out the pop culture icon’s work finish admiring the view to visit one of the and enjoy a light lunch at the Warhol Cafe. delicious eateries in Restaurant Row or duck Make sure to check out the museum’s weekly into one of the several ice cream parlors or Good Friday social nights with a cash bar bakeries for a quick, sweet bite. and conversation from 5-10 p.m.. Kayak Pittsburgh North Shore — Venture Carnegie Museum of Natural History Outdoors Kayakers are welcome to shove off from Want to ogle dinosaur bones without straying too far from campus? Get in the land at Kayak Pittsburgh’s North Shore locaCarnegie Museum of Natural History for free tion, located by PNC Park. This affordable with your student ID. It’s only a five-minute venue offers the kayaker a great view of the walk down Forbes Avenue from the Cathe- city skyline as they paddle down the Alleghdral of Learning. Hit up the Hall of Archi- eny River. Splash around Point State Park or tecture to gaze at Greek pillars and Egyptian head for the Ohio River. Present your stugates. Then stroll over to the Hillman Hall of dent ID to get $5 off your first hour of kayakMinerals and Gems to admire the collection ing. of priceless gems and stones. COMEDY SHOWS The Arcade Comedy Theater Carnegie Museum of Art This barrel of laughs is pretty affordable, The Carnegie Museum of Art is connected directly to the Natural History museum, although the gut you bust might cost you a and houses everything from black-and- bit in surgery expenses. The Arcade Comwhite photographs to modernist sculptures. edy Theater features six different shows evDrop by sometime for a yoga session or a ery weekend. The legendary Knights of the film screening. Make sure to check out Third Arcade show, in which a team of comedians Thursdays, when the museum is kept open and improvisers play a game of Dungeons late every third Thursday of the month for & Dragons onstage and navigate their quest patrons to browse the exhibits with music with suggestions from the audience, is a must see on Saturday nights at 10 p.m. for and food. $12. Also check out the Beta Stage show, The Mattress Factory Museum See Under 21 on page 15
COURTESY OF CRUZE BAR
Janine Faust
mr. smalls8
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Q&A:MEETYOURNEWSGBMEMBERS Made up of nine elected positions, 30 appointed positions and an array of committees, Student Government Board’s purpose is to advocate for the needs of the student population, according to their website. Additionally, SGB is responsible for allocating the $160 student activities fee paid by all full-time students. The Pitt News talked with three newly elected members of the board — President Max Kneis, Vice President and Chief of Finance Maddie Guido and Executive Vice President Zuri Kent-Smith — to ask about their plans for the upcoming year.
by Caroline Bourque and Janine Faust
Max Kneis, senior economics and finance major
Zuri Kent-Smith, junior ecomonics major
Maddie Guido, senior finance and accounting major
Photos courtesy of SGB The Pitt News: What do you hope to accomplish next year? What goals have you set for yourself? Kneis: My biggest goal for next year is to improve the engagement and collaboration SGB has with the student body and student organizations. I’d like to see student organizations coming to us with ideas for how we can work together and making us aware of the advocacy issues they are working on. [...] An additional goal I have is to solicit more student feedback and be more proactive with this. [...] To do this, board members and I will attempt to hold more visible office hours, and do more proactive outreach to student groups to get feedback. [...] Finally, one main goal is to improve SGB’s communications this year and I’m excited to see what our communications committee will be able to achieve in its first full year. TPN: Any special projects for next year? Kneis: Apart from supporting all the projects we have going on, I’m personally going to work to improve SGB’s role in serving as the representative of the undergraduate students to the University community. One way we do this is by having a student representative sit on each of the 11 Board of Trustee Committees. Currently there is no training for these students and they attend the three annual meetings of their respective committee with little preparation. In order to more effectively provide feedback and input, students need to understand how the Board is structured, who makes what decisions and what business will be in front of the committee. To do this we’re going to create an on boarding process for the student reps. in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary. I’ve met both with Dr. Humphrey, board secretary, and Cyndi Moore, deputy board secretary, about this ... We are also exploring the idea of having each student representative meet with the administrative liaison to the committee before the meeting.
TPN: How are you feeling about your new position? What will TPN: How are you feeling about your new job? Zuri Kent-Smith: I’m really excited to have an opportunity you do in order to prepare for it? Maddie Guido: It’s pretty nerve-wracking. I know that there’s a lot to affect change on campus. I’m enamored that the people voted of responsibility that comes with the position, but I did make sure last for me, that they support me and my plans. year that I attended all the public meetings I had to for my job, and I was really in close contact with the Board members, and I think that TPN: What are your duties as Executive VP? Kent-Smith: I take over the duties of the president if he’s un- I’ve picked up enough to hopefully begin confidently. [...] Another able to come to a meeting. I’m also the speaker of the Assem- thing I want to do is keep talking to students. I know that, obviously, bly. The Assembly is a branch of SGB which consists of leaders coming from a background of SGB, I’m not going to have the same from many of the large organizations on campus. During open critiques of the University, the same ideas moving forward, so I think forums they give input on current SGB projects, advocate for the best thing we can do is keep an ear out for people outside of SGB. changes they’d like to see at Pitt and collaborate on projects while TPN: What exactly does your job entail? I moderate. I also attend University Senate meetings, which is Guido: As a board member, on the day-to-day end, we hold ofthis council of influential administrators on campus who consider and discuss education policies and other matters. In ad- fice hours, that’s mostly just to work on your initiatives. The initiatives dition to that, I do normal board member stuff like working on are ideas that we’ve come up with or we’ve developed with different students or student organizations. [...] We update people, we hear my own initiatives. feedback. That’s one of the different things for this year, having town hall meetings at least once a month so that we can hear from differTPN: What are your initiatives? Kent-Smith: I definitely plan on finding ways to address the ent students. [...] If there’s something that they want advocated for, it’s needs of students with disabilities on campus, which I talked kind of our job to step in and be an ally, be an advocate to help them about a lot during my campaign. I’ve spoken with a lot of dis- see that change or at least give answers for their questions. ability students about their concerns and heard their ideas for TPN: What do you hope to accomplish as VP? making the campus more accessible for them. What I want to Guido: I personally worked with Student Health a good amount do is create a more direct pipeline between them and University administration. I’d also like to create a media hub for students of last year, and I definitely want to keep an open conversation with color, so that they can create content specific to them on cam- them. [...] My other big initiative is obviously Allocations. Every year pus. Other plans of mine include seeing what SGB can do with people have complaints, [...] and having had that experience I know the Office of Governmental and Community Relations to help what’s feasible and what isn’t. I think that one of the bigger things we them with the community engagement centers they’ve got in can do is fix the little things — you know, putting some of the forms the works, and creating a career aptitude test for students so that online that people have to fill out or putting little videos online so that people can actually see how to do things — things that put ourselves they can better figure out what they want to do after college. in the shoes of people who have to apply for allocations.
READ THE FULL INTERVIEWS ONLINE AT PITTNEWS.COM pittnews.com
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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE ‘BURGH THIS SUMMER? June
by The Pitt News Staff
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10-11: Pridefest in Downtown 9-11 11 16 16 17
Steel City Comic Con at Monroeville Convention Center EQT Equality March in Downtown Pittsburgh 2017 Urban Garden Party at the Mattress Factory 4th River Music Collective at OWL Hollow Adventure Hunt Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh’s World Refugee Day at Market Square
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Jam on Walnut in Shadyside
24 29July 2
WYEP’s Summer Music Festival at Schenley Plaza Anthrocon at David L. Lawrence Convention Center
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15-16: Vintage Grand Prix at Schenley Park 2
Tailgate and Pride Day at the Pirates at PNC Park
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SouthSide Works Exposed at SouthSide Works
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The Lantern Fest at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway
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Squirrel Hill Happening at Ten Thousand Villages Pittsburgh
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After Dark-Potterfest at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
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One WHIRL Yoga Fest + Healthy Lifestyle Expo at Point State Park
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Jam on Walnut in Shadyside
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Night Nation Run beginning at Stage AE
28-29 Picklesburgh at the Roberto
J. M a
5: Red Bull Flugtag 2017 at Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta 1
The Shins at Stage AE, Indoors
5
2017 Pittsburgh Superhero Bar Crawl in South Side
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12: Wine Spirits and FoodTruck Fest“acular” at Stage AE, Outdoors
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Jam on Walnut in Shadyside
19-28 BikeFest in Downtown 20
Shawn Mendes: Illuminate World Tour at PPG Paints Arena
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Bruno Mars at PPG Paints Arena
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21st Annual Art Festival on Walnut Street in Shadyside
Clemente Bridge in Downtown May 30, 2017
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column
XANAX: AN UNFORSEEN DANGER IN COLLEGE Tim Murdoch
For The Pitt News Its thunderous footsteps can be heard the instant it decides to return from the kitchen. Approaching the worn leather couch, it loses its balance. Flailing for a moment, then collecting itself, it manages to plop down onto the cracked sofa cover, slowing sinking into the cushion with a mumbled chuckle and a quick flash of its front teeth. What is this creature that moves like a sloth, eats like a pig and sounds like an ape? The Xanasaurus rex, of course. A college student, combined with two milligrams of Xanax and a few beers, is the recipe for becoming such a reckless beast, and it seems as if more and more are hatching on campuses every weekend. The number of students abusing tranquilizers like Xanax grew 450 percent from 1993 to 2005, and this number continues to rise. This needs to end, and attitude is the first place to start. Shown by the rising rate of abuse, students are beginning to consider Xanax in the same category as, and mixing it with, alcohol and marijuana. But this is a dangerous comparison to make for a drug that has life-altering consequences. If you’re like me, Pitt might be the first place you
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encounter Xanax and those abusing it. I was taken aback when I saw people at parties “barred out,” or so high on Xanax that they’re nearly unrecognizable. Through combining recreational Xanax abuse with alcohol, students learned that anti-anxiety medication can be a very cheap way to “black out.” For less than a dollar’s worth of Xanax and a few drinks it becomes almost unavoidable. But what most do not know is how dangerous combining Xanax and alcohol is. The two substances are central nervous system depressants that, when combined, can decrease breath rate and blood pressure to fatal levels. The growing rate of abuse could be partially due to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Schedule IV categorization. Schedule IV substances are defined as “drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence.” By scheduling Xanax as they’ve done, the DEA has implicitly said to consumers that it’s a safer substance than any Schedule I drug — such as marijuana. One justification for Xanax’s DEA status could be its medicinal use as an anti-anxiety medication. For those prescribed it by a doctor, its calming efSee Xanax on page 69
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Liam McFadden STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
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Under 21, pg. 8 which showcases new, experimental and student-generated comedy, including musical numbers and short-form improv, every Saturday at 6 p.m. for only $7. Steel City Improv Pittsburgh’s home for longform improvisational comedy has weekly shows where a group of performers take a single suggestion from the audience and use it to perform an entire show made up on the spot. Steel City Improv hosts shows both by graduates of its own improv program as well as outside groups. Entrance fees tend to be around $10. Competitive humorists will want to stop by for the monthly SketchProv event, where two teams perform 15 minutes of improv and then have 20 minutes to write a sketch inspired by their sets, which the audience will vote on. If you’d like to get in on the action yourself, stick around after House Team night every Thursday for the SCIT Improv Jam, where anybody can come and practice their improv skills for free.
dollar off admission with a student ID. The Manor Theater This Squirrel Hill venue caters to both the movie buff and the casual watcher alike. The Manor hosts both independent films and documentaries as well as popular new wide-release films. Come see a flick suited to your tastes at one of PIttsburgh’s oldest movie theaters for only $7 Monday through Thursday and $8 Friday through Sunday with your student ID. MUSIC Rex Theater This former vaudeville theater had made
itself a place in the Southside district as a concert venue showcasing all kinds of musical talent — including rock bands, indie groups and local performers. Some events are 21+, so check the theater’s online calendar for it’s numerous 18+ and all-ages concerts. Prices vary but tend to be between $10 and $25. Mr. Smalls Theatre Local and national artists alike have played at this former church turned Millvale entertainment landmark. Mr Smalls’ has a spacious interior that houses 800 standing guests. The large space is perfect for amplifying acoustics and produces some of the
sweetest sounds in the city. Check the theatre’s online calendar for 18+ and all-ages events. Prices tend to be between $10 and $25. The Mr. Roboto Project This venue is one of Pittsburgh’s oldest all-ages show spaces, showcasing lesserknown touring acts and local talent. Known for its inclusiveness, Mr. Roboto strives to be a safe space for everyone in the local community while exposing them to Pittsburgh’s underground music scene. Prices for this venue tend to be between $10 and $20.
GAMES Games N’ At Games N’ At is a gamer’s paradise with Xbox games including “Gears of War” and “Halo,” more traditional arcade games like “Pac-Man” and air hockey and pinball machines galore. Check out their unlimited play prices Friday through Saturday, starting at $5 for one hour of play, $9 for two and $13 for three. Friday is College Night, so between 7 p.m and 1 a.m. get in for $10 with a school ID. MOVIES Filmmaker Cinemas If the average multiplex’s array of action and comedy movies isn’t suited well to your taste, visit any one of Filmmaker Cinema’s three intimate locations to enjoy foreign films, indie productions, documentaries and popular classics. Get into a screening at the Harris Theater, Regent Square Theater or the Melwood Screening Room just off of campus for only $5 with your student ID. Tickets are only sold on-location a half hour before showtimes, so be sure to get there early. Row House Cinemas Row House is perfect for movie lovers who enjoy films that go together. This historic theater, situated in the Lawrenceville neighborhood, is a single-screen building that chooses a new theme every week. Check its website to see what’s running in the next month. Themes vary as widely as musicals, Quentin Tarantino and Technicolor. Snack on natural popcorn with real butter, soft pretzels and vegan snacks while receiving a
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Q&A:
KEVIN STALLINGS TALKS TRANSFERS, SECOND SEASON
BY RYAN ZIMBA|SPORTS EDITOR
C
oming off it’s worst season since 2000, the Pitt men’s basketball program will attempt to rebound this year as head coach Kevin Stallings enters year two of his tenure. This season’s team will be made up of almost entirely new faces, with only three players returning from last year’s squad. During the offseason, four of the team’s starting five players graduated, while redshirt sophomore Cam Johnson — the fifth starter — transferred, along with four other players. Stallings’ 2017 recruiting class features a wide variety of players from different backgrounds, with some coming out of high school while others are graduate and junior college transfers. With all the new players, it will be tough for the program to climb back above .500 this year. But Stallings is ready to put last year behind him, and was optimistic about the future of the program when The Pitt News sat down with him earlier this month.
TPN: Looking back to last season, you obviously didn’t do as well as you wanted to. Where do you think things went wrong? If you had a second chance would you do anything differently? Stallings: It’s hard to say exactly where things went wrong, and I think that we were 12-3 or 12-4 or something when Ryan Luther got hurt, and we weren’t a particularly deep team to begin with. I thought that he and Mike [Young] getting injured within a 24-hour span, where Mike broke his orbital bone and Ryan had the stress fracture, just kind of set us back ... We were not a complete team. We didn’t have a true point guard, we didn’t have a true center — at least ACClevel guys I’m talking about — and this is a tough league to win in if you don’t have all your parts. I thought our guys for the most part played reasonably hard, [but] we never quite defended like I thought we
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could have and maybe should have. If I had to do something differently maybe I would have subbed or taken some guys out of the lineup, because we never embraced the defensive end quite like I thought we could have.
from averaging 12 or 13 minutes and five points one year and you average 33 minutes and 12.5 points the next year, I think we did some things that helped Cam be a better player. So that was a mutually beneficial relationship and the way it was described to me, they made the decision three TPN: In February, you already had 7 recruits either years ago that they were going to do this. As soon as he committed or signed. What went into the decision to over- redshirted his freshman year, his father told me that this haul the roster and do you think that had an effect on the was their plan. They said it wouldn’t have mattered who mindset of some of the bench players, knowing they might the coach was, this was their plan. I don’t know if [it’s] exnot be coming back? actly the way it is or not, but that’s what was told to me. Stallings: No, I don’t think that who we signed probHow it affects next year’s team remains to be seen. We ably had a whole lot of impact to the bench players not would’ve loved for Cam to have been back. He wanted to coming back. [Justice Kithcart] was dismissed from the leave and go someplace else and we granted him that reteam, [Crisshawn Clark] was told by our doctors that he lease and now we’ll worry about the guys that are going would not be cleared to play because of a third ACL injury to be here. on the same knee. Now he announced he was transferring, and that’s fine, but our doctors weren’t going to clear him TPN: Later in the month, two of your own recruits, to play, and he had been told that. Aaron Thompson — who you let out of his letter of intent The other guys asked about their future in the program — and Troy Simons — who went to New Mexico — deand what role I saw them being able to play. It’s my job, committed. Is that any more concerning for you considerbecause I care about these guys and their future, to be as ing that they’re your own players? honest with them as I can be, and I was very clear in what I Stallings: No, because the Simons thing was our decithought their future looked like here. I think for those rea- sion because it was clear to us that there were potentially sons they decided to transfer, which I completely under- some eligibility issues. Aaron’s thing was a personal matter. stood because these kids want to play and be in a program You hate to see those things come up, but no [it’s not more where they can have an impact and affect winning. concerning]. You’re kind of asking questions like, “Should there be TPN: Later in the season, you mentioned in a couple a panic around the program?” and let me tell you that, for of interviews you talked to Ryan Luther and Cam John- us to make the progress that we needed to make, certain son about leadership for next year’s team. When Johnson decisions had to be made. Some of those decisions were transferred in the beginning of April, how much will that hard decisions. hurt next year’s team? We have a plan in place that we’re very convicted about Stallings: That remains to be seen. You don’t know if and confident in, to get guys in here that will be able to it’ll hurt a lot or it won’t hurt any. It’s hard to make that as- produce and thrive in a winning culture. We need selfless sessment. Cam is a guy that we liked. He’s a guy that played See Stallings on page 19 well for us. I think we played well for him. When you go
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Pitt’s political clubs: left, right and in between Grant Burgman and Henry Glitz The Pitt News Staff
As political protests and marches rocked campus last fall, Pitt’s campus political organizations reacted and changed with the rapidly shifting political landscape in Pittsburgh and around the country. Politically-minded students of all ideological allegiances became more involved and, in some cases, formed completely new groups. The Pitt College Democrats were one of the biggest beneficiaries of the increased political passions on campus. Reflecting on last year, Charlotte Goldbach, the president of the Pitt College Democrats and a senior political science and communications major, noted an uptick in attendance after the presidential election. “I think this election really showed the impact every person can have,” Goldbach said. “It inspired young people to really get involved.” Goldbach described her club as “the Democratic voice on campus.” Unlike other organizations on campus, the Pitt College Democrats are a student branch of a larger political party. “We’re an official chapter of the Pennsylvania College Democrats,” Goldbach said. “We work with some of the other local College Democrat chapters in Pittsburgh like Duquesne, Chatham and CMU.” Goldbach described the connection between the Pittsburgh schools’ Democrats as a “network of college Democrats we’ve built in Pittsburgh.” The Pitt College Democrats offer opportunities to their members to get involved in political campaigns, local and otherwise. “We have people working on Sheriff Mullen’s campaign,” Goldbach said. “A bunch of members were fellows on the Hillary campaign in the fall.” Even though the Pitt Dems are active in campaigns, the organization itself doesn’t officially endorse any Democratic candidate until they’ve already won their party’s primary. “We don’t want to endorse anyone as an organization because we don’t want to prevent anyone from coming to our club,” Goldbach said.
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Another club, the Pitt College Republicans, represents the other major national party and provides an ideological home for students who lean conservative. Lorenzo Riboni, a junior administration of justice major and the College Republicans’ vice president, says that his club’s status as the voice of a minority on campus helps them add to the diversity of political discussions at Pitt. “A lot of Pitt students learn a lot coming to our meetings and debates,” Riboni said, adding that the annual debate with
dents at Pitt get connected. “We’re dedicated to providing conservative students at Pitt the opportunity to network with other conservatives,” Riboni said. One of the less mainstream political voices on campus hasn’t been around quite as long as the Pitt Dems. Jeff Migliozzi, a senior marketing major, heads one of these less mainstream parties — the Pitt Progressives. Migliozzi describes the Pitt Progressives as “left of the College Democrats.”
Not everyone supported Donald Trump, he wasn’t a lot of people’s first choice. - Lorenzo Riboni, Vice President of College Republicans the College Democrats, sponsored by the Political Science Student Association, is one of the highlights of the year for his group. “We’re hoping to hold a couple more [debates] this year,” Riboni said. “We’re gonna be out there, we’re gonna be visible.” According to Riboni, members of the College Republicans are an ideologically diverse group, even among themselves. “Not everyone supported Donald Trump, he wasn’t a lot of people’s first choice,” Riboni said. The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, both traditionally Democratic strongholds, offer less to conservative students than to liberals in terms of opportunities to connect with local politics. But Riboni insists nonetheless that his organization helps Republican stu-
“We’re a brand new organization. Our club started after the election; the club was kind of in response to the Democrats losing,” Migliozzi said. “After the election we did see a large amount of interest because I think a lot of people are dissatisfied with the Democrats.” The Pitt Progressives are more focused on political action — getting students out of the ivory tower of academia to engage with the political process — than political discussion. “The focus of our club is political action and getting students more engaged in politics across all levels,” Migliozzi said. The Pitt Progressives helped out behind the scenes of some of the biggest political campaigns on Pitt’s campus last year. “Our club had a large role in organizing the March for Science, and over
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5,000 people turned out to the march on Bigelow Boulevard,” Magliozzi said. “For students who would want the chance to take on a larger role and show more leadership, we give students the opportunity to do that.” Students for Liberty, Pitt’s organization for Libertarian students, also saw significant growth after last year’s presidential election. Students for Liberty’s President Ben Sheppard, a senior history major, laid out what the philosophy of the clubs politics were. “A simple description [of Libertarian philosophy] is socially liberal yet fiscally conservative,” Sheppard said. After last year’s election, Sheppard saw an increase in participation in meetings. “We started last year around March and had five members on average at meetings,” he said. “Now we’ve had meetings where there are around 20 people.” Unlike the Pitt Progressives, the Students for Liberty are more for political discussion than activism. “We typically go into a topic and go into a discussion about a political issue each meeting,” Sheppard said. The Students for Liberty take their discussions to other clubs as well, holding debates with other political clubs on campus — for example, they hosted a debate with the College Republicans last year. Sheppard mapped out a year full of big events for the Students for Liberty. “We’re looking to get the Libertarian nominee for the Senate in Pennsylvania, Dale Kerns, to come speak at one of our meetings at some point,” Sheppard said. “We also do a yearly trip to D.C. to participate in ISLC, which is a big Libertarian conference.” Sheppard’s most excited about a potential visit from a big name in Washington — Barry Goldwater, Jr., whose father was a prominent figure in 20th century conservative politics, running against incumbent President Lyndon Johnson on the Republican ticket in 1964. “He was a big Ron Paul supporter in 2008 and 2012 and his father Barry Goldwater was an intellectual leader for the conservative movement,” Sheppard said. “Having someone like him come speak on campus would be an amazing opportunity.”
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Stallings, pg. 16 players. We need dependable people. We need physically and mentally tough players. Everything we do right now revolves around getting guys in here that have those attributes that can help us make this a winning culture. We did have two unexpected departures. We did not expect Cam to leave and we did not expect for Aaron to ask out of his letter. The way that we will overcome the unexpected departures is through our continued efforts in recruiting the kinds of guys that want to be here and help us create a winning culture. It’s been a hard spring, but not because all of this was unanticipated or unexpected. Some of it was very much part of the plan, and any successful basketball program begins with a plan. The ones that succeed are the ones that have a good plan and the conviction and confidence to execute the plan. That’s where we’re at, we’re just in the process of executing the plan that primarily I have created. TPN: Looking at the five-man class you have now, what do you like about the group and does anyone stick out to you above the others?
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Stallings: I don’t know that anybody sticks out to me above all the others. I think that we have three or four guys that are going to come in here and really impact our team next year, whether that be in a starting capacity [or not]. What I like about it is that, first of all, we’ve added a true point guard and some size — both of which we really needed. We’ve added some shooting and some athleticism, [and these are] all components that make up most of the good ACC teams. Now how quickly we’ll be able to get that put together and make it look like the product we want it to be, I have no way of knowing right now.
same as the challenge was when I came in here last year as a first-year head coach. I took over guys that had no idea what I wanted or how we did things, so it’s kind of like going through year one all over again. I think, more importantly than the fact that they’re new to each other, they’re new to me. That’s the bigger challenge ... Getting adjusted to how we want to do things and how they’re going to have to be done here to succeed, that’ll be the part of all of us getting together on the same page. This whole season is going to be about coming together and staying together. The sooner we can do it, the better we’ll look when we get out there on game night.
TPN: When you come back in the fall, you’ll have all these new players come together with no experience in terms of playing with each other. What are the challenges of getting them to be a cohesive unit and getting them ready for ACC play? Stallings: Well, first of all, that begins earlier than the fall, because some of them will come for the first summer session and some others will be here for the second summer session. So we’ll gain more guys as we go along during the summertime, and we’ll be able to begin that process earlier than the fall. It will be a challenge, but it’s about the
TPN: All things considered, what, in your mind, would be a realistic expectation for next year’s team? Stallings: I would have no way of telling you that until I lay eyes on them in a gym and am able to work with them for a while. Again, with that many new faces, I couldn’t sit here and say X, or Y or Z because there’s no way to assess that without seeing what their capabilities and coachability are like. So, I’ll have to ask for a rain check on that question and maybe you can ask me a little later.
Read the full version online at Pittnews.com.
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RETRO PITT:
TAKING A LOOK AT OAKLAND’S PAST BY LEXI KENNELL | PHOTOS FROM HISTORIC PITTSBURGH IMAGE COLLECTION AND BY ANNA BONGARDINIO From the Great Fire of 1845 that destroyed all of Pitt’s buildings to the demolition of Forbes Field to the 2017 removal of asbestos in the Hillman Library, Pitt has had a tumultuous past. And as Pitt students, it’s important we know about the university we attend — to know that our school used to be called the Western University of Pennsylvania, that the William Pitt Union used to be a hotel and that there’s a secret ballroom in the Cathedral of Learning. That’s why I’ve decided to start a series — Retro Oakland — that focuses on Pitt’s past and how it shaped the University we know today. I will delve into different subjects — graduation classes, South Oakland streets, sports teams — to bring you, the modern day students of Pitt, a glimpse into what our journey as a university has looked like. This first part of the series is an overview of Pitt’s campus and compares the early 1900s Oakland scene to the present day Oakland scene.
view of the 200 block of Oakland Street and Forbes taken in 1932.
A few people wait for the trolley on Centre Avenue at Craig Street in January 1963. pittnews.com
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BEING TRANS AT PITT: MY STORY Madeline Barber For The Pitt News
As a child, I was a stereotypical boy. I played in the dirt, my favorite toys were my Tonka trucks and I loved to break things. I wasn’t interested in “girl” things like sewing or nail polish, and my favorite color wasn’t pink. To my mother, there was no way I could be trans because I so eagerly loved “boy” things and rejected “girl” things. What she may neglect to tell you about is the temper tantrum I threw at seven years old in the brightly-lit shoe aisle of the Harrisburg Kmart because I wasn’t allowed to get the pink and white Velcro shoes with light up butterflies. Branded with an X and Y chromosome, I was assigned male at birth and named after both my father and my mother’s father. I was taught that this was the end of the story — X and Y equal male. But later in life, I learned that gender identity is in flux until about age two, when it becomes integral to who you are. This only cements research that suggests that gender identity isn’t a choice — regardless of how far down you shove it, your identity is a core part of who you are. And I shoved my identity deep, ignoring the shame of knowing who I was but having no words to describe it. When I was fifteen years old, a friend of mine came out as bisexual. She was a plucky, assertive girl who never failed to shut someone up who made fun of who she was. Looking back, she inspired me as I began my own journey of self-discovery, as cliche as that may sound. Inspired by my friend’s courage and resolution, I came out at sixteen as bisexual to close friends in confidence. But by the end of the week, my entire school knew. Some never spoke to me again. Boys would ask me if I thought they were attractive and act insulted when I said no. I slowly withdrew myself, joked that it was a phase and became quiet and broody. In my attempts to learn more about what being bisexual meant, I took to the internet. Searching through Wikipedia took me to a page discussing transgender
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peop l e . T h e article — which has long since been revised — featured a section discussing common “symptoms” trans women describe. These included feeling trapped inside one’s body, more comfortable expressing oneself as a different gender and being uncomfortable with gender-specific body parts, functions and other similar traits. As I read the list, I realized that I matched every single item. The facts hit me — I am transgender. The identity I could not name for over sixteen years finally had a name. I was filled with dread remembering the harassment when I came out as bi. Breathing became harder. I shut my laptop and ran to my bedroom, feeling more isolated and alone than ever before. I was the only transgender person I knew. When I told my then-girlfriend that I was bi and also transgender, her response — hurling notebooks at me, calling me a “science experiment,” “shemale,” “tranny” — was enough to keep me in the closet until I graduated. I learned through those harsh lessons that smalltown Pennsylvania, like small-town anywhere I suppose, was not the best environment for a trans kid to grow up in. When I broke up with that girlfriend in February 2012, I tried coming out again, feeling free to be myself. I enrolled at Harrisburg Area Community College in August and fully embraced my identity. I began presenting femme — I would wear skirts and dresses, grow my hair out — and asked people to call me by my name — Madeline. I would legally change my name the next fall. See Barber on page 32
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ROTSTEIN:DESPITEDEPARTURES,FOOTBALLWILLIMPROVE Steve Rotstein
Senior Staff Writer As the Pitt men’s basketball team tries to recover from a mass exodus of graduating players, transfers and dismissals, the Pitt football team will be dealing with its own loss of talent next season. Just don’t confuse the two. While the Panthers’ hoops roster for next season looks like a barren wasteland right now, the football squad should have no trouble reloading its roster for 2017 and beyond thanks to several returning stars and blue-chip recruits. There’s no denying Pitt lost a load of talent to the NFL, and some players will be virtually impossible to replace. Running back James Conner, one of the best backs in the storied history of a program filled with them, tops that list. Conner was the first Panther selected in All-American return man Quadree Henderson is poised to help Pitt continue the 2017 NFL Draft, taken by the Pittsburgh it’s successes.. Jordan Mondell CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Steelers in the third round. After that, four graduating seniors — offensive linemen call from an NFL team on the draft’s final teams. In total, 21 players from last year’s bunch Dorian Johnson and Adam Bisnowaty, quar- day. Following the draft, eight more seniors that knocked off a pair of top five teams on terback Nathan Peterman and defensive end Ejuan Price — got the long-awaited phone signed on as undrafted free agents with NFL its way to an eight-win season will be gone
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in the upcoming campaign. But that doesn’t mean the Panthers will struggle to replicate last year’s success. They might even top it — and here’s why. The All-American One thing to watch heading into the 2017-18 season is whether or not opponents learn to stop kicking the ball to Pitt junior Quadree Henderson. The 5-foot-8, 190-pound Henderson — a consensus All-American return specialist as the best kick returner in the nation — made teams pay almost every time they kicked to him last year. The speedster led the nation with four combined kick and punt return touchdowns as a sophomore. Going back to his 100-yard kick return touchdown in the 2015 Military Bowl vs. Navy, Henderson has five kick or punt return touchdowns in his last 14 games. But the return game isn’t the only area in which he can do damage. Henderson, listed as a wide receiver, caught 26 passes for 286 yards and a See Football on page 26
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Football, pg. 25 touchdown in 2016. He also carried the ball 60 times for 631 yards and five touchdowns, an average of more than 10 yards per carry. Most of his rushing attempts came on jet sweeps, where he started in motion before the snap and took the handoff running parallel to the line of scrimmage. These misdirection plays were a staple of the Panthers’ record-setting offense last season, and Henderson was at the center of it. Even if teams decide to kick it away from him next year, the shifty all-purpose threat will continue to be a nightmare for opposing defenses whenever he touches the ball. Calling for reinforcements There was one glaring hole that stuck out all of last season which may have held the Panthers back from even greater success — the pass defense. Pitt finished next-to-last in the nation with an average of 333.2 yards allowed per game through the air. By all indications, it’s not only going to get better next season, but it could wind up being the defense’s strongest unit. It all starts with junior safety Jordan Whitehead, the 2015 ACC Rookie of the Year. Last year, Whitehead suffered an arm
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injury in Pitt’s 43-42 win over eventual National Champion Clemson and missed the team’s final three games. Back to full health for the upcoming season, he will have to continue to make game-changing plays in the secondary for the Panthers to succeed. Meanwhile, senior cornerback Avonte Maddox brings three years of game experience into his final season, and he appears ready to lead the defense. Standing only 5-foot-9, the jump ball has always been his weakness. But he has been a pass-breakup machine throughout the spring, and he might have been the best player on the field in April’s Blue-Gold Spring Game. Along with the two veterans are a pair of raw but uberly talented local athletes. Incoming defensive back Paris Ford is a fourstar prospect and Under Armour All-American from nearby Steel Valley High School. Ford follows in the footsteps of Damar Hamlin, who signed with the Panthers out of Central Catholic High School one year earlier. A lot of buzz surrounded Hamlin going into last season, but injuries held him back and he never rose to a starting role, managing to appear in only three games. He’ll need to stay healthy to carve out a spot in next year’s secondary. With Ford, it doesn’t matter where the staff plays him — as a free safety, strong
safety or cornerback — he’s good enough to make an impact right away. If he and Hamlin are able to get on the field together, the Panthers’ secondary can go from the most picked-on to one of the most-feared units in the ACC. Horses in the stable The quarterback is clearly the most important player in today’s pass-heavy game, but the position is still open for the Panthers. Graduate transfer Max Browne and redshirt sophomore Ben DiNucci have competed for the job throughout the offseason, with the starter still remaining a mystery. But with next year’s group, the signal caller won’t have to do much to score other than turn around and hand the ball off to whoever is lined up behind him. None of the Panthers’ running backs are going to replace Conner’s production in the backfield by themselves. But with the litany of options at the coaching staff ’s disposal, it’s not a stretch to envision Pitt exceeding last year’s 225.1 rushing yards per game as a team. The Panthers will miss Conner’s physical, downhill running style, but redshirt junior Qadree Ollison — the 2015 ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year — has already proven himself capable of performing well in that role. Sophomore Chawntez Moss, a
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shifty, agile runner who averaged 5.4 yards per carry as a true freshman, figures to be Ollison’s top competition for the starting job. While Pitt would do just fine using the two in a running-back-by-committee situation, they aren’t the only special talents vying for playing time. Incoming running backs A.J. Davis and Todd Sibley — both Under Armour All-Americans and two of the top 25 running back prospects in the country — will arrive on campus in the fall, looking to make an immediate impact. Despite having Conner last season, the coaching staff decided not to use a redshirt on Moss, and he rewarded their faith with some big-time runs. Davis and Sibley are both higher-rated prospects than Moss, so if either one appears ready for a big role in the offense, the Panthers’ coaches won’t hesitate to give it to them. Although Pitt faces one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country after losing 13 players to the NFL, don’t expect this to be a down year for the Panthers. They’ve put together back-to-back 8-5 seasons in Pat Narduzzi’s first two years as head coach, and four of the losses last year were by a touchdown or less. With numerous stars returning and reinforcements coming, a nine- or even 10-win season is well within reach next year.
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Tired of house parties? Try house shows instead
Photos courtesy of The Bushnel
by Christian Snyder, Opinions Editor
T
here were too many people, the music was too loud, the cooler was empty and it smelled like sweat. I think that might describe every party I attended my first year of college. No matter where it was or who was there, I have no fond memories of piling into someone’s basement with what seemed like 300 people only to stand around, lose our balance and then trek home. Thinking back on my first year, I wish I’d known then what I know now — that it doesn’t have to be this way. That having a social life isn’t inextricable from house parties. That for people like me, whose definition of fun relies more on music than much else, Oakland is home to a community of live music that provides experiences that far surpass even the best parties. My friends and I get ready for house shows the same way, I imagine, the average student gets ready for parties. We don our freshest outfits — for the first show I went to, I wore my baggy camouflage pants with my favorite denim jacket, and my best friend wore vintage pinstripe overalls. We know we’ll turn heads — albeit maybe not because the general populus thinks we look as cool as we think we look — but we’re ready to go. If this were my first year, at this point I would text my friends a message I hope to never send again. “Yo do you have any addresses?” — the college way of asking if people know of any parties going on around town. Sometimes not a single person would pull through and I’d have to either follow the sounds to overpacked houses or rely on friends of friends, but it still never felt like I was in control of my evening. For someone like me, whose reticence is amplified by uncertainty, this was a dealbreaker — by midnight, I was usually asleep in my Tower B bed. But when I’d set off for a night out my second year, I didn’t worry. I swore off going to house parties when I moved off campus and instead committed to socializing how I wanted. I joined new clubs, like Pitt’s college radio station WPTS, and I started receiving Facebook invitations from these new friends to house shows at places
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with strange names like Dogfunk or The Bushnel, to see bands with even stranger names like Pinstripe Sunny or Zaki. These invitations came in advance, allowing me to take control of my evenings and the people I spent them with — a feeling that left me even more empowered than showing up late to parties crowded with strangers ever could. When I arrived at my first house show, I didn’t know what to expect. The invitation simply placed the location as Dogfunk and said to message for the address. Was this some underground concert venue? Would it be hidden in the basement of an abandoned building? In a big grassy field? The address was somewhere in South Oakland, on a triangular-shaped block — not as if that helps locate anything in Oakland — and it looked like any other South O house. I nervously and clumsily walked up the steep concrete steps and, imbued with courage by my Dogfunk-veteran friends, waved hello to the bouncers. It turned out the nervousness was unnecessary. The bouncer and I were friends from WPTS. I paid my $5 more eagerly than ever, knowing that the money was supporting my friends who were there to play music for us instead of perpetually fueling alcoholfilled nights. And when my best friend walked in behind me, she was charged the same exact amount. One of my biggest grievances with house parties is the unequal treatment of men and women, be it positive or negative. There’s always an admission fee for house parties — for boys, it’s usually $5, but for girls, it’s sometimes simply being a girl. Without fail, this gendered double standard evokes within me an uneasiness that stems from stories of predation and sexual abuse at parties. But there was none of this at Dogfunk, nor at any other house show I’ve been to. Everyone is treated equally there — whether it’s your first time or you’re a veteran show-goer, whether you identify as male, female or nonbinary, whether you’re dressed like everyone else or not. You’re treated with the respect that everyone deserves.
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House parties rely too much on mere socialization and I’m sure I don’t just speak for myself when I say simply that socialization is really hard. As a first-year, far too often I found myself sitting in the corner at the party, avoiding talking to new people because sometimes even the prospect of it fills me with anxiety. So when I ducked my head under the basement stairs at Dogfunk for the first time, I was nervous. I wasn’t sure if I’d see a messy card table with red Solo cups, a flashy light setup or one dude on a guitar playing “Wonderwall.” I saw none of these. What I did see were a lot of familiar faces — people I see around campus and marvel at their outfits, musicians I read about and admire, like Jack Stauber, and people I’ve never even seen before but could imagine myself being great friends with. The setup was simple at Dogfunk — a drum set, some speakers, some cheap can lights on one side and a crowd of people filling the rest of the space. The back door was open and led to a backyard illuminated by string lights and cigarette embers. We hung out near the front, hoping to get a good view of our friends’ bands, and waited. The music began shortly after we arrived and didn’t stop until my feet hurt from standing and my ears were ringing with good music. I was hooked, and after that first show I talked to as many people as I could in hopes of hearing about something cool going on that weekend, some interesting show or art gallery. I discovered a thriving community of live music, performance art, poetry readings and street art galleries that gave me the social life I wanted, not the social life that college stereotypes entail. House shows don’t ask much. In fact, they ask even less of the crowd than house parties do. You’re not asked to meet people who aren’t open to friendship, and you’re not asked to surrender your dignity and pay $5 to dance with some people you’ll probably never see again. All that’s asked of you is your smiling face, your dance moves and your open ears. The rest comes naturally — all you have to do is listen.
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SAVORING SCHENLEY PARK:
the story of a green space
Grant Burgman Staff Writer
Whether you’re headed over the bridge from Schenley Plaza to go for a run, play some frisbee or relax in the grass, the first thing you’ll see when you cross looks like an imposing glass castle. The building is Phipps Conservatory — a vast greenhouse filled with local and tropical plants. The conservatory acts as the closest entrance to one of Pittsburgh’s oldest and most expansive parks: Schenley Park. Heiress and philanthropist Mary Schenley first donated the land that would later become Schenley Park in 1889. The 456acre park lies adjacent to Pitt’s campus and has become one of the most accessible and attractive spots for Pitt students to spend free time, get exercise and simply relax.
pening in June,” Roller said. “Yoga and Tai Chi in the park are open to students. Yoga is on Saturdays and Tai Chi is on Sunday mornings and those continue throughout the whole summer.” Roller also made note of one of Schenley’s more recent additions for the summer — cinema in the park, which started several years ago and will continue this year. “The city is going to be doing free outdoor movies on Sundays right around dusk,” Roller said. “They haven’t announced the movies yet, but those will be coming in the next couple weeks here.” Once the movies are announced for the summer screenings, the schedule and titles can be found at pittsburghpa.gov under the Citiparks page. Some of the films from last year’s showings at Flagstaff Hill include “Ant-Man,” “Pitch Perfect 2” and “Me Earl
Schenley still has plenty to offer. The park contains a full scale golf course, a disc golf course starting at the Schenley park overlook, seven tennis courts and nine miles of trails for biking, running and hiking.
ways, offering class tours. “We do have Pitt classes come through for tours sometimes. Our science education department is happy to provide out-of-theclassroom learning experiences for students
Schenley Park from above John Hamilton EDITOR IN CHIEF
Two cyclists ride along a path in Schenley Park. Anna Bongardino VISUAL The park hosts a steady flow of events, leagues and activities for Pitt students to participate in, especially during the summer. There is an online event calendar on pittsburghparks.org that details everything going on in the park throughout the year. Scott Roller, the senior manager of communications and creative for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, laid out some of the summer activities in Schenley that students may be most interested in. “There are a good number of things hap-
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EDITOR
and the Dying Girl.” For those looking for more entertainment, Schenley Park also hosts several concerts throughout the summer. Schenley will host the 20th annual WYEP Summer Music Festival on June 24 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. There will also be two concerts on the final Fridays of July and August going from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. All summer concerts have free admission. When there aren’t events going on,
Megha Patel and Tori Blake, sophomore Pitt pharmacy students, think one of the park’s best features is how big the park is and how easy it is to immerse yourself in it. “There’s so many paths, I get lost pretty often,” Blake joked. “I love the woods, the bridges, the tunnels.” “The scenery is really pretty,” Patel added. “On a nice day, you can just walk forever.” This summer, Schenley Park offers even more to visitors. “There is a new swimming pool that is under construction,” Roller said. “As far as I know, that will be ready to go this summer.” The new outdoor pool will be open from 1 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. during weekends. One of the most popular attractions in Schenley Park is Phipps Conservatory. According to Jenna Bodnar, communications coordinator at Phipps, there were “over 13,000 visits by Pitt students during the 2016-2017 school year.” Bodnar went on to explain that Phipps connects to the University in a number of
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and coordinate specialized tours and educational programs with Pitt,” Bodnar said. One of the biggest perks Phipps offers Pitt students is the ability to visit the Conservatory for free during the school year. The discount is considerable — a standard adult ticket costs $17.95. This benefit, Bodnar says, is great for more than just educational reasons. “During the stress and chaos of the school year, Phipps offers a tropical oasis to students — a place to connect with nature and unwind,” Bodnar said. Bodnar explained that the Conservatory offers something for everybody. “Art lovers will enjoy our changing art displays, glass art collection, historic sculptures and more. Those interested in sustainability can learn about how the [Center for Sustainable Landscapes] recycles all of its water on-site and generates all of the energy that it uses in a year,” Bodnar said. “Foodies can savor a delicious meal from Cafe Phipps and visit the Rooftop Edible Garden and Tropical See Schenley on page 32
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Barber, pg. 23 However, this headlong plunge into my new life did not come without consequence. I was subject to abuse and degradation from family, friends and coworkers. Within six months my entire family knew and I lost almost all of my friends. In a town like Harrisburg, this left me stranded — our queer community was smaller than Pitt’s average class size. I learned early on in life to blend into the fold, to do as I was told. But when I moved to Pittsburgh in August 2015, all bets were off. And so was my hair — before Pitt it was long enough to brush the small of my back — now, it’s in a pixie cut. My glasses, originally wide-framed and feminine, are now rounded tortoiseshell specs. Breathing became easier the longer I stayed in Pittsburgh. I was pleased to see the University’s policies on the use of gendered facilities and promotion of preferred name usage were geared toward the comfort of the trans and nonbinary community. I got involved in organizations on campus geared toward the trans and queer community. While they were welcoming, a number of them felt muted in their acceptance of trans people. In spite
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of this, I was fortunate enough to direct Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues in 2016 and act in the same production in 2017, telling the story of myself and other trans women through Ensler’s monologue, “They Beat The Girl Out Of My Boy … Or They Tried.” However, Pitt — for me — has been accepting on the whole. I found a group of friends very quickly and kept them close. I excelled in my studies despite many trials and tribulations. By the time I transferred to Pitt, I began undergoing hormone replacement therapy, and recently received referrals for gender confirmation surgery. Life got better for the most part. But not everything in my life was full of bright stage lights and kind, accepting people. While in Harrisburg I attempted suicide twice in 2015. Looking back, I can say that I am lucky to have survived both attempts. Yet this hindsight brings back the unbridled pain and hopelessness I felt at my lowest point in life. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute released a study in 2014 that found the average suicide attempt rate for trans individuals is a staggering 41 percent — nearly nine times the national average of
4.6 percent. While this story has a happy ending for me, it’s important to acknowledge that there are so many trans women who are not afforded the same luxury. Every year, scores of trans women – predominantly trans women of color — are the victims of hate crimes. Ten trans women of color have been murdered in the United States this year – the latest being Brenda Bostick in New York City, a woman of color. In comparison, nearly 30 trans women were murdered last year as a result of hate crimes. Each headline I read about a fellow trans woman being murdered makes me want to lock my door for fear of becoming the next headline. But to live in hiding is not to live at all and would be a disservice to these women’s lives. We must continue to live, following our own principles. A principle that guides me to this day came from an unlikely place — my senior yearbook. Scrawled in black pen by my sophomore year English teacher and longtime mentor Peter Frengel was a quote from Hamlet. Perhaps it was coincidence or even foreshadowing — did he know more than I did? — but it rings truer than most any other work of Shakespeare’s that I’ve read. “This above all else: to thine own self be true.” And I have.
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Schenley, pg. 31 Fruit and Spice Room to see how food is grown.” The conservatory also features flower shows throughout the year, including the current show running through November 6 with the theme “supernatural.” For upperclassmen, Phipps even offers a night out. “Every first Friday from September through November, students can also enjoy Party in the Tropics, a 21 and older event in our Tropical Forest Conservatory where we bring in a DJ and have food and drinks available for purchase,” Bodnar said. Some Pitt students like Luke Jennings, a fifth year senior in Pitt’s pharmacy program, recognize and appreciate the benefit that a place like Schenley Park can be to a student. “I use Schenley to run and the pool is so cool in the summer,” Jennings said. “Students here don’t realize that you can get a family pass and you get four pool tags with it. So it’s basically fifteen dollars a person to use any public, City of Pittsburgh pool.” Students don’t even need to use all of the amenities that Schenley offers. Sometimes, it can just be a place to get some relaxation. “I just go on walks with friends and take in the amazing views, and to get away from campus for a little bit,” Jennings said.
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