NOT A
ING UP:
mystery protractors pop up around Pittsburgh Sarah Morris
For The Pitt News Taking a stroll down a sidewalk on Centre Avenue, you might glance over at a utility box on the corner and if you’re lucky, you might see — attached to it with a generous amount of glue — the kind of protractor from high school geometry class. And this doesn’t only happen in Friendship — these protractors are spread throughout the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, and though they are most concentrated in Polish Hill, they’ve been spotted all over the city. Eric Lidji, a University of Pittsburgh alum, first noticed the protractors back in 2011. Lidji and his friends saw them popping up throughout the area shortly after he’d moved from the East End to Squirrel Hill. The strange nature of the protractors led Lidji and his friends to wonder if they held any meaning, so Lidji decided that the first step to finding the answer would be to make a map of the protractors’ locations. He chronicled the journey of finding them on his blog for a few years — from 2011 through 2013 — and made the map accessible to the public. There turned out to be hundreds of them — close to 500, judging by the numbers written on the protractors themselves. But the map Lidji made shows no hidden shape. It appears there is no grand code encrypted in the protractors’ locations. They just exist as small markers throughout the city — which, once noticed, become hard to miss. The abundance of protractors and their seemingly planned out locations leave people not only searching for a purpose behind their sudden appearance, but for who would take the time to place them — the endeavor of gluing them around the city had to be an awful lot of work. As for why someone used protractors specifically, as opposed to some other small, easily glueable object, some people believe that the arc of the protractor mirrors the appearance of a bridge — fitting for Pittsburgh. But Lidji has a simpler explanation to offer. “Maybe the person just came across a lot of protractors,” Lidji said. “Possibly
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somewhere like Creative Reuse.” In fact, Ashley Andrews from Creative Reuse seemed to confirm this when The Pitt News looked into Lidji’s theory. “Well the interesting thing is that we don’t exactly have like cut and dry records of what we sell because we’re a reuse store, but I can tell you that it is highly likely that in 2011 we probably did have like 1000 protractors in a large bucket and then perhaps all of those protractors were gone one day — so just saying that maybe that’s true,” Andrews said. And although the protractors are all numbered and sometimes line up in spurts, they don’t follow one continuous path through the city. There are runs of protractors where someone looking for them would clearly be following a path, but then it could jump to a different number entirely, and a new path could start in an entirely different part of town. The original theory of a connecting thread between the protractors may be gone, but this doesn’t mean there aren’t other cool things to find while looking for them. Lidji’s personal favorite protractor is located in Lawrenceville, by 33rd Street. You have to go under the railroad track to get there, but down behind the tracks is not only the protractor, but a bunch of art, including the bottom of a paint can that has been similarly glued and then drawn on. Lidji says there’s a whole mural of artwork down there. Looking for the protractors can be a largely rewarding search no matter the goal, as Lidji has found over the past few years. Dr. Nicholas Coles, an English professor at Pitt, teaches a course called Secret Pittsburgh — an English literature course that connects “secret” spaces in Pittsburgh to their larger historical contexts through readings and field trips. In addition to visiting secret sites as a class, the students embarked on smaller, individual projects. And one of Coles’s students — Cheyenne Hudson — centered her project around the mysterious protractors popping up throughout the city. “Someone might have a favorite coffee shop or ghost town or community garden or something, but for Cheyenne, she got into it enough. I’ve never even noticed
these protractors — she had actually found something secret about Pittsburgh. This is a bit mysterious,” Coles said. Hudson went so far as to bring her mother out to Pittsburgh from West Virginia to spend an entire day hunting protractors, with a goal of finding at least 50. “Some of them get taken down, so it was not easy. They got stuck at 47, but in the end, they did it,” Coles said. Cheyenne’s final essay for the class was an account of what they found on the hunt. “There are official versions of this — like the bulls in Chicago or the dinosaurs that popped up in Pittsburgh — but this is an unofficial, underground version of that, and it seems to cross over into tagging culture,” Coles said. And after years of rumination, Lidji also believes the whole thing could just See Protractors on page 68
Mysterious protractors are located at seemingly random locations around Pittsburgh. Anna Bongardino VISUAL EDITOR
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Lyke a pro: Pitt’s newest AD brings experience and enthusiasm
Heather Lyke speaks at her first press conference as Pitt’s Athletic Director. Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics
Mackenzie Rodrigues Senior Staff Writer
Athletics are in Heather Lyke’s DNA. She never turned down the chance to play any sport while she was growing up. But it took two degrees — one in education, the other in law — for her to decide it was the athletic world she should remain in. Lyke is Pitt’s newest athletic director — the first female AD in Pitt’s history, a feat she also achieved when she joined Eastern Michigan’s team in 2013. Her excitement for this opportunity and enthusiasm for athletics is something she almost wills into the people she works with. “[Pitt expects] success, and you want to work in that kind of environment where you’re getting better every day,” Lyke said. “I think college athletics is like that — people are naturally highly motivated. That’s exciting to me.” Her family is also excited to enter Pittsburgh’s atmosphere. When Pitt’s new AD is off the clock, she is spending time being active outside with her husband and three children. Ever the athlete, Lyke tries to make sure she does a couple triathlons as well. After spending much of their time in the Midwest, she says her family is ready for the city life and everything it has to offer, in terms of culture and, of course, athletics.
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Since she was a child, Lyke was constantly active. She played “everything” she could, and this drive carried over into her collegiate years too. While attending the University of Michigan, Lyke played first base for the Wolverines softball team. Her aggressive commitment even pushed her to play through a broken collarbone. She was captain for two years and was a member of the 1992 Big Ten championship squad. She never neglected the academic side of being a student-athlete and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education. From there she went on to the University of Akron School of Law and earned a juris doctorate. “I think what happened was I went to law school after college, and it was a chance to expand my educational experience, but ultimately I realized that I had a passion for athletics,” Lyke said. “I had a passion for impacting young people and helping them reach their full potential through the world of athletics.” So, Lyke decided to dive back into athletics. She began by interning at the Enforcement and Student-Athlete Reinstatement department of the NCAA from 1995-96. She then moved on to Cincinnati as the assistant athletic director for compliance. See Lyke on page 47
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column
VIDOVICH HAS PITT PRIMED FOR TURNAROUND Ryan Zimba Sports Editor
The Pitt men’s soccer team has been one of the school’s least competitive programs in recent years, but their fortunes could soon change as the group seems poised to move forward this fall. In its history, the squad — which started up in 1954 — has compiled a record of 398-449-100. It hasn’t had a winning season since 2000, when former head coach Joe Luxbacher led the team to a 13-5 year. Since then, it’s been a downhill slide for the program. From 2012-2015, the Panthers failed to win a conference game, and Luxbacher stepped down in November 2015. A month later, then Athletic Director Scott Barnes made the best hire of his 18-month tenure by bringing in former Wake Forest coach Jay Vidovich. Vidovich — a two-time NSCAA national coach of the year — is one of the most respected and well-known coaches in college soccer. He led the Demon Deacons for 21 years, winning a national championship in 2007.
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Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics The success was sustained as well, with the Demon Deacons making the NCAA Tournament in 13 of Vidovich’s final 14 years at the school. From 2002-2014 the program sent 35 players to various pro-
fessional leagues as the Demon Deacons became a soccer powerhouse. Following the 2014 season, Vidovich left the school to coach the Portland Timbers’ developmental team where he spent one year be-
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fore coming to Pittsburgh. His first season with the Panthers didn’t see any improvement record-wise, as the team stumbled to a 2-13-3 record while going winless in conference for the fifth consecutive year. While the record itself doesn’t provide a bright picture, the team’s play was far improved. In the season before Vidovich’s arrival, the squad lost seven conference matchups by an average of 2.86 goals. One year later, the Panthers only improved their record by one, but the defeats were much closer — at an average of 1.66 goals. While the offense and the defense are both to blame, the group’s inability to score was their detriment. The Panthers finished last in the ACC in every offensive statistical category, including shots, goals and assists. It didn’t just plague the team this year and it’s been the main cause of the team’s conference draught. Since 2012, the team has scored only 14 goals in 40 conference games. See Vidovich on page 43
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Being a good roommate is easy, just be open Andrea Spatig
mates who have similar interests, habits and goals as you. This can be a great tool For The Pitt News to help minimize the shock that is ineviThere’s the roommate that has super table when meeting a living partner for loud FaceTime conversations with their significant other, the one who never showers and spews an unfavorable odor wherever they go, the one who is too clingy and over-involved in your life and the one that snores like a chainsaw or talks in their sleep through the night. Nobody thinks they’ll be paired with one of these roommates. But even if you don’t come away with a horror story, living in a tiny dorm room with someone who may be a perfect stranger will certainly be challenging. But there are ways to make living with another first-year completely manageable. One way is to ensure that you’ll have similar interests to them. Today, you can use your university’s class Facebook page to try to find a good match. Sometimes people will make posts that describe themselves, either seriously or not at all, but the goal is to find potential roomJordan Mondell CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
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the first time. Before I started my first year, I found someone on the Facebook page who I thought would be the perfect match for
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me. She was an athlete, a great student and she was even a homecoming queen. We chatted online and exchanged numbers. The more we talked to each other via text, the more I liked her. We seemed like we would be great roommates so we decided we would room together at Pitt. For better or for worse, a Facebook timeline can only reveal so much. I found myself spending a lot of time with my roommate over the first few weeks of school, and noticed some tendencies of hers that really bothered me. But we couldn’t escape the fact that we were living together, and were with each other more than we were with anyone else. What I needed to realize was that my roommate didn’t need to be my best friend — a common misconception among first-years. Sometimes, it’s better to just coexist. So I made it clear that we needed some social space between us, seeing as we couldn’t find physical space in our confined Towers dorm room. See Roommates on page 74
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The Pitt news crossword 5/30/17
MEET NEW PITT TONIGHT HOST
ANDREW DOW
Andrew Dow and former host Jesse Irwin share a laugh during the last episode of “Pitt Tonight’s” second season. Evan Meng STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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Lexi Kennell Culture Editor
New “Pitt Tonight” host Andrew Dow has big shoes to fill — but it shouldn’t be a problem considering he wears a size 13. “Pitt Tonight,” a late-night student talk show taped on Pitt’s campus, is on its third season since its debut in 2015. Jesse Irwin, a senior majoring in political science and broadcast journalism, created the show and hosted the first two seasons, during which the show was nominated for two college Emmys. Andrew Dow, a rising sophomore majoring in sociology, and his unruly mop of brown hair will begin hosting the show in the fall 2017 semester. Before enrolling at Pitt, Dow attended Abington Senior High School in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Dow said he kept to himself and described his high school humor as “funny-ish.” “I think I was just kind of like — people would probably say, ‘That’s the very oddly dressed, Quaker, gay kid who does theater,’ and I don’t think funny was ever anything I was associated with until I came to Pitt,” Dow said. Dow said he was always interested in comedy, but that it wasn’t until he joined Ruckus — an improv troupe of Pitt students — that he viewed himself as a comedian or even funny at all. “Comedy is weird for me because I’ve always loved it, but I never really thought I could do it,” Dow said. Dow joined Ruckus in the beginning of the fall 2016 semester. Lizzie Kaniecki, a rising senior majoring in film and the president of Ruckus, said that Dow is known in the troupe for having the wildest and most unexpected jokes. “He’s one of the most genuine, sweetest people I’ve ever met and he’s also one of the funniest people I’ve ever met,” Kaniecki
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said. “He’s so good at just committing to weirdness and just going with it — he comes up with the wackiest stuff to say.” Annabelle Hanflig, a rising junior majoring in media and professional communications, is the incoming executive producer of “Pitt Tonight” and accepted the position after Hayley Ulmer, a rising senior majoring in theatre, stepped down. “[Dow] has a very particular sense of humor that I’m still figuring out,” Hanflig said. “But every time I figure out another piece of it, I love him more and more for it. He’s just so interesting and different.” When talking about his childhood, Dow said he has always been passionate when it comes to historical figures, specifically Catherine I of Russia and Peter the Great. Dow said that his fascination stems from the pair’s unending drive to make Russia better. “I really have a strong love of Russian history — I really have no other interest in Russian history except for like those two people. If I could just take a whole class on them, I’d be thrilled,” Dow said. “Also, I just think it’s funny Catherine was German.” Aside from his seemingly random love of Russian monarchs with Germanic descent, Dow said he is also obsessed with Bayard Rustin. “[Rustin] is this amazing black gay Quaker civil rights leader who did all of this great work with AIDs research, antinuclear programs and organized the March on Washington,” Dow said. “I just kind of think he’s like the absolute best.” But Dow’s first major interest was neither comedy nor history — it was fashion. “My love of fashion came from ‘Project Runway’ when I was a kid with my parents — we didn’t have cable, but See Andrew Dow on page 59
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PITT’S BIKING COMMUNITY FOCUSES ON ACCESIBILITY
BikePGH hosts a “commuter cafe” for Bike to Work Day on May 19. Anna Bongardino VISUAL EDITOR Shaping the Cycling Community Madeline Barber When Kimmy Dinh, a recent Pitt graduate, first moved into For The Pitt News their North Oakland home in 2015, their love of biking grew from Even in the summer, the crosswalk between the William Pitt necessity into what eventually became the PBC. Union and the Cathedral of Learning is filled with cyclists darting “I lived in North Oakland and wanted to get to campus quickly in and out of a sea of pedestrians heading to classes. without having to walk twenty minutes,” Dinh said. “And that’s how Groups on campus like the Pitt Bicycle Collective — who an- I started biking. Then I moved even further away [to Highland nounced in February they would develop a bike co-op on campus Park] and I just love [cycling] more.” — offer a number of ways to get you riding, whether your bike has According to Dinh, cycling in the city tends toward the excluone gear or 11, if you’ve been riding since you could walk or you’ve sionary. The phrase “cycling community” often conjures up images never owned a bike. of people in spandex and helmets racing through suburbia on biBikes are everywhere in Pittsburgh, and for good reason — bik- cycles with dozens of gears. ing is a surefire way to stay healthy. A 2010 study from the National With the PBC, Dinh aimed to change that viewpoint. Sinjon Institutes of Health on the health effects of cycling has shown that Bartel, a junior mechanical engineering major, and Hana Swift, a the health benefits for cyclists are numerous — a better sense of senior studying studio arts, are current co-leaders of the PBC and mindfulness, increased cardio exercise and having the benefit of they agree with Dinh’s assessment. low-impact exercise which means less strain on your joints.
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“When the Pitt Bicycle Collective first started, [it] was a space that was one of the first spaces for me that was a biking space that wasn’t white male-dominated, and that was really nice,” Swift said. The collective first gathered a support group of interested students, faculty and staff and began working toward collaborations in the community with other bike-focused groups, like Bike Pittsburgh and Black Girls Do Bike — a local bike group that focuses on empowering women, women of color especially — to get involved in the cycling community. And — with the exception of Bartel — the PBC is run by LGBTQ+ women. “We’re all queer women. And we’re really happy about that,” said Dinh. In its efforts to be as inclusive as possible, Dinh said the collective establishes an important support base on campus for cyclists See Biking on page 66
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John Hamilton EDITOR IN-CHIEF
Vidovich, pg.37 That’s absolutely abysmal — and Vidovich knows it. In his 2017 recruiting class, the coach clearly made an effort to improve the offense. Each and every one of the team’s recruits is either a forward or midfielder, as Vidovich seems to be satisfied with his defense heading into next year. The prized player of the class is Kizza Edward, a forward out of the Soccer Institute of Montverde Academy in Florida. This past year, the Uganda native scored 25 goals while leading his team to a 20-0-1 record and a SIMA Winter FAB 50 National Title. His performance over the course of the year made him the No. 41 ranked recruit in the class of 2017, according to Top Drawer Soccer. It was quite a grab for Vidovich, and a crucial one heading into his second year. Edward was one of nine players to commit to the team for the upcoming season, and the class included several other players with a chance to make an impact right away. Among them are three-star forward Andrew Walczyk and Javi Perez — the former captain of Valencia CF, one of the most respected youth teams in La Liga, Spain’s top soccer division. With all the new talent, it’s hard to imagine a coach with the pedigree of Vidovich continuing Pitt’s recent losing history. First of all, he now has the players he wants on his team — or at least some. He knows what their strengths and weaknesses are and can begin to instill his way of play in the program. His track record indicates the scoring will improve. His final five Demon Deacon teams scored an average of 1.65 goals per game, and the success should soon carry over to the Panthers, not only on offense, but on defense as well.
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In fact, the team’s defense was far and away the better unit this year, often keeping the Panthers in games. They allowed two or fewer goals in all but two of their contests — a 3-0 loss to North Carolina State and 4-0 defeat by No. 7 Syracuse. The defensive unit has a chance to improve this year as well with five players returning. Both goaltenders are coming back, with redshirt sophomore Mikal Outcalt looking to build on his freshman campaign, one of the lone bright spots for the Panthers. Outcalt lead all ACC goaltenders with 88 saves and also put up an impressive save percentage — stopping 81.5 percent of the shots he faced. It was good for third in the conference, behind Wake Forest’s Alec Ferrell and North Carolina’s James Pyle. While Vidovich might not want to see his goalie so busy — the team allowed 14.9 shots per game — at least he has someone in the net he can count on. It should go a long way this year, but there is still a multitude of improvements the Vidovich and the team will look to make. So this year may not be great. More than likely, the team will finish under .500 for the 17th consecutive year. But it should make noticeable strides forward and win at least a couple more games. No matter what, the expectations will be raised and Vidovich will be held to a higher standard in his second year. He should deliver the program a conference win — maybe several — and offer fans a more exciting, offensive-oriented brand of soccer. The struggles in his first year were understandable, and it will take time to create a winning culture within the team. But his coaching history and decisions this offseason suggest he has the knowledge and ability to do it.
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The Pitt News SuDoku 5/30/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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pittsburgh city buses: where they go & what to know
As a new student at Pitt, you will have free access to all public transportation the city has to offer. Well, “free” — it’s included in your tuition. How does it all work? What do all of these numbers on the front of the bus mean? Isn’t there a subway somewhere? For Pitt students and Oakland residents, just a few convenient bus lines will take you to most parts of the city you might want to visit. Check out this list for a short primer on the ins and outs of Pittsburgh’s public transit system. Download the mostly accurate Transit app, read our guide and go see the city.
by Jordan Mondell, Layout Editor
The pittsburgh port authority fleet is made up of over
726 buses
71 75
close to
in 2015, the Port Authority had an average weekday ridership of
20% of Pittsburghers commute by the Port Authority’s bus system
179,361 people
Top bus lines for Pitt students There are four lines that run similar routes on the 71: A, B, C and D. All run inbound to Downtown, but diverge on the outbound route on Fifth Avenue. The 71B and 71D travel all the way down Fifth, and can get you to Shadyside in a flash. The 71A and 71C will take you, via Craig St. and Centre Ave., to UPMC Shadyside Hospital and Giant Eagle Market District. The C will take you as far as East Liberty for a trip to Target or Trader Joe’s.
The 75 via Ellsworth Avenue runs through Oakland and Shadyside and is another route stemming from The Waterfront. It ends at SouthSide Works, an outdoor mall and movie theater with stores like H&M, Aerie and Forever21. If you’re looking to visit Walnut Street, a trendy, popular avenue in Shadyside lined with boutiques and cafes, the 75 is also a great option.
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There are also four lines that run similar routes on the 61: A, B, C and D. Again, all run inbound to Downtown via Fifth, but they diverge on an outbound route via Forbes. Any 61 is great for a trip “upstreet” to Squirrel Hill, where there are places like the Avalon Exchange, Jerry’s Records and Commonplace Coffeehouse. The 61C and 61D can take you all the way to Homestead and The Waterfront, home to a collection of outlet malls, restaurants and a movie theater.
54
The 54 is a diverse line, stretching from the South Side, through Oakland, Bloomfield and Polish Hill, all the way to the North Side. This bus is the one to take if you want to hit the Strip District for an afternoon of grocery or gift shopping and street food, or if you want to go to the North Side to visit the Mattress Factory museum or Randyland.
what about the t?
“The T” is the small subway system that runs through parts of the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. It generally serves as a commuter train for individuals who live outside city limits, though it is useful for native ‘Burghers on occasion. If you’re ever trying to reach Station Square on the South Side or catch a game on the North Shore, a quick ride from one of the Downtown stations will get you there. pittnews.com
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Lyke, pg. 35 “You have to be passionate about what you do in life,” she said. “And I found a passion — creating and building teams, building relationships with student-athletes, building relationships with coaches and your staff.” After Cincinnati, Lyke worked at Ohio State University until 2013, taking on many roles over her 15-year stint. She was a member of the athletic department’s executive team, managed 10 of the 36 athletic programs, oversaw the sport performance division and developed “Bucks Go Pro” — the university’s student-athlete internship program. She also became a softball analyst for the Big Ten Network in 2009, a position she held until 2013. Even in her position as AD, Lyke said many of the skills from her on-camera job have transferred to the media relations side of her current job. “To be able to deal with the media or talk on camera or into a microphone and to think on your feet is helpful,” Lyke said. “I think it was a tremendous experience from a public speaking standpoint and from learning all of the intricacies that go into building a television network.”
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Lyke’s most recent job — prior to arriving at Pitt — was as Eastern Michigan’s AD. While there, she focused on turning around the school’s athletics programs and making them something exciting for the community. She brings this same excitement to any challenges she might face while at Pitt. “You’re trying to build a team of people that are incredibly passionate about what we do, that know how to raise expectations and help our coaches and athletes have success,” Lyke said. “It’s a lot about the culture that you bring and the expectations that you set. It’s a ton of hard work, a ton of building.” The building starts with learning. Lyke’s background in education might give her that edge in fostering a department that continues to push itself. She wants to make sure everyone’s voices are heard. This includes the athletes — as both students and athletes — the coaches and everyone in-between. With her time as a softball captain at Michigan, she knows what the world looks like from the shoes of a studentathlete “The quality of our student-athlete experience needs to be extraordinary,” Lyke said. “Philosophically, I believe that being a student-athlete at the University
of Pittsburgh, we want that to be one of the most remarkable experiences of their life. That means not just competitively, but academically and personally and socially.” In order to create such an outstanding experience for the University’s athletes, Lyke recognizes how she must become familiar with the intricacies of Pitt. This includes getting to know the needs of each of Pitt’s 19 teams. Lyke won’t only be interacting with the student-athletes and coaches, though. Part of her job, and something she aims to do, is get the surrounding community as excited about Pitt athletics as she is. “I think [athletics are] part of the fabric of the University,” Lyke said. “I think it is a way to connect. Sometimes people say it’s the front porch of a university because that’s what people read about. I think it’s also a great welcome mat. It’s a connector across the campus. It gives students the chance to showcase their talents across the university.” Lyke has laid out the welcome mat herself to begin developing Pitt’s “culture of excellence” in regards to athletics. Christian Spears — Lyke’s recent hire for deputy AD and a man who spent three years with her at EMU — is no stranger to Lyke’s drive and knows what she is ca-
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pable of accomplishing. “She is singularly focused on making sure the student-athletes that we serve have an unbelievable experience,” Spears said. “She constantly ties it back to that, and ultimately that leads to a really effective and energized workforce.” Hiring Spears gives her the chance to be a step ahead in terms of getting to know who she will be working with. “The fact that we’ve worked together for three years at another institution, and we can now bring that collaborative relationship to Pitt, we think will allow Pitt to grow faster in terms of the things that we do to help our coaches and studentathletes be as successful as they can be,” Spears said. Spears will mostly be in charge of revenue generation, but will work closely with Lyke to build Pitt’s athletic program. Both are determined to make it a source of pride for Pittsburgh. “The people in this city are some of the most genuine and welcoming people I’ve ever met,” Lyke said. “There’s a reason why people love Pittsburgh, and I think it’s because of the people and the culture that exists. I’m excited to be a part of that.”
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CHUCKS AND CHINOS:
NAVIGATING PITT FASHION
Photos by John Hamilton EDITOR IN CHIEF
by Taylor Pecarchik | For The Pitt News
LENA GALLAGHER
CHANGES INTO COMFY PANTS AND A SLOUCHY JACKET AFTER A LONG DAY DRESSED UP AT WORK.
MITCHELL JAMES
DECIDES WHETHER TO WEAR SHORTS OR PANTS BASED ON IF HE HAS CLEAN SOCKS THAT ARE SHORT OR LONG.
S
itting among a sea of Pitt students at Schenley Plaza wearing all types of clothing — T-shirts, baseball hats, dresses — Emily Steele’s plain romper doesn’t stand out. Her accessory — a pet iguana named Olive — is a different story. College might be the most diverse place you’ve ever experienced, and it won’t take long to figure that out. Compare any two students and you’ll see for yourself. At Pitt, you will meet people that you have things in common with, and you’ll meet people that you have nothing in common with at all. You’ll meet people that study all sorts of majors, probably even ones you didn’t know existed. You’ll meet people that shop for clothing in stores you’ve never even stepped foot in. At the University of Pittsburgh, there are no uniforms.
and then to do it all over again the next morning. “When you have a busy schedule — going to class, you have to wake up early,” Steele said. “I just kind of throw on whatever’s there, especially for early classes, and if you’re on a budget, you don’t really have that much money to spend anyways.” Between busy schedules, early mornings and empty wallets, it’s not hard to understand why the college routine leads so many people to prioritize comfort. Grant Birdsong, a senior majoring in film studies and communication, is clad in a Pitt baseball hat, a T-shirt and white Converse sneakers. He said he is increasingly heading toward comfort over style. “My Converse shoes are pretty much like walking barefoot, and now I have orthopedic shoes — New Balances,” Birdsong said. “I don’t care how they look. Function is Dress Well, Test Well? more important than [style] to me now.” We all know that college is hard. It’s not easy waking up Birdsong acknowledged that being on a college campus to go to class only to head straight to the library to study, has a lot to do with appropriate dress and that presenting
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CONNOR RIANO
BASES HIS LOOKS ON WHAT HIS DAY HAS IN STORE. A DATE? DRESS IT UP. CLASS? GO RELAXED. yourself professionally in college is very important. “It seems like you’re going class to class. I think once I start working more, I’ll probably wear more of the same clothes more often. I’ll probably shop at the thrift store less, sadly,” Birdsong said. Despite the busy day in the life of a college student, some students don’t let their schedules diminish their sense of style. Alex Connor, a senior majoring in chemical engineering, said he is always on the side of style over comfort. Between his funky shirt, bright red headphones and roughly six-inch beard, it’s no surprise. However, he doesn’t see any inconvenience in dressing so stylishly each day, and he thanks his gender for that. “I think for guys it’s a little bit easier to look nice than it is for girls,” Connor said. “Most guys don’t wear makeup or anything like that, so I could just put on a button down See Fashion on page 61
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BIKELANESANDBUSWAYS: John Hamilton Editor in Chief
Madeline Rigatti’s black boots press forcefully on the steel pedals of her orange Salsa Vaya, propelling the 25-year-old up a short, steep hill by her house. “I used to hate that hill,” Rigatti, who started commuting by bike in college 5 years ago, said. Weather permitting, Rigatti commutes from her home by Shadyside Hospital to the Kaufmann Medical Building in Oakland. It’s not a long ride — just over two miles — and it’s uncharacteristically flat for Pittsburgh, except for the short hill that begins the commute. However, Rigatti’s destination is on Fifth Ave., which means the short, flat ride can sometimes turn dangerous. “Do you ever ride on Fifth?” she asks me as we coast up to a red light. “It’s terrifying.” After a calming early morning ride through Shadyside, making that right turn onto a four lane road with cars, trucks and buses is a better way to wake yourself up than five cups of coffee. During the ride, Rigatti said there is plenty of room for a bike lane on the right side, but for now all you can do is stay alert and hope drivers do the same. Sana Chowdhry also commutes outside of a car, but her ride takes four times as long and is on four wheels. She lives in Monroeville, a Pittsburgh suburb that’s usually a short 15 to 20 minute drive from Pitt. But Chowdhry takes the bus. Every weekday, Chowdhry, a senior studying history, global studies and Arabic, catches the Port Authority’s 67 bus from UPMC East, a 10 minute walk from her family’s apartment in Monroeville — maybe a little longer if her building’s old elevators are running slowly that morning. She boards the 67 as early as 6:30 a.m. if she has an 8 a.m. class and settles in for a hour to an hour and a half ride — snaking through Churchill, Wilkinsburg, Point Breeze and Squirrel Hill before she exits the bus on Pitt’s campus. “My life and schedule really revolves around the bus,” she said. “I have to make my plans according to the about once an hour the bus comes.” The 67 makes its first stop at Chowdhry’s bus stop at 5:54, again at 6:24, 6:54, 7:31, 8:21, 9:31, 10:13, 11:13 and so on. The bus doesn’t run to the UPMC East stop at all on weekends, leaving no public transporta-
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CAR-LESS TRANSPORTATION IN PITTSBURGH
tion options for Chowdhry to get to campus other than the P67 and P12. The P67 picks up at the mall, which she said requires a car to get to, something she doesn’t always have access to with two
friendly” transportation, which is important to her. About 18 percent of Pittsburghers commute by public transportation and another 2 percent by bike, according to the U.S. Census
Top: A bus passes by Towers on Forbes Avenue John Hamilton EDITOR IN CHIEF Bottom: Mike Carrol of Wilkinsburg directs a pack of cyclists riding in protest of PennDOT following the death of Susan Hicks on August 1, 2016. Theo Schwarz SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER siblings sharing the vehicle. The P12 stop is closer, but says she doesn’t feel safe crossing the several busy roads — roads where drivers don’t typically look out for pedestrians on. “In Monroeville and other suburban areas everybody is in this habit of just driving anywhere,” she said adding that “the culture” of the suburbs doesn’t emphasize “eco-
2015 American Community Survey. Both Rigatti and Chowdhry represent the nonideal trips many of these car-free travelers take to get where they’re going. From 2000-2015, the number of people who bike to work increased by 56.7 percent nationwide, according to the Census, a trend that is amplified in Pittsburgh. Over those 15 years, the number of Pittsburghers who
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get to work by bike has increased by 284 percent, with 1.7 percent of the city currently commuting by bike. While this number is down from 2 percent in 2013, it still puts Pittsburgh as the 15th most popular city in the U.S. to pedal to work. Rigatti, like many other commuters, rides to work for convenience and to save money. She doesn’t like the bus controlling her schedule and can’t stomach the $200 per month for a parking pass in Oakland. Along with the convenience and savings, Rigatti likes riding to work for the exercise and fresh air. However, she is worried about the safety of sharing roads — especially Forbes and Fifth avenues — with cars, trucks and buses zipping past. In 2015, 71 cyclists were involved in crashes on Pittsburgh roads. One of those riders, Pitt professor Susan Hicks, was killed at the intersection of Bellefield and Fifth avenues in October 2015. In 2016, another cyclist died in a crash on West Carson St., a road that advocates at BikePGH say is unsafe and called on the city to make more bike friendly after Dennis Flanagan’s death on the narrow road along the Ohio River. Rigatti went to a BikePGH forum on April 4 in the William Pitt Union to learn how to make her commute safer and less stressful. “It’s kind of scary — biking in Pittsburgh,” Rigatti, a Pitt research project coordinator, said. “I came to learn how to make it safer.” Julie Mallis, education programmer at BikePGH, told the group of a dozen riders at the event that the geography and roads of the city add to the difficulty of using a bike to get around. “Pittsburgh is like piles of spaghetti thrown down,” she said. “Those are the roads” Kevin Stiles, leasing and support services manager at Pitt, gave one potential solution at the forum: “geeky clothes” — such as neon yellow jackets, blinking lights and reflective armbands, the help rides be more visible. “I personally think neon clothes, flashing lights are cool,” not geeky, Mallis responded. BikePGH is a Pittsburgh bike advocacy group that works for better infrastructure for bikes and increasing safety through educating riders and drivers. Of those goals, BikePGH Executive Director Scott Bricker says that infrastructure is by far the most See Transportation on page 56
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RISING SOPHOMORES REFLECT:ADJUSTINGASA STUDENT-ATHLETE
Jovana Knezvic, a rising sophomore from Cyprus who plays Pitt Tennis, had to adjust to American playing style. Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics
Kevin Bertha Staff Writer
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Jovana Knezevic’s day starts with an early morning weight session, followed by a full schedule of classes. But instead of returning to her dorm after class to study or relax, Knezevic heads over to the tennis courts for a three hour practice. Learning where to go for the best pizza on campus, keeping up with classes and making new friends is hard enough for first-year students at Pitt but this adjustment proves especially difficult for student-athletes. Athletes try to balance the already busy schedule of a Pitt student — plus competing in a Division I sport. Knezevic, a rising sophomore international student in the business school and a singles player for the tennis team, said her daily life as an athlete was extraordinarily busy her first year. This busy schedule is even tougher to manage when Pitt student-athletes travel for away games, trying to keep up on schoolwork while missing classes. ACC schools range as far west as South Bend, Indiana, and as far south as Miami, so traveling for conference games can take a toll on an athlete’s academics. “It can definitely be very difficult especially during this semester where we traveled a lot,” rising sophomore outfielder Nico Popa
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said. “So it was a lot harder to make sure that I studied for all of my classes and got all of my work done. So, really, I just have to work more on time management.” Nick Wolk, who hails from Peters Township near Pittsburgh and competes on the cross country and track teams, attested that athletes often miss class due to travel. “Second semester has definitely been hard with how much we are traveling,” Wolk said. “I missed a lot of classes, but maintaining good relations with professors helps me out with that.” Pitt’s policy allows student-athletes to miss class for games and competitions. Athletes are not allowed to miss class for practice, but the lack of classroom time compared to other students can be a hindrance. “It’s been tough balancing athletics with academics, but it’s definitely doable. It’s a bit of a struggle, but I try to stay on top of it,” Wolk said. Outside the classroom, student-athletes face the pressure of competing in a premiere college conference. The step up in play from high school to Division I is a big jump, and many Pitt athletes find themselves struggling in the ACC while they were all-state in high school. “It’s definitely a big adjustment,” Popa said. See Reflections on page 55
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Reflections, pg. 54 “Especially [in college baseball] you have to be locked in at all times during practice and games. In high school, you could take a play off or not bring it every day, but here you have to or else you won’t be successful.” Wolk agreed with Popa’s assertion that Pitt student athletes need to be performing at their best at all times. “Coming into the ACC, everyone is working hard, everyone is talented,” Wolk said. “So you have to find an edge somewhere else. You have to try to be perfect. You have to find every way that you can to improve, so that’s definitely been a bit of an adjustment for me.” Knezevic had different insights compared to Wolk and Popa, who are both native Pittsburghers. Being from Limassol, Cyprus, she has noticed major differences between American tennis and European tennis. “From a tennis standpoint, the average level of tennis is high in America because most people have had access to [United States Tennis Association] tournaments and have competitive high school games, too,” Knezevic said. “I feel that in terms of technique American players hit flatter and harder because of the accessibility to the hard courts so the rallies can be shorter. In Europe we are taught to keep the ball as much as possible and that is due to the fact we have a lot of clay
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courts.” The clay court is a softer, slower surface that allows for more bounce and spin on the ball. Hard courts allow the ball to travel fast-
er, with a more direct path. “All in all, I like the differences the way Americans work as a team and how that contrasts to the heavily individual game that tenAnna Bongardino VISUAL EDITOR
“
It’s important to enjoy... whatever your sport may be because you’ll be wasting too much of your time if you don’t. Nick Wolk, cross country and track & field
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nis is in Europe,” Knezevic said She also noted that even though tennis takes up a majority of her time, a studentathlete’s tight schedule can still be managed. “I think the Pitt tennis program is wellbalanced with my school schedule and I don’t have any difficulties,” Knezevic said. “I might have a tight and busy schedule, but I can make it work.” In order for Wolk to make everything work and give himself some free time, he has to wake up before sunrise. “I usually get up 45 minutes or an hour before I start running. We usually start at 6:30 or 7 o’clock. And then it will be like 10 miles or so a day, or a workout on the track if we are doing something different,” Wolk said. Wolk’s day isn’t filled with only practice. As a political science major, he tries his best to stay on top of his classes, too. “It’s just taking care of classes from there and doing what you need to do for school,” Wolk said. “And usually we have some free time. [Track] is not everything in your life.” Still, with 10 miles of running per day, Wolk’s life is centered around athletics. Luckily, he loves the sport and doesn’t mind. “It’s important that you enjoy track and cross country, or whatever your sport may be,” Wolk said. “Because you will be wasting too much of your time if you don’t.”
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Transportation, pg. 50 important. Bricker said increasing bike infrastructure directly increases ridership and moves commuters from car to bike. Good infrastructure also provides a safe, affordable and environmentally friendly way to get around, he said. “You look at Fifth and Forbes avenues and you’re like, ‘no thank you,’” Bricker said. “You add some protective bike lanes to those streets and all of a sudden lots of people are like, ‘Oh that’s great, I could totally do that. I have a safe place to bike.’” He isn’t concerned with bike lanes potentially increasing traffic on roads like Fifth because he thinks safe infrastructure will equate to less drivers and more riders. Additionally, Bricker said bike lanes and better pedestrian infrastructure makes the road safer for drivers as well as riders. “This is about saving lives,” he said. “[Bike lanes] actually should take more cars off the road.” Another advantage to a bike lane on Fifth Ave., Stiles said, is that less lanes might force cars to slow down. “I don’t know that we need a highway in the middle of campus,” he said. “If there were less lanes it would kind of force cars to go a little bit slower. I think the speed limit
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is 25, but I don’t know the last time I saw someone going 25.” A bike lane through the Forbes-Fifth corridor is not just a long-shot goal of bike advocates — it will likely be a reality if Pittsburgh completes the newly proposed Bus Rapid Transit system. Almost 20 percent of Pittsburghers
county — said there is still work to be done to improve the commutes of people like Chowdhry. “While we have a good backbone of frequent transit service in our city, there’s still a lot of need for improved public transit, especially throughout the whole county,” she said. “It still can be very difficult for people
“I feel like they’re jealous I’m getting somewhere faster than they are.” - Kevin Stiles commute by mass transit — the vast majority by the Port Authority’s bus system, which had an average weekday ridership of 179,361 during the fiscal year 2015. Molly Nichols, director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit — a group that advocates for improved public transit in the city and
without access to a vehicle to get around with public transit.” This BRT system proposed in March will better connect Oakland and Downtown, and will directly affect 30 percent of Port Authority riders, according to Mayor Bill Peduto — who campaigned in 2013 on
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expanding the city’s light rail system. The system will feature electric buses, new bus shelters, bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes that will cut the average travel time from Oakland to Downtown from 18 minutes to 10, according to the city’s proposal. Cutting eight minutes off a commute is a nice perk, but Carnegie Mellon researchers found — in a report prepared for the Port Authority about BRT — the length of the trip between Oakland and Downtown is not currently a concern. “Speed of service from boarding to destination is not an issue in the corridor,” the report said, but noted that some riders were dissatisfied with the frequency of buses. The BRT system will run from Liberty Ave. Downtown to the Cathedral of Learning, with various proposed branching lines running to Squirrel Hill, East Liberty and Wilkinsburg. Unfortunately, for people that commute from more distant neighborhoods on the 71 and 61 lines — like Braddock, Homestead and Regent Square — the new system might make their commute worse, according to Nichols. “This bus rapid transit project,” Nichols said with a sigh. “We see that there are opportunities there ... but we are also very concerned with the impact on the riders who would be forced to transfer in Oakland.” See Transportation on page 60
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PITT’S ACC MOVE FOSTERS FOOTBALL, HURTS BASKETBALL Dominic Campbell Staff Writer
In the four years since Pitt moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference, the decision to leave the Big East has both haunted and helped the school’s biggest sports — football and men’s basketball. For the majority of the 2000s, the University of Pittsburgh was a basketball school. Coaches Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon turned the school’s program completely around — taking it from one of the worst in the Big East to one of the best in the country. In Howland’s four years at the helm, the team went from 13-15 in the 1999-2000 season to 28-5 in 2002-03, taking home a Big East Tournament championship in 2003. Dixon sustained Pitt’s success, and the two combined to make 12 NCAA tournaments in 13 years. Football, on the other hand, was a much
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different tale. The program that once housed Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett and many other of the sport’s best players was mired in a slump. After an awful 1990s — which saw only one season above .500 — the 2000s were better, but not comparable to the program’s storied past. This trend gave the teams opposite reputa- Pitt starters sit on the bench in the final minutes of their ACC tournament loss tions, with basketball being one of the highlights to Virginia. John Hamilton EDITOR IN CHIEF The move was mainly for football purposes of student life — while football struggled to con- program take its next step. Although the athletic department stood — the sport offered more money in the ACC — vince students to make the trip to Heinz Field. and the brunt of the hardship fell on basketball. to benefit from the move, it — and the fans — It seemed as if this might always be the The program got a wake-up call shortly after hierarchy of Pitt athletics, but in September 2011, lost a lot from conference realignment. One of making the transition, and Dixon had trouble in the school announced its departure from the Big the most significant was the loss of the school’s his time in the ACC. East to join the ACC in 2013 — a decision which storied rivalries. The Backyard Brawl against West Virginia His inability to adapt to the new conferhugely impacted the status of both sports. ence’s style of play was one of his biggest faults. — in which over 100 games had been played The move not only gave the athletic The ACC was much less team-oriented than the department more money, but was also supposed — and the annual football series against Notre Dame both came to a halt. Basketball suffered as Big East, instead relying on 3-point shooters and to allow it to expand its recruiting base from well, leaving behind Georgetown, Villanova and speedy players who could drive to the rim. This the Northeast to the entire Atlantic coast. This Connecticut in addition to the Mountaineers — didn’t mold with Pitt’s slower style, and Dixon’s was poised make the football team much more who left for the Big 12 in 2012. See ACC Move on page 59 competitive while also helping the basketball
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Andrew Dow, pg. 41 I remember my parents ordering the DVDs on Netflix and watching them together, and I used to sneak down at night and watch ahead of them,” Dow said. Dow then became interested in the artistic side of fashion and listed Alexander McQueen as one of his favorite designers. “[McQueen’s] shows weren’t about, ‘Look at all these pretty things,’ — they were shocking and emotive and were about making the audience feel something,” Dow said. Dow’s own wardrobe consists of buttondowns of various vibrant colors and patterns. Dow doesn’t find himself to be incredibly fashionable and even likened his style to being in some stage of Rumspringa — a term used in some Amish and Mennonite communities to describe the rite of passage adolescents encounter between the ages of 14 and 21 — because he wears a lot of plain, durable fabrics. “In a way, fashion is one of the only forms of art we all have to participate in — you’re saying something to the world in how you dress, and even being a nudist is a fashion statement,” Dow said. “I feel like the way you present yourself impacts the way you see yourself.” And Dow says a lot with this style — his long tousled locks, bright button-downs and jeans give him a very non-threatening look, despite his size. “When I first met Andrew, well he’s a large person in stature — he’s such a great guy and so cuddly, like a big teddy bear,” Hanflig said. “So when he walked into the room, I was taken aback by his size.” Irwin also referred to Dow as a “teddy bear,” alluding to both his build and personality. Dow’s friendly and warm demeanor were said by both Hanflig and Irwin to be contributing factors of why he was chosen to be the next host of “Pitt Tonight.” Dow interviewed for the position in January with about 20 other candidates. According to Dow, waiting over spring break to find out if he got the job was agonizing. “There was a whole rigorous process that we had to go through, and I was the last man standing at the end of it,” Dow said. “For me, it was stressful because I wanted it so badly — it meant the world for me to get.” After performing a monologue from a latenight show, the candidates had to mock interview Hanflig using a few facts about her given to them beforehand. Some of the candidates questioned her as if she was interviewing for a job, Hanflig said, and others conversed with her like any late-night host would. However, Dow was different — he moved the interview into a game-like structure. “He just came in and ripped the format we gave him apart and made it his own. And that was something that I found — after a little bit of
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digestion and analysis — was just the most original interview we had,” Hanflig said. “It was the most engaging and endearing one.” Irwin said that Dow is very natural on stage and that his subtlety is what set him apart from the rest — that Dow’s laid-back approach was more enjoyable than the overly confident candidates. “He’s someone who never accepts the status quo — not because he was never satisfied with anything, but just because he always thinks that things can be better and different,” Hanflig said. According to Dow, “Pitt Tonight” will go through a lot of changes between his season and the previous two hosted by Irwin. “We’ll be trying something new with [the role of the sidekick]. I want to have a new person fill that role every episode. We’ll be having some very interesting guests to say the least,” Dow said. During Irwin’s reign as host, Raghav Sharma, a recent graduate with a politics and philosophy major, acted as his sidekick. Dow plans on flipping the late night sidekick norm and have different sidekicks each episode. “‘Pitt Tonight’ and Pitt [in general] have a ridiculous amount of hilarious and engaging people, so I want to highlight as many of them as possible,” Dow said. Irwin is looking forward to some of the changes Dow’s season will be implementing, the sidekick rotation being one of them. “He wants to be all-inclusive — he wants to get people involved. I think his recognition of how he can expand his role into something that has different characters and different personalities — I think it’s brilliant,” Irwin said. “I think it speaks to the purpose of the show.” In an effort to familiarize viewers with Dow as the new host, Irwin and Dow shot a Facebook live video April 5, in which they combined matzo and Quaker Oats in order to represent their religious heritages. “I thought originally that we were going to be making something like Food Network, like matzo cookies or something kind of cute, but no — it ended up just being us throwing matzo and oats and mustard into a pan,” Dow said. “It was disgusting — it was one of the worst things that I’ve ever tasted, but it was a really fun experience.” Irwin said he wishes he had gotten to work with Dow, but that he met him only when Dow came in to audition. “We’re already saying we love each other — it’s like meeting a girl and then all of the sudden you’re dating like the next day,” Irwin said. Dow listed Irwin as his top inspiration, besides comedians Seth Meyers and Paul F. Tompkins and British television presenter Graham Norton. “I have very big shoes to fill, but I also have a wonderful group of people to help me,” Dow said. “I feel confident going into this based on all of the people I am surrounded with.”
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Transportation, pg. 56
ACC Move, pg. 58
The 61 and 71 lines that currently run through Oakland will terminate in Oakland under the BRT plan, forcing 3,000 to 7,000 riders to transfer, depending on the chosen route. This transfer won’t lengthen the total ride time, according to Port Authority Public Relations Representative Adam Brandolph, because the ride time from Oakland to Downtown will be seven minutes shorter. “The problem with that claim,” Nichols said, responding to the Port Authority’s position. “Let’s say you’re on the 61A which goes to Braddock. It’s gonna come less frequently.” During rush hour, the 61A currently comes every 15 minutes. This frequency will be halved to every hour with some of the BRT proposals, Nichols said. This isn’t as much of an issue going inbound, she said, because a rider could time it right leaving Braddock and then hop on the BRT in Oakland. However, going outbound a rider could take the BRT to Oakland and just miss their bus by a minute, leaving them 29 minutes to spend waiting for their bus, but in a shiny new bus stop. In addition to the hassle of an extra transfer, Brandolph said there is no further information on the possibility of a transfer fee for BRT riders as of April 17. In an interview with The Pitt News, Peduto said the BRT must be implemented in a way that doesn’t make the system inaccessible. “You want to ... keep it within cost constraints — especially for lower-income people,” he said. The BRT is still being developed, Nichols pointed out, so we don’t know exactly how much the frequency of the local service or transfer fees will change. “Over the next few months, we plan to engage the public once again, and that discussion will include fare policy,” Brandolph said. While groups like BikePGH and Pittsburghers for Public Transit focus efforts on creating better infrastructure, Stiles, who rides to work for convenience and mental health, sees the solution to better car-free transportation as a more individual effort. “I don’t know if [improving safety] is city [responsibility] or if it’s individuals,” he said. “Sometimes [drivers] beep at me and I’m really not sure why. I feel like they’re jealous I’m getting somewhere faster than they are.” He said his Trek Avant, upright and outfitted with fenders and lights, gets him where he needs to go happier and faster than if he drove or took the bus. Stiles said he wishes drivers frustrated with bikes would try commuting on two wheels. “Life really can be better,” he said.
strategies failed to produce wins in the fasterpaced ACC. The coach was also never able to compete against the league in terms of recruiting. While he never got the best recruits in the Big East, he was able to land talented players from cities like New York and Philadelphia. The players he recruited in the ACC, while not terrible, just weren’t good enough to win consistently against more talented teams. It’s unsure why Dixon changed his recruitment of players, but one possible reason is that his conservative style of play wasn’t liked by newer recruits. After the 2015-16 season, Dixon returned to his alma mater to coach at Texas Christian University. His replacement — Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings — came to Pitt with a résumé that didn’t include a whole lot of success — having won just one SEC title in his 17 years with the Commodores. In Stallings’ first season as coach, the Panthers had a losing record for the first time in 17 years. Now, Stallings is left with the difficult task of rebuilding the squad with little support from fans. But while basketball has largely suffered in the transition, football has skyrocketed, improving from four consecutive 6-6 seasons to two straight 8-4 campaigns with bowl appearances. Sure, the program caught a break in getting placed in the ACC Coastal Division — by far the weaker of the two divisions — but the accomplishments are still meaningful. The football team has found success in the ACC by attacking other teams’ weak pass defenses. Quarterback Nathan Peterman threw for over 5,000 yards and 47 touchdowns during the past two seasons, leading the offense to a school record for points scored. And while the move to the ACC hurt basketball recruiting, it has helped on the football front. The Big East was largely looked down upon as a conference, but the ACC provided tough competition from top to bottom. Narduzzi has capitalized on this, taking back the talentheavy Western Pennsylvania area and making the state of Florida part of the program’s recruiting pipeline. The football team’s prospects for this season are optimistic, and they have a chance to get better if Narduzzi can keep recruiting well. As we’ve seen the previous two years, the Panthers are rising and it looks like they’ll be a good team for years to come. Every decision comes with pros and cons, and this one is no exception. The effect of the move will linger for years to come, and one can only wonder what would’ve been if the program stayed in the Big East. But this is the decision the school made. Now they have to live with it.
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Fashion, pg. 49 and chinos, and it takes like five seconds.” Ballin’ on a Budget Oh, sweet college budget. It’s what keeps students eating ramen and buying used textbooks. So when making outfit choices, Steele and others dodge the superexpensive wardrobe and head for a more practical and inexpensive one. Steele said that when shopping for clothes, her go-tos are places like Forever21 and H&M — where she can get decent clothing at an inexpensive price. Matt Mendelson, a fifth-year student majoring in architecture — who wears shorts and a tee representing his fraternity — said he also doesn’t have to pay high prices to get clothes that he likes. “Wealth is in the mind, not the pocket,” Mendelson said. “A$AP Rocky once said that. It really inspired me as far as stylistic choices go.” But some students have reasons why they buy inexpensive clothing other than merely to spare their paychecks. Birdsong buys most of his clothes at the thrift store. While price is definitely a factor, he shops at thrift stores and estate sales because he doesn’t like to purchase
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clothing at places that may misrepresent his style. “Usually I prefer to find something that I feel speaks to my own style more,” Birdsong said. “I’m going to the thrift store to search out for something, rather than going to a store that has its own focus group, clothing brands and is pointed at my demographic.”
and sweatpant combos. As years pass and people transition from high school to college, their wardrobes seem to transition, too. Once arriving at college, many students learn to express themselves in their own way, whether it be by clothes unique to themselves or clothes that purposely don’t define them at all.
“I think that I’m pretty confident about my appearance, so I don’t really need to have clothes identify me.”
- Matt Mendelson Dress Yourself to Express Yourself Everyone had an awkward phase. For those who grew up in the ‘90s, it consisted of headbands, capris and feather extensions. We look back on grade school fashion and it’s simply cringeworthy. I’m sure I’m not the only one that regrets each of my five hundred Aeropostale sweatshirt
Mendelson said that in high school, he was into style and bought all of the designer brands he thought were cool. Now, he doesn’t depend on clothing to identify himself. “Back in high school, I feel like I was more concerned — I feel like that came out of a place of insecurity,” Mendelson said. “I feel like once I got to college, I kind of just
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throw on whatever and I feel good about it.” Mendelson found his sense of self separate from his style — that his lack of style that makes his confident personality shine through. “I think that I’m pretty confident about my appearance, so I don’t really need to have clothes identify me. I kind of just rock whatever and I feel good about it and I go on with my day,” Mendelson said. Similarly, Steele’s wardrobe doesn’t necessarily reflect her character. Between her neutral dress and bright green iguana, it’s safe to say that Steele and her style don’t necessarily line up. “I’d say I’m actually kind of a Plain Jane,” Steele said. “My style is kind of bland, but I have an exotic pet, so I guess my style doesn’t really match my personality.” While some students don’t depend on clothing as a means of expression, others’ wardrobes are deliberate extensions of themselves. Connor said that being able to express himself is one of the top three reasons behind his own style. While Connor is a designer for a Downtown custom clothing store, Surmesur, even his own style once stemmed from stereotypical inspiration — See Fashion on page 73
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MAKING THE MOST OUT OF LIVING ALONE Thomas Wick Columnist
I could keep the lights on whenever I wanted. I could listen to music and not have to bother with pesky headphones. I could toss my clothes in the corner and worry about them in a few weeks. I could nap at all times of the day, have people over whenever I wanted and be in a quiet environment at a moment’s notice. It sounds like I had the most relaxed, accommodating roommate in the world. In reality, I had the most luxurious living arrangements that Pitt has to offer — a single room in Tower C. Most people wouldn’t describe living alone in Tower C as luxurious — usually the words that come to mind are lonely, boring or depressing. This is because Tower C, the cousin of Towers A and B, is unique in that it is filled only with single rooms. Before I began my first year, I was cautious about not having a roommate and potentially missing out on a part of the “college experience,” as many told me I would. I feared loneliness, isolation and that I would feel left out of something far bigger than myself.
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Despite this, my time spent in Tower C befitted my lifestyle better than anywhere else I could imagine. I found that if I approached my living arrangement with an open mind and made a commitment to seeking out the things I love, I was able to take total advantage of the conveniences provided by the dorm. The first such convenience I discovered was when I entered my room for the first time — 17 feet deep, 6.5 feet wide and the closet could barely fit a year’s supply of clothes. But I fell in love with the size. The smaller room and lack of a roommate allowed me to streamline my organization system and ensured that I could find everything exactly where I left it. Less space also meant less to clean, which in turn meant more time for the pursuit of social and extracurricular activities. Tower C also made it incredibly easy for me to find those kinds of activities. My resident assistant organized plenty of events for us and tried our make our floor feel as friendly as possible. Residence Life encouraged us to go to University-sponsored social events, such as the ice cream social or any of the movie nights planned in the one of the television and study lounges. See Tower C on page 80
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GRAY’S GOT IT IN THE GLOVE
Rebecca Sauers Staff Writer
When 5-year-old Olivia Gray was offered a spot on a youth softball team, she didn’t want to play because she was afraid of failing. But her father, Shawn, encouraged her to give the sport another chance because of his daughter’s competitive attitude. He wanted to see her play a sport where there was team and individual action, and softball included both. One year later, Gray gave the game a fair shot, and it paid off. Initially, she was surprised when she felt so natural on the field. She knew instantly she loved the game, and it was something she wanted to keep up with. “As a kid, I was very set in my ways,” Gray said. “If I was good at something, I kind of wanted to stick with that.” She stuck with it, and now, in her sophomore season of college softball, Gray has the second-best slugging percentage on Pitt’s softball team at .497, nailing a team-leading 42 hits and adding seven home runs this season. Gray’s first opportunity for a collegiate softball career came early in her first year of high school. She got a scholarship offer from Robert Morris University for a full ride. “I was still going through that growing curve, of all that recruiting,” Gray said. “I didn’t really understand — it was actually real, it was actually happening. It was so surreal.” Gray received offers from three schools — including Pitt — but there were a lot of schools with interest. “I think if I waited a little bit longer, I think I would’ve
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gotten more offers,” Gray said. “But after my sophomore season, I knew I wanted to commit to Pitt, so I signed.” In mid-March of her sophomore year, she decided to commit to Pitt, only 40 minutes away from her hometown of Washington, Pennsylvania. Even after two years coaching her, Pitt head coach Holly Aprile still remembers recruiting Gray in high school because she was impressed with the way Gray pushed herself. “Olivia is a very, very tough kid,” Aprile said. “She goes all-out, all the time, and there’s no way that wouldn’t stand out to me. You can tell how passionate she was, how passionate she still is, and she’s always, always playing so hard.” Shawn was also pleased with his daughter’s decision to play for the University of Pittsburgh because of Olivia’s intentions of heading into the medical field. He also enjoys being able to travel just a short distance to see his daughter play. “I hear from a lot of girls that I’ve coached that they’re homesick or that they wish their parents could see them more,” Shawn said. “Having [Olivia’s] school 40 minutes away from our house, I get to go to a practice if I want to ... My wife and I have been able to go everywhere, away and home, and we are extremely blessed in that.” When Gray got to Pitt, she played in the outfield. She was a trained shortstop, but the coaches had something else in mind. This past season, Gray played third base, and became, in Aprile’s opinion, one of the best third basemen in the conference. See Gray on page 65
May 30, 2017
Photos by Will Miller SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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Biking, pg. 42 new and seasoned alike. And through outreach, advocacy and collaboration over the past few years, the collective has given rise to a bike co-op — known as the Pitt Bike Cave — that will open on August 21, Bartel said. Bartel’s vision of the Bike Cave paints a new picture for the cycling community on campus. “[This would be like] community spaces that are open and [...] volunteers would guide you through the repair — [it’s] all about teaching you how to make sure your vehicle can move you, sort of like empowerment through education,” Bartel said.
Empowerment through education is a hallmark of the cycling community in Pittsburgh — with Bike Pittsburgh and Free Ride Pittsburgh leading the charge in shaping the city’s bike culture through cycling races, bike advocacy and DIY opportunities to fix up bikes and learn how to be your own mechanic. Cycling communities at large stand up to and come together in response to social issues. Swift said that bike co-ops are very closely tied to issues of social responsibility — even making sure to address issues of inaccessibility. Elsewhere in the city, Pittsburgh Bike Share and Healthy Ride aim to promote personal wellbeing and encourage cycling as a healthier alternative for commuting as opposed to driving a car.
Accessibility for biking in the city can be seen as a double-edged sword, especially in terms of the Healthy Ride rideshares that are appearing throughout the city. “Healthy Ride is accessible and inaccessible in a lot of ways. They’ve done a really good job about expanding it to areas where a lot of students at Pitt [live],” Swift said. But trends show Healthy Ride locations in areas such as Oakland and the South Side, but fewer in areas with lower-income residents. Maps of Healthy Ride stations show dozens of stations each in Downtown and in Shadyside, while the Hill District, Homewood and Hazelwood have a total of one combined.
Getting Around Oakland Being involved in the community also means ensuring bike accessibility, to the leaders of the PBC at any rate. They agree that there’s always more to be done with regards to bike safety and accessibility for cyclists. “Because it is a college [neighborhood], it should be safer. Accessibility-wise — you can get from point A to point B, but there’s not a super safe way to get from South Oakland to North Oakland without going through the really big streets,” Dinh said. While plans for bike lanes through Oakland have been made by the City of Pittsburgh and Mayor Bill Peduto, they have yet to come to fruition. To Swift, there’s an onus on Oakland — as one of Pittsburgh’s busiest neighborhoods — to provide more for pedestrians and cyclists alike in terms of safety and commuting options. Students new to Pitt or new to cycling have a number of opportunities to get involved. Pitt Bike Collective is revamping operations as the summer — and construction of the Bike Cave — progresses. Bartrel’s advice to would-be cyclists is to find your comfort zone. “If you’re not comfortable riding by yourself, find a friend who is, make sure that friend wears a helmet […] and start learning. It takes awhile to get comfortable in the streets, that’s part of it,” Bartel said. And Dinh offers advice on ways for new riders to get on the road. “Going to Free Ride, going to group rides — those are usually pretty accessible to everyone. Everyone is super friendly,” Dinh said. Swift encourages joining group rides that bike through the city as a great way for beginners to get comfortable on the streets. “You can pick up any group ride if you want on the weekend. Hop onto a group ride — they’ll take you around. You’ll learn what the safe ways to ride the streets are, which is really important,” Swift said. In recent years, cycling in Pittsburgh has taken off. Bartel says that Pittsburgh had the largest increase in cyclists who commute in the last decade — an increase of over 400% in commuters in the decade from 2000 through 2010. “Recently, [the community has] gotten very intersectional and it’s gotten more collaborative, which is good,” Dinh said. “In a city like Pittsburgh, that’s definitely needed.” Rules of the Road No riding on sidewalks in business districts such as Craig Street in Oakland. It is illegal to ride a bike in bus lanes in Pennsylvania. A front headlight and rear reflector are required if riding between sunset and sunrise. Cyclists are required to stop at red lights and stop signs. PennDOT strongly recommends that you always wear a helmet.
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