The Pitt News
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The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | May 31, 2017 | Volume 108 | Issue 4
STARS AND STRIPES
Pitt researchers find HIV detector Janine Faust
Senior Staff Writer
Michael Kraus, a curator at Soldiers and Sailors Museum, engages children of all ages in a Civil War knighting demonstration on Memorial Day. Anna Bongardino VISUAL EDITOR
STUDENTS REACT TO COUNSELING CENTER ARREST and criminal use of a communications facility. According to a police criminal complaint, a Wilkinsburg police sergeant found child pornogThe Pitt News Staff raphy in his home on March 27 after the police Following the counseling center director’s arreceived a tip. The sergeant seized two laptops, rest six days ago, Pitt students responded to the two memory sticks and several hundred loose latest controversy at the center, while the Univerphotos. sity has largely stayed quiet and given little addiCounty detectives reviewed the evidence tional information. April 13 and found sexually explicit photos of Allegheny County police arrested Edward what appeared to be prepubescent girls, accordMichaels, 67, of Wilkinsburg, last Wednesday ing to the complaint. on charges of possessing child pornography A University statement said Michaels has
John Hamilton and Henry Glitz
been placed on leave and that Pitt is cooperating fully with authorities. Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch said he couldn’t comment on Michaels’ employment status when asked Tuesday why he was placed on leave and not let go. “We want to assure all students that your health and well-being is our top priority, and that the services provided by our staff in the University Counseling Center will continue unabated,” the statement, which is posted on the counseling center’s website, said. See Michaels Arrest on page 2
Pitt researchers have moved the world one step closer to finally fully curing HIV. Scientists in the University’s Graduate School of Public Health announced Monday in the medical journal “Nature Medicine” that they’ve created a more accurate, quicker and less costly test for detecting how much of the virus remains in a patient who has undergone conventional retroviral therapy to slow the spread of the disease — even when the virus is inactive. The new test developed by Pitt researchers — dubbed “TZA” — works by detecting a gene that is active only when HIV that is able to replicate itself is present. Dr. Phalguni Gupta, professor and vice chair of Pitt’s Public Health’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, is the senior author of the paper published in “Nature Medicine” announcing the new discovery. “Globally, there are substantial efforts to cure people of HIV by finding ways See HIV Research on page 3
News
PITT LAB INVESTIGATION ENDS ON MIXED NOTE Henry Glitz News Editor
A new report from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare has declared an end to the investigation into alleged animal cruelty in laboratories affiliated with Pitt. The report, cited in a letter last Monday from Axel Wolff — OLAW’s director of compliance oversight — to George Huber, Pitt’s vice provost for research conduct and compliance, called the University’s actions to correct treatment of animals “appropriate” in the specific situations the organization had investigated. Following the identification of several problems in Pitt’s animal lab testing programs and sufficient subsequent institutional efforts to remedy them, the agency concluded its investigation earlier this month. OLAW, a division of the National Institutes of Health, was investigating al-
Michaels Arrest, pg. 1 Miksch said “staff are sharing [Michaels’] administrative duties.” He did not answer questions Tuesday asking about the future of Michaels’ mental health task force or about a replacement for Michaels, saying the questions were “premature.” Some students that utilize the counseling center expressed their frustration with Pitt’s lack of information on Michaels. Anna Shaw, a rising senior psychology and gender, sexuality and women’s studies double major, said she disagrees with Pitt’s response to the arrest. “There has to be a lot more transparency with what the counseling center has to do,” she said. “They should address it directly. The University should recognize that it’s a horrible thing.” Michaels served in an administrative role and did not see clients, according to the statement. However, Michaels did have power to approve additional counseling services for students, he told The Pitt News in November 2016,
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legations of animal cruelty in Pitt labs against mice, rats, chimpanzees and rabbits since late February at the request of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA Senior Vice President for Laboratory Inspections Kathy Guillermo found the results of the OLAW investigation unconvincing. “Given that a so-called ‘investigation’ by the National Institutes of Health consists of simply asking institutions like University of Pittsburgh to respond to allegations, we are pleased that the federal agency confirmed a number of them,” she told The Pitt News. “Pointless experiments, such as the poorly designed sepsis study in which 800 mice have been used so far, must be ended.” The sepsis experiment Guillermo referenced was not mentioned explicitly in the report Wolff sent to Huber. An “exposé” PETA published earlier this year had initially spurred an earlier investigation by the United States De-
partment of Agriculture in early March, which found “no non-compliant items ... during this investigation.” Guillermo called the USDA’s investigation insufficient and requested another investigation, this time from the NIH’s own compliance agency. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report is not comprehensive and gives only a glimpse of some aspects of any laboratory,” Guillermo told the University Times in March. PETA’s request for a new investigation cited the USDA’s failure to scrutinize laboratories where mice and rats specifically were used, saying that the agency’s focus on labs with primates allowed abuses to pass unnoticed. OLAW’s report, cited in Wolff ’s letter, investigated labs affiliated with Pitt and the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for “noncompliance” with wider federal regulations on the treatment of lab animals under the Policy on Humane Care
and Use of Laboratory Animals. OLAW’s report reviewed labs with rodents — something the USDA’s report didn’t do — as well as those with primates and other kinds of animals. According to Wolff, irregularities uncovered during OLAW’s investigation of the labs in question were either within the boundaries of existing legislation or were corrected after investigators found them. “It is not unusual to find dead research mice in a large animal care and use program,” he said in his letter. “Some animal deaths and phenotypic abnormalities were expected under the approved protocol.” Wolff also noted discoveries of “wet or flooded cages” that contained “living and/or dead mice,” as well as “live mice in a plastic bag.” In both cases, the report indicated that University employees had taken sufficient corrective actions following OLAW’s investigation.
and played a large role in making changes to the center during his tenure. Michaels did interact with students, giving presentations to students and faculty to “promote student well-being, mental health and functioning,” according to his now-removed staff bio. “[The arrest] made a lot of people feel horrified and betrayed,” Shaw said. “Even if he didn’t meet with a lot of students, he still had contact with many.” The bio also said Michaels provides consultation to the University, participates in several committees focused on student heath and said that for 12 years Michaels was a “full-time member of the faculty of the child clinical psychology internship at Children’s Memorial Hospital” at Northwestern University. Shawn Ahearn, a spokesperson for Student Affairs which oversees the counseling center, did not respond to questions asking for further information about how the arrest will affect the center and students that use it. He referred The
Pitt News to Miksch in emails on Thursday and Tuesday. Michaels started as director of the counseling center in June 2015 and has headed the center during a controversial period. Under Michaels, the counseling center was lacking a full-time psychiatrist from October 2016 to late March 2017. During this time, Shaw started an online petition criticizing the lack of a psychiatrist that received over 500 signatures. When The Pitt News followed up with Ahearn in November inquiring about the status of hiring a replacement, Ahearn didn’t answer any follow up questions until Dec. 1 when he told The Pitt News they were making progress in hiring a replacement. Pitt didn’t announce the full-time psychiatrist until March 23. Michaels started a task force he said would address the mental health needs of Pitt students when he was hired. The results of their survey, which he shared with The Pitt News in September 2015, found students’ highest priorities related to suicide prevention.
When Michaels was hired in 2015 he told the University Times he sees “opportunities to make a big difference” at Pitt. “[Pitt] is an organization that’s values-driven and that ... requires people to behave to a standard,” he said. “You don’t always find that. A lot of universities, they steer a wide berth from that.” Michaels replaced Tevya Zukor, who worked as Pitt’s counseling center director for five years and is now serving in the same role at the University of Mary Washington, in 2015. Michaels’ possible replacement would be the fourth counseling center director since 2010. Tallon Kennedy — a senior English literature, English writing and gender, sexuality and women’s studies triple major — said the recent arrest has continued to erode their trust in the counseling center. “I think that there’s a contract of trust that’s been broken between faculty at counseling center and student body,” Kennedy said. “I hope the University actively and meaningfully tries to rebuild that trust.”
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See PETA on page 3
2
Correction: An article published May 23, The Pitt News stated that the purpose of Rich Fitzgerald’s lead task force was to assess the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and city’s treatment of the lead pipes in Pittsburgh. According to the county’s press release, the task force will look at lead in the county more generally, not specifically focused on the PWSA. The Pitt News regrets this error.
HIV Research, pg. 1 to eradicate this latent reservoir of virus that stubbornly persists in patients, despite our best therapies,” Gupta, said in a Pitt press release. “But those efforts aren’t going to progress if we don’t have tests that are sensitive and practical enough to tell doctors if someone is truly cured.” HIV infects vital cells that play a major role in protecting the body from other infections. This leads to lower numbers of immune cells, making the body progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections. Advances in HIV therapies in recent years have made the virus far more controllable, but it is still capable of “hiding” itself in immune cells and causing relapses in patients believed to be cured. The TZA test produces results in one week, compared with the two weeks needed by Q-VOA — another method for detecting the presence of the disease
— and it costs only a third of Q-VOA’s price, according to the release. The new method also requires a much smaller amount of blood and cells, making it safe for use on infants, and is said to better detect the virus even when it is lying dormant in immune cells. Furthermore, trial runs of the TZA test revealed that the amount of dormant virus lurking in people treated for HIV who are considered nearly cured to be about 70 times larger than previously believed, indicating that older tests are not quite as reliable as they were believed to be. TZA may also be useful for detecting HIV capable of replicating in younger patients due to its low cell requirement, as well as in the lymph nodes and tissues where the virus persists. “Because these tests have different ways to measure HIV that is capable of replicating, it is likely beneficial to have both available as scientists strive toward a cure,” Gupta said.
PETA, pg. 2 In a press release, Pitt pointed to an annual lab inspection conducted by the USDA during the week of May 15 that the University passed, as well as the medical significance of developments made in labs that had been under investigation. “The University’s animal research program has led to a number of breakthroughs in medical care, and the University of Pittsburgh is committed to the highest standards of care for all research animals,” the release stated. PETA, however, continues to contest both points. At a protest earlier this month prior to the publicization of OLAW’s report, Ashley Byrne, associate director of campaigns at PETA, questioned the benefits of testing on mice and rats for human health. “This is not going to benefit people,” Byrne said. “These are resources that could be going to better places.”
The OLAW report also mentioned a former Pitt employee who sought employment in one of the University’s labs in order to collect information for PETA. The University asserted and OLAW accepted that “in a few situations, the adverse activity occurred due to direct action/inaction of the [PETA] informant.” According to Pitt’s release, the informant was a PETA supporter who worked at the University from September 2016 to February 2017. Guillermo also took issue with this assertion. “Pitt’s attempt to blame PETA’s eyewitness is an obviously shabby and shameful attempt to deflect blame from where it belongs — on Pitt staff,” she said. “In fact, the eyewitness reported every incident of animal suffering and worked tirelessly to spare animals the misery that they were subjected to daily.”
The Pitt News SuDoku 5/31/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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May 31, 2017
3
Opinions
column
from the editorial board
PA moratorium doesn’t solve costly death penalty problem Execution proceedings happen in the state of Pennsylvania five times each year — yet the state hasn’t executed an inmate since 1999. Mock executions are routinely performed to ensure that in the event of an execution, the prison guards and doctors would be prepared. But right now the state isn’t permitted to actually execute any inmates. That’s because in 2015 Gov. Tom Wolf signed a moratorium on executions in the state while a bipartisan task force investigates the cost, history and effectiveness of capital punishment. Since the state of Pennsylvania carried out its last execution 18 years ago, hundreds of people have sat on death row in limbo — currently, 165 inmates await their executions. Seeing numbers like those may have been what prompted Gov. Wolf to institute the moratorium in February of 2015, but the review itself has actually been underway since 2011 — and nearly six years later it still isn’t completed. It’s far beyond overdue at this point, and now the Commonwealth must decide whether to reinstate capital punishment or end the practice altogether. Since the moratorium began, not much has changed. The last execution carried out in Pennsylvania’s chambers — which are at the state Correctional Institution in Rockview — was in 1999 against Gary Heidnik, who received two death sentences in addition to his cumulative prison term of 150 to 300 years. Today, the list of condemned prisoners is still growing — but the names on it don’t seem to matter to the state. Among the condemned are 165 prisoners who are reduced to little more than their name, a single letter abbreviating their race and their sentencing date. These prisoners have been in solitary confinement — a practice that causes inmates to suffer from anxiety, depression, insomnia and paranoia — since their sentencing dates, which date back to 1983, over 30 years
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ago. And these are expensive years — each inmate in solitary confinement costs the state $10,000 a year more than their counterparts serving life sentences without parole. Trials can vary in cost, but each trial costs taxpayers millions of dollars, and in capital punishment cases there can often be multiple trials, increasing the state’s spending in a period of severe budget deficit. Beyond the price of housing and sentencing the condemned inmates, the state also constantly maintains the execution facility. While we don’t know the daily operation cost of the facility, we do know that an investigation by the Reading Eagle found that between 1978 and 2014, the state spent over $800 million on its capital punishment proceedings — nearly $300 million per execution actually performed. We also know that the state currently sits in a budget deficit of nearly $600 million, which would be reduced if the state decided to end capital punishment — but it can’t seem to decide, given its failure to produce the review. The issue isn’t with the morals of capital punishment — that argument requires far more consideration, and even then there are no clear answers. But the issue is with Pennsylvania’s course of action. By placing a moratorium on capital punishment and failing to produce a long overdue review, the state continues to cost its taxpayers — a clear example of the state failing to take decisive action to address a pressing issue. The answer is simple — the state needs to decide with finality whether or not we will be among the other 31 states that practice capital punishment. Until then, we are merely wasting our money, waiting for someone to decide if $272 million per procedure is worth it — but while the morality of the issue is complex, the economics of it seem much more simple.
LONG-TERM CARE ESSENTIAL TO TREAT ADDICTION Rashi Seth Columnist
A couple from Lower Burrell two months ago mourned the loss of their son who didn’t live to see his 25th birthday. David Makara’s refusal to get treatment drove him to move out of his parents home as he could not pass a drug test to get a job. Without any notice he moved out to Light of Life shelter in North Side, just before Thanksgiving 2015. David’s lifeless body was found face down with some paraphernalia, a spoon and a needle, after he got his last fix on March 3, 2017. He did not live long enough to see his 25th birthday — and became just another statistic of the heroin epidemic. His life could have been saved by what some call a miracle drug, and what others call an enabler — Narcan. Narcan rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, but its presence as a legitimate solution is equivalent to putting a band-aid on a big open wound — it stops the bleeding for a while, but eventually it’s going to need stitches. Narcan revives a person but it does not help them combat addiction. To combat the larger issue of opioid addiction, we need free rehab programs and more beds in hospitals for recovering addicts. At the moment, treatment centers are overcrowded, expensive, underfunded and usually do not accept insurance. This makes recovery an option available to those who can afford rehab, but poor people may perceive their addiction as
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a death sentence, where they are compelled to consume more drugs to stay alive or die in withdrawal. As of now, addiction treatment in a hospital can range from $200-$900 per day for an inpatient and $100-$500 per treatment session for an outpatient. Just the process of detox can range from $600-$1,000 a day. This process can take anywhere from 30 to 90 days depending on the individual, but recovery is a lifelong, ongoing process. But Pitt’s trying to find that long-term solution. The Institute of Politics proposed a “Continuum of Care Approach” to Western Pennsylvania’s growing opioid epidemic. The model includes much more than prison-oriented treatment, including a prevention step, a treatment step and a maintenance/recovery step. The prevention step includes universal prevention, targeted prevention and selected prevention. By breaking up each step in this way, the model hopes to tackle the opioid epidemic from its roots, by addressing the gaps of the public health and safety sectors that lead to overprescription of painkillers. When it comes to treatment, the model recommends that healthcare workers undergo specific training that will enable them to deal with opioid overdoses. By being progressive about the use of drugs such as Narcan, the model also aims to respect people with addictions and realize that they have See Seth on page 5
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In an editorial published on May 23, The Pitt News incorrectly stated that two medical marijuana dispensary permits were submitted for Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. The permits were submitted for Squirrel Hill and the Strip District, not Shadyside. The Pitt News regrets this error.
Seth, pg. 4 an illness. Forcing addicts into abstinenceonly programs fails to recognize that addictions are irrational and seriously difficult to deal with. This plan respects addicts as individuals and approaches the rehab program as a health care issue. The model’s final steps in the maintenance/recovery section provide some long-term solutions to the issue, including 12step programs and women-specific maintenance plans. But it only helps if people have access to it. With current high prices treatment is often not even considered an option, inevitably leading to more overdoses. Nearly half a million Americans died from opioid overdoses between 2000 and 2014. The number of heroin overdoses tripled from 2010 to 2015. As a result of the growing epidemic, the Pennsylvania government approved the sale of over-the-counter Narcan in 2014 in an attempt to reduce the mortality rate. And it can help, despite some calling it an enabler. Yes, Narcan reverses the symp-
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toms of an opioid overdose, but it does not push the addict to keep overdosing, even if it’s available over the counter. Addictions are illogical — addicts do not care about life or death, but about getting that next hit
to feel “normal” again. Increased access to Narcan will simply mean that people who overdose have the chance to seek treatment. But this is how Narcan is merely a bandage to a much larger problem — there are
the withdrawal symptoms of heroin might feel like an additional form of punishment, and may encourage the person not to relapse and use again. The way the system is today, prison does not encourage addicts to seek treatment and has quite the opposite effects. The addict’s experience with withdrawal will discourage them from seeking treatment in the future — it’s no surprise that more than half of heroin-addicted prisoners relapse within a month of their release. It’s time to recognize that addictions are lifelong diseases that require attention, treatment and, above all else, care. It’s time to move away from prison-rehab programs that continue to fail our citizens. It’s time to move away from an unbased belief that recovery drugs like Narcan encourage overdosing. It’s time to provide access to plans like Pitt’s to people that truly need it, and not just those that can afford it instead of prison.
Jordan Mondell LAYOUT EDITOR to not experience the horrible withdrawal symptoms. Heroin withdrawal is ghastly — it tortures the body within hours of the previous fix, making you want to get more just
very few affordable long-term solutions, leading to many addicts ending up in prison instead. For some, rehab begins there. Being locked up alone while suffering
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Rashi primarily writes on politics and social issues for The Pitt News. Write to Rashi at ras206@pitt.edu.
5
Culture
EMBRACING QUEER: PITT’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
Shindle remarks that the work Rainbow Alliance does on campus is vital to maintainStaff Writer ing a positive and welcoming environment for Queer pride is everywhere in Pittsburgh all students at Pitt. — Bloomfield storefronts sell queer-friendly “I feel like we can really make a difference merchandise, rainbow flags dance in the on campus — not only reaching out to the winds of Lawrenceville homes and banners LGBT community, but the campus at-large,” adorned with local drag performers hang Shindle said. from streetlights Downtown, advertising the upcoming Pittsburgh Pride Festival. The queer community has changed drastically in recent years, let alone the almost 50 years since the Stonewall Riots started the modern queer rights movement. For resident LGBTQ+ Pittsburghers and new-to-towners alike, Pittsburgh’s queer community provides solace from the day-today struggles of being queer. Kate Shindle, a rising senior majoring in biology, is the newly-elected president of Rainbow Alliance — Pitt’s gender and sexuality organization. Shindle says that the queer community in Pittsburgh — and especially at Pitt — is a large family. “We really are a family for one another — especially because a lot of [students] have very strained relationships with the families that they grew up with,” Shindle said. “[Rainbow Alliance functions] as a support system for one another when family isn’t always there.”
Madeline Barber
Advocacy through engagement — The Rainbow Alliance Rainbow Alliance is an organization at Pitt devoted to the community of LGBTQ+ students on campus. Its advocacy and activism has won students at Pitt the ability to use one’s preferred name as opposed to their legal name, use gendered facilities that correlate with their identity and offers events focusing on pronoun usage. The organization strives to be a safe space for LGBTQ+ students on campus and offer the student body a way to connect with the larger Pittsburgh community through events such as Coming Out Week, the Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil, which is held every fall, and Lavender Graduation, which is held every spring.
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refer to a person who is not heterosexual or straight, transgender, someone whose identity is at odds with their sex, and cisgender, someone whose identity is aligned with their sex. Rainbow Alliance looks to continue programming in the fall that introduces queer issues to students while maintaining an open format accessible to those outside the LG-
Maria Heines STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
“Being queer, you do have to be political to an extent – the more marginalized you [are], the more you have to fight for your right to exist.” Shindle has plans to continue Rainbow Alliance’s advocacy during their tenure as president by continuing to offer support and an open space to those who may not have come from welcoming environments. However, Rainbow Alliance looks to continue adapting in an age where more and more people are becoming knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ issues. New students to Pitt may not have much experience with some terminology that is common in the LGBTQ+ community, such as the words queer, which was previously a derogatory slur used toward LGBTQ+ people, but now is used in a reclamation nature to
BTQ+ community. Shindle’s involvement in Rainbow Alliance dates back to 2014 — their early days at Pitt. Having come from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania — a town of about ten thousand people roughly ten miles west of Harrisburg — Shindle acknowledges the differences in the communities they found at home from the ones at Pitt. Where Pitt and Pittsburgh offer a bustling, vibrant queer community, the queer community in south central Pennsylvania is small yet resilient, according to Shindle. They also say that LGBTQ+ people are not as visibly out in
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the region as they are in Pittsburgh and can even lose connections with friends and family if they come out. When getting involved in Pittsburgh’s queer community, Shindle wanted a community that was stronger than what they had at home, and was looking for a safe and welcoming environment to live in. After looking at organizations like the PERSAD Center — which offers health services to members of the LGBT community — the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh — which offers social spaces and other queer-centric organizations in Pittsburgh — Shindle found Rainbow Alliance, and joined after talking with an officer of the organization. “[Rainbow] has been such a supportive environment — [it] really allowed me to grow and find my identity,” Shindle said. However, according to Shindle, the greater Pittsburgh queer community is mostly centered around bars and drinking — underage LGBTQ+ people don’t have many places to turn to. Shindle hopes that Rainbow can offer another sense of community in the city. This lack of community for the underage — especially underage students — can lead to self-isolation. Further, LGBTQ+ people sometimes have difficulty forming connections with people outside of the community due to concerns stemming from trust and fear for safety. “It’s really hard to balance [support groups], you want to have that balance and you want to trust people, but it’s hard to gauge,” Shindle said. At the Intersection of Identity and Politics Akira Ormes-Strong — a rising sophomore at Chatham University studying media arts and minoring in music — is active in Chatham’s activism circles, taking part in protests and actions both on campus and elsewhere in the city. After coming out as non-binary and bisexual in 2014, they became heavily involved in Pittsburgh’s queer community See Queer Community on page 7
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Queer Community, pg. 6 as an activist. Ormes-Strong also became involved in activist groups during the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., that occurred after the shooting of Michael Brown in 2014, and cited the Black Lives Matter movement as an inspiration for standing up for those who don’t have as loud of a voice as others. “Being queer, you do have to be political to an extent — the more marginalized you [are], the more you have to fight for your right to exist,” Ormes-Strong said. Skylar Rella — a 19-year-old Squirrel Hill resident who will be studying theatre and writing at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., this fall — disagrees with Ormes-Strong. “I think [politicization of queer communities] might be one of the reasons why safe spaces are so important because I think that’s one of the few places we can exist as people and not feel like our identity is a debate — it doesn’t have to be political,” Rella said. Safe spaces in Pittsburgh’s queer community are generally marked by a calm, laidback tone. However, according to Shindle,
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most of the safe spaces in Pittsburgh are often associated with nightlife and bars. Shindle promotes safe spaces at Pitt like Rainbow Alliance and the more recent group T Is For, a social group geared towards trans-
munity without pressure or stress from the city’s nightlife. But to Rella, it is important that these spaces are intersectional and open to everyone. In his view, the queer community in
Students involved in Pitt’s Rainbow Alliance hang out in the club’s office. Anna Bongardino VISUAL EDITOR gender and non-binary students at Pitt that offers a casual way for students to find com-
Pittsburgh is very welcoming and accepting, but also lacks in terms of intersectionality —
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he says that communities tend to be focused more on cisgender white queer people as opposed to those of all identities and ethnicities. To him, intersectional safe spaces are key to a functioning queer community. Rella acknowledges that there are a variety of identities, but stresses that these identities are the reason that intersectional safe spaces need to exist. “Right now, especially in the media, the only representation we see is white cis gay people. And unfortunately, there are a lot of queer spaces where those are the only people [or] the only focus of the group,” Rella said. Getting Involved: Open Conversations For those new to the Pittsburgh queer community, getting involved — regardless of orientation or identity — can be daunting. At Pitt, the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies program offers a way for students to learn about the sometimes challengingto-navigate world of gender identities and expression. The GSWS department website describes the program as committed to promoting LGBTQ+ activism and engagement with the See Queer Community on page 8
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Queer Community, pg. 7 community and claims to offer a way for students and faculty alike to explore representations of gender and sexuality in the classroom setting without concern for retribution or attack due to a lack of knowledge or personal ignorance. The GSWS program at Pitt offers insight and new ways for those who are unfamiliar to begin learning about and acknowledging the issues that the queer community faces. “You don’t have to be queer to support the queer community ... As a society, we need to work on getting rid of that stigma that first thing that it’s bad to be queer and second thing that you have to be queer to care about issues,” Rella said. And Ormes-Strong acknowledges the stressors of coming into a new community without much idea of where to go. But, like Rella and Shindle, they encourage getting involved even if doing so is uncomfortable at first. “Definitely try and reach out — find other people. If you’re confused, that’s totally fine and very okay,” Ormes-Strong said. “A lot of people have gone through that are and aren’t queer — just find queer communities, talk
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about your experience and however slow you want to take it is fine. There’s no rush.” For Shindle, the key component is being open and willing to have conversations, even if they are difficult at times. Rainbow Alliance strives to be as inclusive of different identities as possible, and Shindle stresses trust in others and having an open mind above anything else. “Pitt is so welcoming — even those who don’t understand [the queer community] are welcoming to it. Just try to put yourself out there even if it’s not the easiest thing to do,” Shindle said.
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8
Sports
Malik Ellison, Courtesy of Pitt Athletics
BASKETBALL OVERHAUL: PITT’S 2017 CLASS
JAKE KRADEL COMMITS TO PITT Ryan Zimba Sports Editor
Ryan Zimba Sports Editor
Coming off the program’s worst season since 2000, this offseason has signaled next year could be worse. The past few months have been some of the most tumultuous in the team’s history, with four seniors graduating and five others transferring elsewhere. As of now, the team only has two returning scholarship players outside of former walk-on Zach Smith — seniors Ryan Luther and Jonathan Milligan. A large chunk of this process was considered part of head coach Kevin Stallings’ long-term plan to overhaul the roster and rebuild the team from scratch. In February, the staff already had seven recruits either signed or committed, meaning three players would have to leave in addition to the four seniors in order to keep the team under the scholarship limit. That’s exactly what happened, and now the program is attempting to put all of it behind and look toward the future with a new mindset. Currently, the program has eight players committed with three spots still open. It remains unclear when those spots will be filled, but it will most likely consist of transfers or junior college players. The group currently consists almost entirely of unproven athletes — none of whom have played Power-Five basketball in their careers. It will be a definite challenge to adjust to the ACC and to each
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other, as none of the incoming athletes have even played with one another. In an interview earlier this month, Stallings was confident in the group, saying it addressed a lot of problems on last year’s team, such as the lack of a true point guard. “What I like about [the class], is that first of all, we’ve added a true point guard and some size — both of which we really needed,” Stallings said. “We’ve added some shooting and some athleticism, [and these are] all components that make up most of the good ACC teams.” So, as the class comes to a close, let’s take a look at each of the new faces and see exactly what they bring to the 2017-18 Pitt basketball team. Marcus Carr A 6-foot-2 point guard from Montverde Academy in Florida, Carr is definitely the star of the class. 247Sports rates him as a 3-star prospect and the No. 146 player in the country. He competed with Team Canada in the 2015 U16 Americas Championship, averaging 6.2 points and 2.8 rebounds on the way to a silver medal. Along with returning forward Ryan Luther, Carr should be the centerpiece of the team’s offense in Stallings’ second year. The team sorely needed a point guard after the graduation of Jamel Artis and dismissal of freshman Justice Kithcart, and Carr could be the answer. Peace Ilegomah
Stallings addressed another area of need with the signing of Ilegomah — height. The 6-foot-10 center isn’t particularly tall for his position, but outside of current Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams, the Panthers haven’t had any height at all in recent years. This caused several problems on last year’s team, forcing it to rely on lower-percentage jump shots instead of inside play. Also from Montverde Academy, but on a different team from Carr, the Nigeria native averaged a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in his only year with the team. It will be interesting to see if the production carries over to major college basketball, but the Panthers will need it to if they hope to have a reliable post presence. Jared Wilson-Frame Wilson-Frame is another player who competed well at a lower level but needs to prove his worth in the ACC. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 15.4 points and 4.4 rebounds two seasons ago, leading Northwest Florida State College to a 27-6 record. 247Sports ranks him as a 3-star recruit and the 10th best junior college player in the class of 2017. Ideally, Wilson-Frame would help to fill in Pitt’s backcourt alongside Carr. If Milligan stays for next year, he could compete for playing time as well. But Milligan was mostly underwhelming last season and Stallings probably doesn’t want to rely
May 31, 2017
Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi landed his fourth recruit in the class of 2018 Tuesday afternoon as 6-foot-4 offensive lineman Jake Kradel committed to the program. Kradel announced his decision on Twitter, saying, “... I am extremely proud and excited to commit to The University of Pittsburgh to further my academic and athletic career.” 247Sports lists Kradel as a 3-star recruit and the 25th best player in the state of Pennsylvania. He attended high school in nearby Butler, but despite his solid play, the Golden Tornado collected only two wins this past season. Kradel is the second player in the class from the Pittsburgh area, joining Thomas Jefferson defensive end Noah Palmer, who committed May 18. New Jersey quarterback Nick Patti and Massachusetts tight end Jay Symonds round out the current group. This season, the Panthers will only have one senior on the offensive line — New York native Alex Officer — so the team won’t likely add too any more to the offensive line class. It’s still early in the process though, and recruits have until Feb. 7 to decide where to enroll.
See Basketball on page 10
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Basketball, pg. 9
ence. He missed almost the entire 2016-17 season after suffering an injury against Villanova in the team’s opening game. He will be immediately eligible to play next year, but will most likely come off the bench as his stats with the Leopards were mostly underwhelming. Despite averaging 10.7 points in the 2015-16 season, he shot only 38.4 percent from the field and 61.9 percent from the free-throw line. Those numbers will need to improve for him to make an impact on this year’s team. Khameron Davis A 2-star prospect in the class of 2016, Davis decided to enroll in prep school this past season, playing for Forest Trail Academy in North Carolina. He committed to the Panthers this spring, choosing the program over Texas Tech, among others. “[Davis] has the mindset and wingspan to be a disruptive defender on the perimeter and is a hard worker with a tremendous upside,” Stallings said in a press release. “We expect him to be another strong piece for us as we continue to build this program.” His rating isn’t very inspiring, so he’ll have a lot to prove when he shows up on campus, but he should compete for playing time in the fall and contribute in either a starting capacity or off the bench.
Malik Ellison The second player with Division I college basketball experience, Ellison comes to Pitt after playing two seasons at St. John’s. He won’t be eligible to play this season though, due to the NCAA’s transfer rules. In the Red Storm’s 2016-17 season, Ellison shot 41.9 percent from the field, averaging 7.4 points per game. He’s a decent shooter but has struggled at the foul line, making less than 60 percent of his free throws this past year. Overall, Ellison will bring some experience to a roster in dire need of it, but he will need to improve to become an adequate Power-Five player. The 2017 recruiting class will be the most important of the Stallings era. It will set the foundation for the next few years and has the potential to affect the long-term future of the program. As for this year, each of these players will be counted on to produce with no prior Power-Five experience. This entire season will be an experiment to figure out which players can compete and where they are best suited to play. This will take time, so yes, this season could very well be worse than last year. Only time will tell, but right now the program is in complete disarray and in need of a major change. Stallings has provided the change, and now it’s time to see if it pays off.
The Pitt news crossword 5/31/17
on him too heavily, which may insert WilsonFrame into the starting lineup. Terrell Brown A 6-foot-10 power forward from the Tilton School in New Hampshire, Brown was one of four players to sign with the Panthers in the early signing period — along with Carr, WilsonFrame and since-released guard Aaron Thompson. “[Brown] is a guy that can come in and really add some athleticism and skill to our frontcourt, which again we identified as one of our primary needs going into this recruiting season,” Stallings said in a press release. In his junior season of high school, he shot 53 percent from the field, averaging 12 points and six rebounds for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club. Brown will likely sit behind Luther when the season starts, but he should provide some depth and gain experience throughout the season. The Panthers didn’t have many solid bench contributors last year, with just six total players averaging more than three minutes per game. That will need to change if the team is going to succeed this year, and Brown will be counted on to pro-
duce off the bench. Shamiel Stevenson Stevenson, a small forward from Hillcrest Prep in Arizona, is another player who could compete with Wilson-Frame and Milligan for a starting role in the fall Last season, the 6-foot-6 Ontario native averaged 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 85 percent from the foul line. With his scoring ability, Stevenson could play a number of roles on next year’s team, something Stallings alluded to when he signed his letter of intent. “[Stevenson] is an outstanding athlete with the potential to be an efficient scorer and highlevel defender in the top conference in the country,” Stallings said in a press release. “Shamiel’s versatility and toughness will allow him to play multiple positions in our system.” As of now though, it’s unclear where Stevenson fits into this roster. With Brown, Ilegomah and Luther being taller — and in the case of Luther, more experienced — they would be better suited to play inside, forcing Stevenson to move to shooting guard. But, with the current group the team will need some more depth on the inside, so he could end up playing there as well. Monty Boykins Transferring from Lafayette, Boykins is one of two players in the class with Division I experi-
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May 31, 2017
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I N D E X
Rentals & Sublet
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• NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER
• CHILDCARE • FOOD SERVICES • UNIVERSITY • INTERNSHIPS • RESEARCH • VOLUNTEERING • OTHER
1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments available August 1st. Students only. Washer/Dryer. 1 Block from Forbes. Friendly Building. 1BR-$725/mo., 2BR $1050/mo. each plus utilities. Contact: 412-621-2742. 1,2,3,4,5,6 BR. Available August 2017. Atwood, Ward, Juliet, and Neville Street. Call 412-287-5712. 2 Bedroom $750 1 mile from campus & off street parking. 412-225-8723. 2 Bedroom unfurnished apartment. For Fall 2017 or earlier. Semple Street, 2 blocks from Forbes Ave. Large rooms/ living room/kitchen/2-bedroom basement/ front porch/ back patio. Clean must see. $1400 per month plus utilities. Call 412-389-3636.
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• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS
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2BR furnished apartment, shared bathroom & kitchen. Available Aug. 1st, 1yr lease. $630/per month, per person including utilities. Call 412-848-9442. 3 Bedroom apartment on 2nd floor of house. 1 bathroom, separate kitchen, central vacuum, in-unit washer and dryer. All utilities included plus internet & cable TV. Free fresh fruit from garden. $1650/mo. Call Dave at 412-478-4855. 3 Bedroom available 8/1/17 at $1,350/month, includes all utilities. Located on Juliet Street, security deposit required. Call 412-608-8581. 4 Bedroom 1 Bath House. Large kitchen, new windows and paint. Security System. Available August 16th. Bates and Semple. $1,600 + Utilities. 412-287-5406. Leave a message.
7 bedroom house available starting August 1st 2017. Five minute walk to Pitt. No pets. 1 year lease. Call 412-983-5222. House for Rent. Beautiful 3-BR newly renovated-Allequippa Street. Close to Peterson Center & Pitt Dental School. Equipped kitchen, new carpeting, washer/dryer, 2 bathrooms, full basement, fenced-in back yard, security system. Looking for 3 students to share/or single family. Discount on first month's rent. Security deposit required. Students require adult co-sign. Available August 1st, $1600+ all utilities. No pets. For more information, please call 412-303-5043. Email: dtm1003@comcast.net.
R A T E S
Insertions
1X
2X
3X
4X
1-15 Words
$6.30
$11.90
$17.30
$22.00
16-30 Words
$7.50
$14.20
$20.00
$25.00
5X
6X
Additional
$27.00
$30.20
$5.00
$29.10
$32.30
$5.40
(Each Additional Word: $0.10)
Deadline: Two business days prior by 3pm
M.J. Kelly Realty. Studio, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom Apartments, N. & S. Oakland. $650-$1750. mjkellyrealty@gmail.com. 412-271-5550. www.mjkellyrealty.com
Spacious 2-BR apart-
Newly renovated apartments for rent. 3,4 bedrooms available for August/September 2017. Atwood, McKee, Dawson, and Bates. Please call Mike at 412-849-8694 for more information & for viewing.
availability. Very af-
ments on Dawson Street, single or double occupancy. Partially renovated & improved. Either AUGUST 25 availability or IMMEDIATE fordable rent. Limited parking spaces also available. Call 412-692-1770 to see apartment, parking spaces.
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Stylish Duplex Unit. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms plus powder room. Modern fully equipped kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Large living room and dining area. Laminate floors throughout. Ceramic tile bathroom floors. Washer/Dryer. Full Deck. Central Air Conditioning. Nearby Pitt Shuttles. $1595 plus utilities. July 1st. Call Caryn 412-721-5961.
Email: advertising@pittnews.com
3 bedroom house 3 miles from campus. $800. 412-225-8723. FRICK PARK REGENT SQ, Modern 1BR, Furnished Apt, Convenient shop, transportation, universities, hospitals, must be seen $700+ elec 412-657-2318
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Phone: 412.648.7978
Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2017 & sooner. Oakland, Shadyside, Friendship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availability online, check out www.forbesmanagement.net, or call 412.441.1211
Spacious 2-BR apartments on Dawson Street, single or double occupancy. Partially renovated & improved. Either AUGUST 25 availability or IMMEDIATE availability. $400-$450 per room, gas, water included. Limited parking spaces also available. Call 412-692-1770 to see apartment, parking spaces.
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Searching for a female rommate. Available August. Rent $800/ mo. Parking not included. 814-392-8293.
Summer sublet. 2 rooms. May-August. Furnished. Each room has private bathroom, shared kitchen. $610 per month including utilities. Call 412-848-9442.
FT Construction Crew Leader: Armstrong Habitat for Humanity/Americorp looking for Direct Service - 10.5 months starting August 2017. Monthly living allowance, Education Award, Forbearance on eligible loans, ACA-compliant Health Plan offered at no cost. Some construction experience, drivers license required, ability to work with a diverse group of people, basic computer skills. For more information or to apply go to: www.habitat.org/about/careers/armstrong-hfh-national-constructioncrew-leader and send resume to Armstrong Habitat, PO Box 837, Kittanning, PA 16201.
A Student with some background in research to analyze/collect information on the sustainability in 5 regions of the world. Would like the student to start immediately. The compensation is negotiable. 412-521-4789. mck524@aol.com.
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We're looking for healthy native English speakers between 18-35 to participate in a research study involving a fMRI scan. You will be paid for your participation. Contact 412-624-7083 or J.tremel@pitt.edu.
SOCCER Assistant Coach needed for a girls varsity high school team. City of Pittsburgh, midAug. through Oct. Assistant Coach must be 21 years or older. Pay TBD. Contact lappdaniel@hotmail.com.
Counter staff for Arsenal Bowling Lanes. No bowling experience necessary. Must be available nights and weekends. Apply in person. Arsenal Bowling Lanes, 212 44th St., Pittsburgh, PA. 15201
SUMMER WORK
ENGINEERING STUDENTS WANTED Need full-time workers for light-duty construction, renovation, painting, landscaping. Part-time and weekend work available. Must be 18. Experience not required but helpful. Immediate openings. 412-738-1618. bigtfeight@earthlink.net
able. Must be 18.
Janitor/Housekeeper. Oakland highrise. Part-time. Sunday’s 8am-4pm. $12 per hour. Must be bondable. Apply in person at 220 North Dithridge Street 15213. Between 9am1pm on Monday’s through Friday’s. SEASONAL WORK Shadyside Management Company needs full-time dependable landscapers, painters, and assistant roofers for the summer. Must be at least 18 years old. No experience necessary. $10/hour. Mozart Management phone: 412-682-7003 email: thane@mozartrents.com
Need full-time, dependable workers for yardwork, painting, landscaping, lightduty construction. Also part-time and weekend work availNo experience necessary. Immediate openings. 412-738-1618. bigtfeight@earthlink.net The Center for Research on Health Care Data Center at the University of Pittsburgh is seeking a faculty at the Assistant Professor level or above with a doctoral degree. The faculty should have at least 10 years of experience as faculty. The faculty will be expected to teach and collaborate with investigators in designing research projects. Academic appointments, tenure status and salary are dependent upon qualifications and experience. Send letter of interest and CV to Wishwa Kapoor, MD, UPMC, 200 Lothrop Street, Suite 933 West, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 or e-mail noskoka@upmc.edu EEO/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled
The Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, is seeking clinical investigators. Candidates must have an MD with fellowship training or have a PhD. We are particularly interested in candidates in health services research, clinical epidemiology, health disparities, decision sciences and comparative effectiveness. Academic appointments, tenure status and salary are dependent upon qualifications and experience. Send letter of interest and CV to Wishwa Kapoor, MD, 200 Lothrop Street, 933 west MUH, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (fax 412 692-4825) or e-mail Noskoka@upmc.edu. EO/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled University of Pittsburgh, Division of General Medicine is seeking a full time Clinician Educator. Position includes both inpatient and outpatient teaching and leadership opportunities in specific areas of medical education depending on the interest and qualifications of the candidate. Academic appointments, tenure status and salary are dependent upon qualifications and experience. Send letter of interest and CV to Wishwa Kapoor, MD, 200 Lothrop Street, 933 West MUH, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (fax 412 692-4825) or e-mail Noskoka@upmc.edu. EO/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled
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