Vol. 105 Issue 7
88°|67°
@thepittnews
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Facebook page inspires students
Pittnews.com
UNDER MY UMBRELLA
Taira Alabi Staff Writer
Struggles and stories around Pittsburgh that once went unnoticed are now garnering thousands of likes on Facebook. Humans of Pitt is a spin-off of the popular Humans of New York Facebook page, a place where Facebook users can view photos of their fellow citizens captioned with quotes and anecdotes. Humans of New York, which has over 6 million likes on Facebook, was started by Brandon Stanton in November 2010 after he was inspired by New York City’s beauty and diversity. The founders of Humans of Pitt had similar sentiments. “We wanted the page to have a message of how truly wonderful and diverse this city is,” Sarah Thornton, a sophomore majoring in studio arts and co-founder of Humans of Pitt, said. The “Humans of” concept is simple. Pictures of random individuals accompanied by quotes from the subject of the photos are placed on a Facebook page for those who like the page to see. There are hundreds of other “Humans of” pages online now, including Humans of the Armed Forces and Humans of State College. Thornton and her co-creator, Anish Kumar, a sophomore studying pre-med, started the page in April after a text message conversation. “I just said, ‘Maybe we should start a Humans of Pitt page’ and literally the next day I was
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Zoree Moore and CJ Pellegrini tough it out through the rain at the Three Rivers Arts Festival while waiting for Trampled By Turtles to take the stage. Theo Schwarz | Staff Photographer
New apartment complex coming to Oakland Josh Ye For The Pitt News Construction of a $70 million, eight-story apartment, hotel and retail complex will soon begin near Bates Street and the Boulevard of the Allies in Oakland if all goes well for the developers. Oakland Gateway Ventures, a development team lead by Robert Dauer Jr. and Bill Kane, is planning to demolish 11 dilapidated townhouses on the Boulevard of the Allies and Bates Street in South Oakland for the large-scale complex. Construction is set to
begin in about five months, according to Kane. Just a few weeks after Oakland Gateway paid nearly $2.6 million for the site throughout March, April and May of this year, Kane and Dauer unveiled a preliminary plan for this new mixed-use development in a public meeting sponsored by Oakland Planning and Development Corporation on May 29. The draft designs for the project include an eight-story apartment building and a hotel of the same scale. All the parking will be built underground along with some retail space on the first floor.
The apartment component of the project will primarily consist of a mix of two- and three-bedroom units open to the public. According to Kane, the preliminary plan is in a very early stage and many details are still under review. Developers have yet to come to consensus about whether to incorporate the retail component because of differing opinions within the community. The building height is also yet to be decided. Kane said one of the biggest obstacles for the developers right now is to
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June 11, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
experience you’ve had?” or “Who do you miss most right now?” These are questions that Thornton and Kumar hope will help delve into the souls of their subjects and reveal something personal about them that wouldn’t normally be seen. “I remember this one girl who said she
missed her grandma,” Thornton said. “We posted the picture and her grandma responded and said the she was proud of her. It was awesome.” But for all the triumphant posts and comments Humans of Pitt receives, there are negative aspects. Sophomore Ali Greenholt was excited to be photographed by Kumar on a sunny day in oval sunglasses, clutching her notebook while she was lying on the grass in Schenley Plaza. She had heard of Humans of New York and was glad that a version of it had arrived at Pitt. When she recited a piece of prose from her notebook about her anticipation for high school to end and college to begin, she didn’t expect much to come out of it except a few likes on the Facebook page and maybe a few shares from proud friends. But a few hours after her picture was posted, Zach Westerfer, a senior majoring in psychology who does not know Greenholt personally, posted a comment, “Wow, look at Jack f*cking Kerouac over here,” on the comments section of the picture. “It was pretty impulsive. I didn’t really think it through,” Westerfer said. Westerfer said felt he was merely speaking his mind. Greenholt, an English writing major, did not take it lightly. “I wanted to tell [the photographer] to take the picture down. My picture was the only one with negative comments so it made me feel bad
about myself,” Greenholt said. Instead, Greenholt chose let her picture remain on the page as a testament to her personality. Despite the incident, Thornton and Kumar stand by their page and see the potential good that has come and they hope will continue to come out of their page. “It’s heartbreaking when something like that happens but even in the short time the page has been around, so much good has come. We have no control over what people say,” Thornton said. Thornton may be right. Even after the negative comment, Greenholt said she still does not regret having her picture taken. She admires the page and says the positivity she and others have received should answer anyone’s concerns about the negativeness. “There will be more people for you than there are against you.” Greenholt said. With students both new and old making the trek to Pitt in August, Thornton said she hopes the page can be “a resource for all of how unique Pittsburgh is.” Thornton said she wants students to know a little more about the people around them. “I had interviewed someone who heard of Humans of Pitt for the first time and she was so excited and really wanted to be on the page,” Thornton said. “It’s great to know that people are noticing.”
ity of life. “It shouldn’t be characterized as a ‘challenge.’ It doesn’t necessarily help to address some of the traffic concerns the way we thought about them,” Wilson said. “But, overall, it’s just a different proposal. Parts of the development plan are consistent with the Oakland 2025 Master Plan and parts aren’t.” But Kane said Oakland Gateway’s proposal is mostly consistent with the Master Plan, which has a goal of adding new apartment properties in South Oakland to replace its streets of bedraggled tenements. Pitt students expressed mixed opinions on the large-scale development. “There are a lot of crappy houses in South Oakland. If I have to live in Oakland, I will want to live in a nice apartment building. The apartments have to be well-kept,” Anna Stulga, a senior business major, said. “I also think that an upscale apartment building might possibly bring in more residents for Oakland.” Chris Bennett, a junior film studies major, said the development could help the Univer-
sity community. “I think the retail can be beneficial to Pitt students,” he said. “It offers more jobs. It will also give us more housing options.” Stulga recognized the concerns brought up by the development proposal. “It might change the landscape down there because it’s a really big building, and it might affect the lifestyle of the local residents,” she said. Tory Hamrick, a junior microbiology major, agreed that the development could change the lifestyle of Oakland residents. “I don’t think interfering with the local residents is a good idea,” she said. Wilson said that OPDC would continue to facilitate the developers to improve the proposal of the project and also collect feedback from the community for the developers. Kane said he doesn’t think the apartment complex would add additional traffic to the neighborhood because the majority of the student renters don’t have cars and the complex will include a substantial amount of subsurface parking space.
According to Kane, four student representatives from both Pitt and CMU attended the community meeting and spoke out about the apartment shortage in Oakland and how they favor this development plan in front of the community members. Wilson said it is too early for the community to understand what the developers are proposing. Developers have to further explain some of their concepts to the residents. Steve Sortino, a 74-year-old Oakland resident, said he thinks the majority of the permanent residents are currently against the construction of the complex. Sortino grew up on Coltart Street, close to where the construction will be and has never lived outside of Oakland. Sortino’s main concern was the possible Zulema Street closure. “[The permanent residents] thought it might disrupt the traffic pattern,” Sortino said. “They were concerned about the height of the building. They thought a nine-story high building is too high.”
walking up to strangers asking them if they had heard of Humans of New York,” Thornton said. The page has been widely well received. In its first month, the page received over 2,000 likes. As of time of publication, the Humans of Pitt has roughly 3,000 likes. “It struck a chord with me because like Humans of New York, it shows the different classes of people that walk the streets of Pittsburgh,” Florence Kwok, a sophomore majoring in molecular biology, said of the page. “It allows us to see whether we have had similar experiences and gives us a chance to relate or contemplate.” But Kumar said the page won’t be exactly like the Humans of New York page, which has over 6 million likes —they aren’t aspiring to that much popularity. “We are keeping the page [description]with our own vision and not just a replica of Humans of New York,” Kumar says. Finding people on Pitt’s campus is literally a walk in the park for Thornton and Kumar. “We go out on Sundays to Schenley Park or wherever there are people out and go up and talk to them,” Thornton said. “I ask if they’ve heard of Humans of New York and then ask them a question from my notebook.” Thornton’s brown notebook contains handwritten questions she and Kumar have thought of, including, “What was the hardest FROM PAGE 1
APARTMENTS meet the zoning requirement, which requires buildings to be shorter than 80 feet tall. Wanda Wilson, executive director of OPDC, said that the primary concerns for the development at this stage are traffic, parking and reconstruction of the open space. Kane said some residents have expressed reservations about how the massive complex might alter the traffic and road conditions in the neighborhood. Kane also said the proposal includes plans to close Zulema Street, but that the developers are still very unsure if the closure will happen because of discontent from residents near Zulema. Wilson said some residents believe the development proposal presents a challenge to the Oakland 2025 Master Plan, a five-part document containing goals OPDC hopes to complete by 2025. The Oakland 2025 Master Plan, unveiled in Nov. 2012, is a broad-based community plan that aims to support qual-
Sophomore Ali Greenholt reading from a Jack Kerouac book in April.
Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.
June 11, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
EDITORIAL
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OPINIONS
OʼBannon v. NCAA: How much are athletes worth?
In the world of college sports, we tend to idolize athletes. They give us a reason to get together with friends and tailgate for hours, to expose our painted torsos to the elements despite chilling temperatures and to celebrate our alma mater until our voices are hoarse. But on paper, these athletes aren’t worth very much at all. They are worth approximately nothing, according to Roger Noll, a professor of economics at Stanford University, who maintains that the NCAA fixes the worth of athletes’ names, images and likenesses at zero. “It’s called a cartel,” he said. “The (NCAA) creates a price-fixing scheme among its members.” Noll made these statements in a setting that is now all-too-familiar for the NCAA — a courtroom. Noll sat on the witness stand during an antitrust trial that began on Monday between former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon and the NCAA. O’Bannon has sued the organization, claiming that the NCAA and its partners have violated the Sherman Antitrust Act — which
COLUMN
prohibits certain business activities that are deemed anticompetitive — by engaging in monopolistic or cartel-like ventures. He claims that the NCAA has illegally used his and other athletes’ likenesses for profit. This isn’t a new accusation towards the NCAA, but this time, Judge Claudia Wilken took away the NCAA’s catch-all shield. “Amateurism” — the concept the organization has been using for years now as a defense for using athletes for their own gain and allows the NCAA to “minimize the involvement of third parties,” according to NCAA President Mark Emmert — is not at issue in this trial. Wilken is only concerned with whether or not the NCAA business model is legally competitive or not. When you actually begin to humanize athletes, it becomes clear that it’s not. Our likeness, whether it be our name, photograph or even a video game representation of ourself, is inherently ours. Depending on who you are, it can have monetary value just like any other good or service. For instance, 75 percent of schools with
a quarterback featured in the last collegiate football season’s Davey O’Brien Award watch — the award given to the best college quarterback each season — sold team jerseys featuring the particular player’s number, thus using his likeness as a means to boost sales. “It’s an indication of value of a product with the individual’s likeness,” Noll said. Take Pitt basketball as another example. Pitt was formerly known as an Adidas school and now it’s a Nike-sponsored school. Consequently, all players must always wear Nike apparel and essentially be walking billboards for the company, in contrast to professional players in the NBA who use their bodies as they see fit. Yes, they wear team jerseys that belong to team sponsors, but the players themselves can wear any brand of sneakers and receive the appropriate royalties for their valuable advertising service. The NCAA continues to maintain that an athlete’s image is worth nothing and claims it does not technically owe the players anything for using it. Of course, players knowingly give away
their namesake when they agree to play for a team. But do they really have any other choice? For revenue-generating college sports such as football and men’s basketball, there is no realistic alternative route for players to take towards the pros other than through the NCAA. The organization has a monopoly on creating professional athletes. Players do not have any other setting in which to demonstrate their abilities and, during their time in the NCAA, the schools basically own them and profit off their likenesses. O’Bannon, now a car salesman, realized this years after his college experience. He was not a “student-athlete,” but an athlete “masquerading” as a student, he explained on the witness stand. He knew he was at UCLA to play basketball and the school brought him there solely to make money from it. Whether or not he wins the case, O’Bannon has once again brought the discussion to the forefront. Hopefully — for the athletes’ sakes — the structure of the NCAA will change as a result.
VA medical scandal presents opportunity to right a wrong Jessica Craig For The Pitt News
In response to the emerging evidence of falsified medical records and appointment times at the Phoenix VA Medical Center, President Obama took to his podium in Washington to call for nation-wide changes to veteran health care on May 21. Concerns about the quality of medical care at the veteran medical facility in Phoenix, Ariz., began in early 2012 when emergency room physician Dr. Katherine Mitchell told her supervisor that the Phoenix ER was “overwhelmed and dangerous.” Rather than investigating the complaint then, Mitchell was suddenly transferred out of the ER by her superiors. In July 2013, another employee, Damian Reese, complained about the long wait times veterans endured before receiving their first appointment. Reese said while appointments
were made 14 days before the appointment date, administrators were waiting “6-20 weeks” to create the appointment. Reese said such treatment was “unethical and a disservice to our veterans.” Despite the complaints of many employees, the Obama administration never moved to improve the medical care. Instead, the administration opted to quiet the complaining employees. It wasn’t until May 2, when Dr. Mitchell went public with her complaints and documented evidence of falsified appointment times, that Obama decided to investigate the claims. “My attitude is, for folks who have been fighting on the battlefield, they should not have to fight a bureaucracy at home to get the care that they’ve earned,” Obama said. Despite this pragmatic assertion, Obama has made no effort to minimize the bureaucracy to which he is referring. Instead, he has only extended the bureaucratic process by
bringing in government employees outside the veteran health care system to investigate the Phoenix VA as well as other VA medical centers. Obama went on to say, “I want to know what’s working. I want to know what is not working. And I want specific recommendations on how VA can up their game.” What’s not working is obvious — the VA Healthcare System restricts veterans’ medical care to a subset of the national medical community. Think about your hometown. How many healthcare centers and doctor’s offices are dedicated to serving veterans? How many are dedicated to serving every other medical patient? In Pennsylvania, there are more than 500 medical centers and health care facilities. But veterans receive medical care from a tiny percentage of these medical centers, as there are only 31 VA medical centers in the state and only 1,700 sites nationwide. Not only is there a shortage of medical
facilities to host patients, but there is also a severe shortage of physicians and other medical personnel. While the U.S. Department of Veterans Services provides health care to an estimated 85 million veterans and counting — as veterans of the baby boom population age and as soldiers return home from Iraq and Afghanistan — only 5,100 primary care physicians are employed by the VA medical system, a shortage aggravated by recent employee losses which are estimated to be about 400. This disproportionate patient-doctor ratio fosters an environment of desperation, an environment in which falsified medical appointments, miserable medical care and 115-day waiting times become necessity. On May 29, in an interview with New York Times journalists Richard Oppel and Abby Goodnough, Connecticut senator and member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Rich-
Craig
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June 11, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
containing a designated amount of funds for healthcare depending on a veteran’s medical needs. While this will not eradicate the need for bureaucracy, it will dramatically decrease its size because veterans will be empowered to directly control their own medical care and allowed to seek out the specialized care they need among the plethora of private practices available. With a health savings account, veterans could see any physician anywhere in the United States, just like non-veterans do. Not only will this provide quality and timely care to veterans and allow veterans to choose their own physicians but it will also put veterans directly in touch with their own medical care and allow them, not a distant bureaucracy, to
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CRAIG
ard Blumenthal said, “The doctors are good but they are overworked, and they feel inadequate in the face of the inordinate demands made on them ... The exploding workload is suffocating them.” The VA can still up its game by reintegrating veteran healthcare into the private healthcare field, where veterans will have access to thousands of medical facilities and millions of physicians. Instead of providing a separate health system for veterans, the U.S. government should provide veterans with a health savings account
THE PITT NEWS
E S T A B L I S HE D 1 9 1 0
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manage their individual medical needs. There is one point on which Obama and I agree: Our veterans deserve the best medical care upon returning to the United States. A system in which veterans receive funds for medical care through health savings accounts rather than receiving medical care from a separate system would allow veterans access to easier and more simplistic care on their own terms. While this solution would require major renovations to the current healthcare system and require the U.S. government to give up some of its coveted bureaucracy, it allows the country’s warriors and heroes to receive welldeserved health care. That is only the least we can do for them.
Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns, car toons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in - than 250 tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University- affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left. The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer. Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Com mittee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260. The editor in chief has the final authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor in chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business- and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
l a v i t s e F s t r A s r e v i R e e r h T ank B r olla
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Jolie magnificent villain, ‘Maleficent’ a so-so film Dan Sostek Staff Writer
“Maleficent” Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copely Directed by: Robert Stromberg Grade: BAngelina Jolie has never been a particularly compelling actress. Her movie stardom shines so bright that it can often be difficult for us to recognize the character as anyone but Jolie. It’s almost impossible to summarize “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” without uttering Jolie’s name instead of “Mrs. Smith” at least once. In her latest film, “Maleficent,” Jolie disappears into the character of the conflicted fairy Maleficent in a way that she hasn’t done since the film “Changeling.” The film is an imperfect but compelling retelling of the classic animated masterpiece “Sleeping Beauty.”
After a largely unnecessary opening about Maleficent as a child, in which she meets and falls in love with a farmer named Stefan (Michael Higgins), the film leaps through time with a voice-over narration explaining how Stefan — who desperately seeks power — began to distance himself from Maleficent. Then, we get our first view of the adult Maleficent. Jolie is breathtaking to look at — her resemblance to the animated character from Disney’s 1959 “Sleeping Beauty,” which was said to be a large factor in her casting, is uncanny. The costume design was executed to perfection, with an Oscar-worthy job of turning Jolie into a live-action doppelganger of the “Sleeping Beauty” villain. The only true aesthetic difference in the live-action Maleficent is her large, powerful fairy wings, which she uses to lead mystical forest creatures in a battle against the king’s army, which aims to destroy the forest. After Maleficent defeats the army and fatally wounds the king (Kenneth Cranham), he puts out a bounty on the fairy, say-
ing whoever kills her will take the throne. Predictably, a now-adult Stefan (Sharlto Copley) tricks Maleficent, but can’t bring himself to kill her, so he simply cuts off her wings to fool the king. The remainder of the film is standard fare for this sort of reboot. Out of vengeance, Maleficent curses the king’s baby, Aurora, to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel before her 16th birthday, which will induce eternal sleep. But after circumstances bring Maleficent to spend time with the young girl, she regrets this irreversible action. This sets up a clean and predictable arc, as the evil fairy, not a prince, will be the one trying to rescue beautiful Aurora (Elle Fanning). “Maleficent” isn’t interesting enough by itself to keep audiences captivated for an extended period of time. Luckily, for once, director Robert Stromberg might have realized this and kept it a brisk 97 minutes. Even with a short running time, the story still bores in spots with its more conventional fairy tale elements and the predictable softening of Maleficent. But the
charismatic performance of Jolie alleviates much of the toil. She hits all the right notes in forming a new, three-dimensional iteration of a previously one-dimensional character, adding much-needed humor, physicality and restrained emotion. Jolie accomplishes the goal of the film, which is to align the audience with Maleficent’s way of thinking. The film marks the directorial debut for Stromberg, a veteran in the art decoration field. He was given a larger budget than any debut director — $200 million — and put it to good use. The breathtaking rendering of the magical forest is as if Stromberg brought Shrek’s swamp to life. Its creatures are derivative, but still well-rendered, and the sequences of Maleficent’s flight are very well-shot. It’s a promising start for Stromberg’s career. Getting the best out of a star like Jolie and a $200 million budget is not as easy as it sounds. With a better story, “Maleficent” could have been magnificent, but it’ll be exciting to see if whatever Stromberg takes on next can be up to the task.
6 MUSIC
June 11, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
Lead singer of The Hotelier talks ambiguity, imagines the worst Shawn Cooke A&E Editor
On The Hotelier’s towering second LP, Home, Like Noplace Is There, lead singer and lyricist Christian Holden tackles some heavy topics. Toxic relationships, addiction and steering loved ones away from their destructive paths all take center stage, albeit through indelibly catchy guitar-driven pop songs. The band stops at the Smiling Moose on Sunday, continuing their tour supporting Modern Baseball with Tiny Moving Parts and Sorority Noise. The Pitt News talked on the phone with Holden, en route to the band’s Asbury Park, N.J., show, about leaving songs open for interpretation, letting muscle memory take over on stage and imagining the worst. The Pitt News: When you announced the new record, you also talked about your struggles with the label surrounding your first record. Did that experience inspire you guys to change up the name (from The Hotel Year) and rebrand?
The Hotelier’s second LP deals wth topics like toxic relationships and addiction.
Christian Holden: They were kind of unrelated. Now it feels like changing the name put us in a different era, but I don’t think we were necessarily conscious that we were going to be feeling that way after we did it. We honestly did it because we didn’t like the name and didn’t think it was a good name and there was a band called My Hotel Year. We didn’t want to have to think about them every time we said our name. TPN: I’ve noticed that when you answer fan questions on your Tumblr, you are sometimes hesitant to provide specific meanings behind songs. Did you guys agree when you were writing the deeply personal ones that you’d leave them open for interpretation? CH: Yeah, that’s just how I feel as a writer. For me to prescribe one meaning to a song is selling it kind of short and making it something that can’t live on past my interpretation. Because if I, as the person who wrote it, say, “This is what it’s about,”
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HOTELIER it’s this super-authoritative way of saying this is how it’s going to be. And people who want that song to mean something different to them — I’ve had songs that I felt meant a lot to me, and I’d just rather not have heard what the artist’s interpretation was because it would either spoil it for me or take a lot of the magic out of it.
The Hotelier stops the Smiling Moose on Sunday, June 15.
TPN: It definitely makes music more of a one-way street. CH: It makes it something that’s from the artist, revolves around the artist and the artist is the center of attention. That is not what I find awesome about music. TPN: Without going into specifics, are some of the more intense experiences on the record, like “Your Deep Rest,” “Introduction” and “Housebroken,” directly inspired by your life or based on friends you know? CH: They’re all situations that I’ve gone through except for “Your Deep Rest.” “Your Deep Rest” is an experience that was not too far off from a situation that was happening in my life, and when I was writing
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it, I thought, “This is everything that I’d be living through if — one step further from what is actually happening with this person in my life.” It was pretty clear to me. Everything else was actual personal experiences of people in my life that I was really connected with and felt a part of. TPN: That’s a compelling approach to songwriting, taking this “what if ” scenario — being one step removed from something happening. CH: It was something that played in my head over and over again, so it’s practically like something that I had experienced. It can torture you even worse when it’s that close to happening, can really f*ck with your head. TPN: The songs on this record and, in some cases, on your first record, are such intense emotional experiences. When you’re performing them night after night, do you get jolted, or do you have to remove yourself from the initial meaning? CH: I don’t think I get jolted. When I perform, I get thrown into this muscle memory thing where I can’t even sometimes remember what happened during the set after it happened. Just not even thinking about it and letting muscle memory do everything. And kind of not even muscle memory but just your feeling and how you’re experiencing the set. I don’t even know if I am thinking half the time when I’m playing, unless I am currently experiencing those feelings going into a set. TPN: Is the house on the cover of album your childhood home or someone’s in the band? CH: That was Zack (Shaw)’s, our old guitarist, who quit the band and was kicked out of his house — it was foreclosed on. And then we did it when it was just owned by the bank. I felt like it was too perfect to not use.
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June 11, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
BASEBALL
SPORTS
Trio of Pitt pitchers taken in MLB Draft over weekend Dan Sostek Staff Writer
For the second year in a row, the University of Pittsburgh baseball team saw three of its players selected in the annual MLB First-Year Player Draft. In 2013, pitcher Ethan Mildren (12th round by the Twins), catcher Elvin Soto (16th round by the Diamondbacks) and Matt Wotherspoon (20th round by the Tigers) were picked. This year, a trio of Pitt pitchers were chosen — reliever Luke Curtis and starting pitchers Joseph Harvey and Wotherspoon, who went unsigned and returned to Pitt for another year, were scooped up by teams on Saturday, June 7, the third day of the draft. Curtis was the first Panther selected. The Milwaukee Brewers took him in the 18th round. As one of Pitt’s best arms out of the bullpen this season, Curtis, a redshirt junior, led the team with a 2.17 ERA, allowing just seven runs in 29 innings while striking out 25. Despite this accomplishment, Curtis un-
The Yankees selected senior Matt Wotherspoon. Sheldon Satenstein | Visual Editor
derstands that this is just the start of a long journey. Since signing his contract, he has travelled to Montana where he will play for
the team’s advanced rookie league affiliate, the Helena Brewers. They begin their season on Monday, June 16.
“I can only hope to someday be able to step foot on the mound at [the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium] Miller Park,” Curtis, who has never been to Milwaukee, said. “This is all a great accomplishment, but it’s just the beginning of a long road ahead of me.” Redshirt junior Joseph Harvey was selected in the 19th round by the New York Yankees. Harvey popped up on scouts’ radars this year after having a breakout season as a starter after alternating between starting and the bullpen the previous season. Harvey tallied an impressive streak during the season of 34.1 consecutive scoreless innings. After the draft process, which Harvey described as “a bit nerve-wracking,” the 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound pitcher decided to forgo his senior year of eligibility to join the Yankees’ organization. “It felt awesome to be drafted by the Yankees,” Harvey said, who posted a 2.90 ERA
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COLLEGE SPORTS
Ex-UCLA star OʼBannon takes stand in antitrust suit vs. NCAA Lee Romney and David Wharton MCT Campus
OAKLAND, Calif.— As a much-anticipated federal trial began here Monday, the walls that have long separated college athletes from the riches of a multibillion-dollar sports enterprise began to show some cracks. The occasion was the opening of an antitrust lawsuit filed on behalf of current and former men’s basketball and football players. It seeks an injunction against the NCAA that would effectively allow athletes to profit from the use of their names, images and likenesses in television broadcasts, rebroadcasts, video games and more. Lead plaintiff Ed O’Bannon — a star UCLA basketball player in the 1990s — took the stand first, stating that he spent 40 to 45 hours a week on basketball during the season, choosing a major that would fit with his schedule and taking his senior
finals in a hotel ballroom during the Final Four. “I was an athlete masquerading as a student,” said O’Bannon, now a 41-year-old automobile sales and marketing employee in Las Vegas. “I was there strictly to play basketball ... and I did basically the minimum to make sure that I kept my eligibility academically so I could continue to play.” The issues raised — whether studentathletes should receive a greater piece of the collegiate athletics pie than the scholarships they are granted — goes far beyond this trial. Before O’Bannon began his testimony, a lawyer for the NCAA announced that it had reached a settlement to pay $20 million in damages in a related case brought by former college quarterback Sam Keller. Keller sought compensation for Division I football and basketball players whose likenesses have appeared in NCAA-licensed video games.
It follows a May 31 settlement by Electronic Arts and Collegiate Licensing Co., which agreed to a $40-million payout to thousands of football and basketball players. Northwestern University football players are pressing to form a union to seek larger scholarships and better medical care as university employees. Another case headed for the courtroom here aims to end the NCAA’s cap on athletic scholarships, contending that they do not cover the full cost of attending school. The payments in the video game litigation will go to every player whose likeness appeared in EA Sports video game products — now phased out — over the last decade or so. The Keller case alleged the companies had colluded with the NCAA to deny players their rights under state laws to their names, images and likenesses. The antitrust issues raised in the O’Bannon case — that the NCAA has en-
gaged in a price-fixing conspiracy and group boycott, distorting the market — are not directly affected by the settlements and NCAA officials denied that its decision to pay represents a change in the rules that forbid athletes from receiving so-called “extra benefits.” “In no event do we consider this settlement pay for athletic performance,” Chief Legal Officer Donald Remy said in a statement. But the underlying premise of the 108-year-old NCAA — that players are students first, compensated through their scholarships and overall collegiate experience — is nevertheless at stake. “The really big issue is whether the court finds these NCAA [amateurism] rules to be illegal,” said Matt Mitten, director of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University. “That could bring a very
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BASEBALL and a team-best 56 strikeouts in 2014. “The history and tradition associated with the organization is second to none.” He declined to discuss specifics of his contract. The 22-year-old Harvey is also thrilled to be joining his teammate Wotherspoon in pinstripes. “It’s exciting to see Matt drafted by the Yankees too,” Harvey said. “It’s nice having a familiar face around in a new environment.” They’ll start playing with the Yankees’ single-A short season team, the Staten Island Yankees, which begins its season on Friday, June 13. Despite being drafted 14 rounds later than he was last season, Wotherspoon felt nothing but elation upon his selection this time around. “I wasn’t even sure that I was going to hear my name called,” Wotherspoon said, who ranks third all-time in program history in career strikeouts. “When it was called, it was just pure excitement.” In baseball, players can be selected out of FROM PAGE 8
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substantial change.” O’Bannon testified that a friend’s son showed him an Electronic Arts video game in 2008 that included his likeness — a UCLA player with his jersey number, 31, who shot with his left hand, was bald and had the same complexion as O’Bannon. The lawsuit followed. A star Artesia (Calif.) High School player, O’Bannon estimated that he had been recruited by 50 schools. When he committed to UCLA as a 17-year-old, he testified, he signed documents without reading them — including a waiver that allegedly gave the NCAA the right to use his likeness — because if he hadn’t he wouldn’t have been able to play. In his cross-examination of O’Bannon, Glenn Pomerantz, the NCAA’s chief outside counsel, stressed the amateur nature of student athletics by focusing on the overall college experience of mentorship and community and the direct benefits of a scholarship: tuition, free books, room and board — including access to a buffet “training table.”
high school, after time spent at a junior college or after playing three or more years at a fouryear institution. Since Wotherspoon returned to school after his junior year, the Tigers lost his rights and couldn’t select him this year. The 6-foot-1-inch right-hander had a down year in 2014, posting a 4.44 ERA, but still managed to lead the team in innings pitched, while posting 55 strikeouts as a senior. Wotherspoon said the draft process was different this year. Since he was a senior, teams were no longer calling him “wondering how much it would take to get me away from school,”he said. Like Harvey, Wotherspoon is grateful to be drafted by the Yankees. “All I have heard about [the Yankees] is how first class everything they do is,” he said. He echoed Harvey’s excitement to start his professional career with a fellow Panther. “To have Joe here with me is huge,” he said. “It’s such a bonus to have a friend here.” The pair is currently at the club’s base in Tampa, Fla., completing physicals. Boo Vazquez, a rising-senior outfielder, wasn’t selected in the draft despite projections saying he would. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 38th round out of high school but came to Pitt instead.
O’Bannon chose to stay with the Bruins in 1995 — though he could have gone to the NBA by then — and helped the team win the NCAA championship. He was named the game’s most valuable player. “Is it fair to say that season changed your life?” Pomerantz asked. “Yeah, I think it is,” O’Bannon answered. Asked if he knew whether proceeds from broadcast contracts were used to pay for student-athlete scholarships, O’Bannon said he did not. Remy, in a statement, reiterated the NCAA’s belief that “the current system of college athletics — bolstered by continual improvements — provides the greatest opportunities to the most student-athletes by not paying those who play only Division I men’s basketball and football.” “The collegiate model of sports provides hundreds of thousands of student-athletes with unmatched opportunities for education, growth, mentoring and future success,” he said. O’Bannon acknowledged on the stand that he had said in a 2011 deposition that current student-athletes are amateurs but said he now feels differently. Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.
The Pitt News Crossword, 6/11/2014
June 11, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com ACROSS 1 Home of Iowa State 5 Glasgow native 9 Back-to-school mo. 13 First name in denim 14 Part of a.k.a. 15 Butterlike spreads 17 *Totally, as sober 19 “Help” signal fired from a gun 20 Vivacity 21 *Interior decorator’s asset 23 Maury of tabloid talk 25 Gal sib 26 Sharing word 27 Mined find 28 “Damn Yankees” vamp 31 Safe and sound 33 Cato’s “to be” 35 The Big Easy acronym 37 Ran easily 38 *Facetious treatment suggestion to a bundle of nerves 41 Youngest Obama 44 Glasgow gal 45 1998 Sarah McLachlan song 49 Busy in a cubicle 51 Something to keep under your hat? 53 Mischievous kid 54 ’70s radical org. 55 SSE or NNW 57 “Pucker up!” 59 *Somewhat deceptive statement 63 Florist’s container 64 China’s Zhou __ 65 Finale to fight to, and what 17-, 21-, 38- and 59Across each literally has 68 Thunder-andlightning event 69 Gaga over 70 Part of NIH: Abbr. 71 __ bit: slightly 72 Scruff of the neck 73 Canonized mlles. DOWN 1 Capp and Gore 2 Shooting stars 3 Develops over time
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50 White wine apéritif 52 Plunge 56 Apply during a massage 58 Bollywood wraps 60 Bus rider’s payment 61 Fey of “30 Rock” 62 Internet address letters 66 From head to __ 67 Rehab woe
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House for rent. 129 Burrows St. 4BR w/ Equipped kitchen, central-air, laundry, 2 car garage. $1225+. Available August 1, Sachs Management Company, 412-4212140.
June 11, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
North Oakland, Craig Street, Small 1 BR, Air Conditioning, Laundry, Great Location, $695+ electric, 412-271-5550
North Oakland, Craig Street. Safe, secure building. 1 bedroom, furnished. Newly remodeled, wall-to-wall carpeting, no pets. $775 and up. Heat included. Mature or Graduate students. 412-855-9925 or 412682-1194.
1, 2, 3, 4 BR available August 1st on Bates Street/Melba St. Close to campus. Clean, living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and porch. Call 412-4229734, 412-780-8909, or 412-521-7121
1-2-3-4-5-6-7 bedroom houses, 2 baths, 2 kitchens, hardwood floors. Available August 2014. Please call 412-287-5712. 1-9 bedroom houses, wall-to-wall, washer/dryer, dishwasher. Available Fall 2014. Call 412-609-4340.
2 Floors. 4 BR apartment. Prime location, 300 block of Atwood Street, totally renovated. Available Aug. 412-414-9629. 3263 Parkview Ave. Large 7-bedroom house. $1095+ utilities. Call Sachs Management Company. 412-421-2140.
A large one-bedroom efficiency located on Oakland Ave. Available in August/September. Call 412-877-6555
Bates St. 3BR, livingroom, dining-room, eat-in-kitchen. $995+ utilities. Senior/ Graduate students. Available August 15th. Call Ralph 412-6082543.
June 11, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
House for Rent. Beautiful 3-BR house newly renovated-Allequippa Street. Close to Peterson Center & Pitt Dental School. Equipped kitchen, new carpeting, washer/dryer, 2 bathrooms, full basement, fencedin 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 1, $1650+ all utilities. No pets. For more information, please call 412-303-5043. Email: dtm1003@comcast.net.
Newly Remodeled Rental, 3379 Parkview Avenue, This recently renovated South Oakland property has 5 bedrooms and 2 bedrooms, a newly remodeled kitchen, updated bathrooms, a large common area, and hardwood floors. Monthly rent is $2,400. One parking spot is included. Pets are allowed. Please contact Rachel Rhoads at 412-2214400 if interested.
Shadyside/Bloomfield, 2 bedroom, full bath, large living room, 2nd floor, carpeted, fullyequipped eat-in kitchen, coin laundry, rent $900, Call 412687-2661 or 412-4961014.
Available August 1st.1 bedroom, large furnished 3rd-floor apartment. Near campus buslines. Large living room, kitchen and bath. Bright and sunny. Great location. Grad students preferred. $800+ gas & electric. CALL AFTER 2:00 PM. 808572-6699.
Sacred Heart School in Shadyside is looking for responsible adults interested in volunteering their time to coach girls' volleyball teams. Positions available for JV (grades 5th and 6th) and Varsity (grades 7th and 8th). Practices will begin late July 2014.
Looking for datenight babysitter for 3 children-7 years, 4 years and 2 months. 412-421-1011
If you are interested, please contact Alyssa Ilov at alyssailov@gmail.com. All volunteer coaches must secure necessary clearances.
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WEB DESIGNER STUDENT POSITIION AT PITT MASS SPEC LAB- The purpose is to design high quality web content (e.g. art): Some items include the lab map, photos, descriptions of instruments, pictures of instruments, example of data (chromatograms, etc) requires at least 6 hours a week. Pays ~$7.50 to start. Email resumes & cover letters to coreadmi@pitt.edu.
Private Suite on 50 yard line Heinz Field, 2 Tickets for 7 Pitt home games, Parking Pass, Food and Beverages. $3,500. Call 412-761-7696
Chucks. Blow guns. Cuffs. Billies. Knives. Swords. BB, Stun Guns. Sais. Crossbows. Kamas. Throw Axes. Gold, Silver Chains. Diamond Rings. MARY'S SHOPPE. 4114B Clairton Blvd. 30 Minutes from Pitt. 412-881-2948.
*ADOPT* A Young Professional Couple (stay-home-mom) excited to give your baby LOVE, Laughter Opportunity. Expenses paid 1-800-352-5741 *Laurie & Lawrence*
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June 11, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com