Vol. 105 Issue 12
78°|57°
@thepittnews
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Can you still get a Lyft in Pittsburgh?
ANCHORS AWAY
Katelyn Prosachik For The Pitt News
Popularity: the fast track to nowhere Nerine Sivagnanam For The Pitt News
Pittsburgh may soon suffer from a mustache shortage — pink, oversized car mustaches that is. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which governs public services, ordered two ride-sharing services, Lyft and Uber, to cease and desist service after they operated for months without authorization. The citations, issued June 30 by Mary D. Long and Jeffrey Watson, PUC administrative law judges, against Lyft and Uber fall under the definition of “common carriers by motor vehicle.” The ride-sharing services are required to have permits or certificates to authorize the services they perform, according to the commission’s spokeswoman Jennifer Kocher. Both Lyft, whose cars wear pink mustaches on their front bumpers, and Uber applied for experimental services permits in April, as ridesharing is a new form of transportation, but the applications are still pending as of July 7. The cease and desist orders didn’t stop Lyft and Uber from operating — both continued providing services in Pittsburgh after receiving the orders. City resident Mili Patel, a junior premed student at Pitt, said she has yet to see any changes result from the order. Lyft’s Pittsburgh website is fully operational and drivers are still available upon request. “I’m pretty angry about [the cease and desist Pitt Sailing Club hosted its first ever Invitational over the long weekend, compet-
Ride-sharing
Pittnews.com
2
ing with challengers from surrounding universities. Theo Schwarz | Staff Photographer
One aspect of grade school years made the experience a little more difficult — and it definitely wasn’t the schoolwork. Children everywhere change the way they dress, talk or have fun in order to fit in during their school years. At the time, being “cool” may have seemed like the only thing that mattered but, years later, some adults are grateful they did not involve themselves in the popular crowd when they were younger, even if it did mean sacrificing their “coolness.” In June 2014, Joseph P. Allen, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, published a study on children who were called “cool” by their peers during childhood and early adolescence. The study appeared in the June issue of the journal Child Development. Allen assessed 184 seventh and eighth graders annually over a three-year period and obtained follow-up data once the subjects were in their 20s. The study showed that after a few years of being in the limelight, the children’s social status eventually went downhill. By their mid-20s, a greater percentage of their problems resulted from drug and alcohol use, compared to those who were less popular in middle school. While the “cool” kids may be heading down a bad road from a young age, their peers are not always able to understand the long-term
Cool Kids
2
2
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
FROM PAGE 1
RIDE-SHARING orders], but I know that Lyft is still continuing operations because my friends and I took a Lyft on Thursday night,” Patel said. According to its blog, Uber plans to continue service. “Despite the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission decision today to support special interests over consumers, Uber will operate as usual and continue providing Pittsburghers with access to safe, affordable and reliable rides,” Uber said on its blog. Kocher said the companies could face a contempt of court charge for “disregarding a Commission Order.” The PUC issued the cease and desist orders after talking with the two companies about the laws and regulations in place earlier this year, FROM PAGE 1
COOL KIDS
negative aspects of popularity — many of the less-popular kids strive to be popular as well. Dr. Deborah Gilman, a licensed psychologist in Pittsburgh with a specialty in pediatrics, said many of the patients she sees aspire to be “cool.” “[They] struggle with this dilemma [and] often view the cool kids as those with permissive parents, [who] experiment with alcohol and drugs, have romantic relationships, wear makeup or are attractive,” Gilman said. These issues are not new to Gilman. “I have had young adolescents in my practice who often felt bad about their status in middle school, where identity formation peaks, but, as they progressed through high school and began the process of applying to colleges, they saw the popular kids struggling to get accepted to college,” she said.
Lyft users can request a driver using an app on their smartphone. MCT Campus
Although the less-popular kids originally struggled with their social status, they seemed to have come to their senses about popularity once they became older and started to achieve their goals, while the others fell behind. Elisabeth Tomlin, a therapist who had her own practice in Pittsburgh for two years before moving to Colorado, specializes in treating adolescents and young adults. She has also worked with patients struggling to fit in at school. Tomlin said she sees a lot of teenagers who struggle to find balance between their social and school lives.. “When you base your identity on being popular, it leaves you susceptible to going with the crowd later in life,” Tomlin said. “It decreases your ability to build independence and a sense of self-industry. Sometimes this leads to criminal behavior, drug abuse, etc.” Though data show that not every “popular” kid ends up as a troubled adult, the phenom-
enon is not uncommon. Both Tomlin and Gilman said parents play the most important role in preventing kids from going down a bad road. “I would encourage parents to foster creativity and interdependence with their kids. Utilizing an approach of togetherness, versus separateness, would help bridge the gap and support inclusion,” Tomlin said. Gilman agrees. “Parents play the largest role in protecting their children from negative influences and helping children understand the importance of building and maintaining friendships based on trust and reciprocity, learning and motivation for success, as well as emotional regulation and problem solving skills,” Gilman said. Both psychologists also agreed that schools can play a part in helping students with identity issues. John M. Saras, an assistant principal at Baldwin High School, a local public school in
according to Kocher. “On March 14, 2014, we provided information about the experimental license and other types of things, such as emergency temporary authority, that the companies could apply for to become compliant with the laws as they exist in Pennsylvania at this time,” Kocher said. “We also provided them with information on what our options were if they did not comply.” Kocher said the drivers for the two companies could face summary offenses from local district courts for driving without proper licensing, but drivers would be charged separately from the parent companies. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto supported Lyft and Uber in their battle to become a permanent part of Pittsburgh’s transportation services in a July 3 press release. Peduto also tweets regularly about the situation.
Ride-sharing
3
Pittsburgh, said that while schools can help to promote the thought process of being yourself as a student, the “cool kid” mentality will never quite go away. “All students have different interests, whether it be academically, athletically, extracurricularly or socially. We need to promote those different interests,” Saras said. “If we promote these different interests, I believe we give all students the opportunity to be successful in whatever pathway they decide as an individual.” Saras said he notices students at his high school who seem to be occupied with popularity. “I would not call it the ‘wrong road,’ just a lack of focus,” he said. Tanner LeBaron Wallace, a Pitt professor in the psychology in education department, said she thinks the “cool” kids can channel
Cool Kids
3
FROM PAGE 2
RIDE-SHARING According to the release, State Senator Wayne Fontana is preparing legislation to push for the legalization of ride-sharing services in Pennsylvania. “As of today, actions are underway in the Legislature to support ride-sharing services and I stand solidly behind them,” Peduto said in the release. Timothy McNulty, Peduto’s spokesman, said Pittsburgh ought to offer more “cuttingedge transit options.” “The state needs to recognize, as the mayor does, that ride-sharing technology isn’t going away and must be accommodated,” McNulty said. Although Lyft and Uber have Peduto’s support, they do not have the support of many state senators including Matt Smith, Jay Costa and Randy Vulakovich, who contacted the PUC throughout the application process for Lyft’s and Uber’s experimental licenses. Since April, when Lyft and Uber applied for the license, the
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com PUC has received eight letters, most of which cite the “inadequacy” of the insurance that Lyft and Uber use to show their concern over the safety of their constituents. Other transportation services, including Black Tie Limousine and Executive Transportation Services, filed official protests with the PUC against Lyft’s and Uber’s experimental license applications, which can be found on PUC’s website. As of July 8, neither company had stopped service and, on Monday, Uber sought “emergency status” for an experimental license from the PUC. “We are disappointed by the PUC’s actions, as Uber has been working in good faith with state officials for months to create modern regulations that will give consumers access to the safest rides on the road,” Uber said on its blog. “Pennsylvania regulators should be standing up for innovation, consumer choice and job growth – not the status quo.” Neither Lyft nor Uber representatives could be reached for comment after multiple attempts over the course of several days.
FROM PAGE 2
COOL KIDS
MCT Campus
their skills into more positive outlets from a young age. “A lot of ‘cool’ kids have tremendous leadership potential,” Wallace said. “I think cultivating that potential into productive outlets is very, very important.”
Tomlin said she believes that children have the ability to be themselves despite all the pressures school can bring. “Let’s face it — a kid who can stand up for what he or she believes and show strength of character is the coolest it gets,” she said.
3
4
EDITORIAL
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
OPINIONS COLUMN
Decision on Uber & Lyft: A lesson on sharing Pennsylvania judges Mary D. Long and Jeffrey Watson issued a cease and desist order on Lyft and Uber operations last week but the demand for the ride-sharing companies in Pittsburgh remains substantial. “Having Uber around is crucial to helping me do my job and live my life more easily,” “Please don’t make life in Pittsburgh boring again” and “I can say absolutely that not having this great service will affect my life in a very negative way,” were some of the statements Uber gathered from Pennsylvania residents to prove to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the regulatory agency that originally requested the cease and desist order. The PUC issued the cease and desist out of concern for public safety, as the ride-sharing companies lack driver background checks, insurance and inspections that are up to the commission’s standards. Nonetheless, Pittsburghers have fallen in love with the services Uber and Lyft have provided since the ridesharing companies started operating in the city earlier this year . The love affair is unsurprising, considering the options Pittsburgh residents had before the companies moved into town. Take taxicabs, for instance. There is an information gap between this traditional service and the customer — when you hail a cab, there is no way to know what to expect before you get in. The cleanliness of the vehicle and reliability of the driver is uncertain for the potential passenger. And, because of the inconsistency of available cabs, we usually have no choice but to accept the uncertainty — unless we feel like waiting for another one. This is probably why taxi compa-
nies in Pittsburgh average about two out of five stars on Yelp. Thankfully for us, the market has a way of expanding to fill in the gaps, as is demonstrated by Uber’s and Lyft’s innovative business models. All of the essential information about the ride — like whether or not you will have a safe driver, if he or she is dependable and even if he or she is fun to talk to — is available to the potential passenger via smartphone apps. Another ride can be requested with the touch of a button if the would-be passenger is not satisfied with the driver’s reviews and all of this can be scheduled in advance from the customer’s own home. Regulators should be malleable in order to allow valuable innovation to become available to the public. That hasn’t been the case. The PUC has played the role of obstructionist by refusing to evolve with the times. In a statement published by his office on Wednesday, July 2, Mayor Bill Peduto warned, “While the commission may wish for Pennsylvania to cling to a Jurassic Age of transportation options, people in Pittsburgh and other communities know our state must adapt or die in the global marketplace.” History is rife with examples of new industries taking the place of the old — always to the dismay of those involved with the latter — in the form of lost jobs and profits. Despite the obstruction, it is understandable why taxi companies and the PUC are frustrated about Lyft and Uber. But, as Matthew Feeney, a policy analyst with the Cato Institute, said in an interview with The Post-Gazette on Saturday, “frustration is no reason to halt innovation. If it were, we would not have cars or computers.”
Free speech: What is it good for anyway? Eli Talbert For The Pitt News
It’s official. The Supreme Court has sold out to the Christian right. In an unanimous decision in the case of McCullen v. Coakley, the court struck down a Massachusetts law that created a 35-foot buffer area around abortion zones. The court declared the law unconstitutional on the strange and alien concept of free speech. Granted, the decision did not overrule an earlier decision that allowed for eight-foot bubble zones around individual women, nor did it legalize harassment. But the decision is still a travesty. The government should limit free speech if it is convenient for law enforcement — the Court is simply out of touch with the people’s needs. It may be the Supreme Court’s duty to interpret the Constitution and to protect the rights of individuals but, when an unanimous decision to strike down a law generates mass outrage, the system is obviously broken. Newsweek conducted a study in 2011 finding that 70 percent of Americans don’t know what the Constitution is and 63 percent don’t know the number of Supreme Court justices. I am confident, though, that these numbers have changed over the past three years. The Court’s decision will cause a number of ghastly problems. First, it opens the door to harassment. Massachusetts has a harassment law that prohibits actions that interfere with the free exercise of rights. But without the ability to arrest anyone that protests within 35 feet of an abortion clinic, the police are powerless to enforce the law — the eightfoot bubble space just isn’t convenient enough. To add insult to injury, the Court had the nerve to suggest that Massachusetts is able to enforce the law. “[Massachusetts] has available to it a variety of approaches that appear capable
of serving its interests, without excluding individuals from areas historically open for speech and debate,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. Most disturbingly, the Obama administration, though supportive of the law in question, did not properly recognize the decision as atrocious. “We are pleased that their ruling was narrow and that they recognized the possibility of alternative approaches,” the Obama administration said in a released statement. It appears the Obama administration is also in on the covert war on women to insidiously deprive them of their reproductive rights. After all, the case is about the war on women. Sure, the justices may have claimed that they solely focused on the concept of “free speech,” but really, every single one of them — including the three female justices of the court — just wants to make getting an abortion more difficult, probably for sinister reasons that have nothing to do with their duty to be impartial and decide the law based on legal reasoning rather than personal feelings. Every patriot agrees that the vague language guaranteeing “free speech” in the Constitution is null and void whenever someone feels threatened in a public place — it’s what our forefathers fought the British for. The right to privacy applies to public places as well as private ones. So, if you yell nasty things at me as I walk by, you should be arrested for infringing upon my feelings — sticks and stones may break my bones but words leave scars on my pride. Believe it or not, the actual plaintiff in the case was an elderly grandmother who claimed that she wanted to talk civilly and quietly to those entering abortion clinics in an effort to provide them with other options.
Talbert
5
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 4
CHECK OUT THE PITT NEWS
TALBERT Well, that’s too bad — she might have not personally screamed at women, but others certainly have, and her right to peaceful free speech is just collateral damage. She is a minority among those protesting outside of abortion clinics and, here in America, we punish groups, not individuals. Which might not be fair for some, but it’s fair for enough. Overall, we can either allow this travesty of free speech to continue or take a courageous stand for the rights of women everywhere. The choice is yours. Write to Eli at ejt26@pitt.edu
THE PITT NEWS Natalie Daher, Editor-in-Chief editor@pittnews.com
SUMMER GUIDE
Mahita Gajanan, Managing Editor manager@pittnews.com
Sheldon Satenstein, Visual Editor
news@pittnews.com
photos@pittnews.com
Nick Voutsinos, Opinions Editor
Ellie Petrosky, Copy Chief
Shawn Cooke, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Nikki Moriello, Layout Editor
Jasper Wilson, Sports Editor
Rebecca Nagy, Assistant Copy Chief
letters@pittnews.com
aande@pittnews.com sports@pittnews.com
tpncopydesk@gmail.com tpnlayout@gmail.com
Copy Staff
Kinley Gillette Sarah Mejia
TPN
COMING OUT ON JULY 16, 2014
MCT Campus
E S T A B L I S HE D 1 9 1 0
Cristina Holtzer, News Editor
5
Shivani Pandit Megan Zagorski
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.
Today’s difficulty level: Medium Puzzles by Dailysudoku.com
-
advertising@pittnews.com
Kevin Vanover, Business Manager Advertising@pittnews.com
Dave Barr, Sales Manager
Kelsey McConville, Inside Sales Manager
Account Executives
Inside Sales
Maxwell Hine Jordan Bullock Robert Capone
Marketing Manager
Digital Manager
Marketing Assistant
advertising@pittnews.com
Stephen Ellis
advertising@pittnews.com
Erik Taskin
Kristine Aprile
Rachael Hoge
6
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
T S N T E R A & NM I A T R E T N E Woman (Nike Doukas) battles her alter ego, Scarecrow (Karen Baum), on the deathbed. Photo credit to Sullen Fitzsimmons, courtesy of PICT Classic Theatre
‘Woman and Scarecrow’ looks for humor in the end times Richard Koppenaal Staff Writer
In what would seem an unlikely setting for a comedy, “Woman and Scarecrow,” the latest production from the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, tells the humorous story of a woman on her deathbed — if there is such a thing. The play, written by Marina Carr and directed by Alan Stanford, premieres July 10 at the Henry Heymann Theatre located in the Stephen Foster Memorial. According to Karen Baum, who plays Scarecrow — a personification of Woman’s (Nike Doukas) alter ego who only she can see — the play, like death, can be an unlikely source of humor. “Even at funerals, there’s somebody who’s going to start laughing,” Baum said. “For whatever twisted reason, like, ‘that wasn’t the tie that I picked.’ And you just start giggling.”
Despite its lightheartedness, the play also deals with Woman’s reconciliation and her coming to terms with death. In her attempt to feel good about the life she led, Woman converses with her husband Him (James FitzGerald) and her Auntie Ah (Sharon Brady). Woman’s internal debate with Scarecrow rages throughout the entire performance. “It’s an argument a woman is having with herself about how she should have lived her life,” Doukas said. She said Woman is torn between regret and peaceful resolution in her final days. “She feels like she wasted her life having children and letting her husband cheat on her and ... part of her thinks that, ‘I really loved him and I really loved my children,’” Doukas said. “And the other part of her thinks, ‘you hid behind your children, you could have been so much more.’ So it’s this sort of really passionate debate, one that we
all have with ourselves.” With its very relatable themes, “Woman and Scarecrow” has the makings of what Stanford considers a classic play — one that “will be presented in a hundred years.” What makes that even more impressive is that the 2006 play is still in its infancy. Stanford heralded Carr, who will be in Pittsburgh for the latter end of production and the premiere, as a young playwright brimming with talent. “Marina Carr is, to my mind, probably the finest new Irish playwright,” Stanford said. Carr’s other works include “By the Bog of Cats” and “Portia Coughlan,” for which she was awarded the Susan Blackburn Smith Prize in 1997. “She writes plays that are incredibly direct about the human condition,” Stanford said. “She’s not what you would call conventional — she doesn’t write explanatory dialogue. She just writes the most beautiful
dialogue — the way people talk, the way people think.” Doukas echoed Stanford’s comments, reiterating that Carr’s realistic dialogue is what sets her apart. “It’s really funny — sort of black, extremely funny humor, great storytelling and really beautiful,” Doukas said. “It’s so poetic without even feeling poetic. It feels like real talking, but it’s so beautiful.” If the play is to be considered a classic, which Stanford believes people will, Carr’s script may even transcend death — the play’s timeless theme. “It is about a fundamental human experience, one of the two human experiences that we all share,” Stanford said. “No matter who you are or where you are on this planet, there are only two things that we are guaranteed to share in experience — one is birth and the other is death. Doing a play about birth isn’t easy.”
VIDEO GAME REVIEW
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com MOVIE REVIEW
7
ʻWatch Dogsʼ not hype-defying, ‘Jersey Boys’ a gloomier but satisfies on some level look at The Four Seasons’
rise to fame
Sam Bojarski Staff Writer
Aiden Pearce wages an information war in the alternate Chicago of ‘Watch Dogs.’
Stephanie Roman Staff Writer
“Watch Dogs” Developer: Ubisoft Montreal Released: May 27 Available on: Xbox One, PS4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U Grade: BThe Chicago Cubs are ahead in the bottom of the eighth. Aiden Pearce, vigilante hacker, lurks beneath the field and beats Maurice Vega senselessly with his police baton. Vega’s blood seeps onto the floor as Pearce interrogates him but there’s no sympathy to be found here — Vega is the gunman who accidentally killed Pearce’s niece, Lena, 11 months prior, after Pearce’s identity was discovered following a bank heist. So begins the forgettable revenge plot of Ubisoft’s “Watch Dogs,” which manages to pull off a lot more than its strange blend of “Assassin’s Creed” and “Grand Theft Auto” mechanics may suggest. Since 2013’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, “Watch Dogs” was the most highly anticipated game of the year. This third-person, open world hacking game set in a fictionalized version of Chicago had the potential to critique technological dependence, but ultimately didn’t break new ground in the conversation. This version of Chicago is governed by the ctOS, a “central Operating System” that contains information on every citizen, monitors every corner with security cameras and maintains roads, electricity and virtually every function of human existence via smartphones
and the Internet. Pearce’s background as a thief, getaway driver and lawless thug grays the character and his revenge motives considerably. The game is played almost exclusively by hacking into objects from Pearce’s smartphone through an app called the “Profiler.” This allows him to steal bank account information from people, alter traffic signals to cause accidents, send fake text messages to distract guards and steal an unfathomable number of cars in order to flee from the police. “Watch Dogs” largely borrows its open world, driving, mission variety and atmosphere from the immensely popular “Grand Theft Auto” series — only exchanging wit, satire and humor for melodrama. Similarly derivative, the on-foot gameplay draws from Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed.” Pearce typically maneuvers at a jog, but holding down certain buttons on the controller causes him to “free run.” The running and vaulting animations almost perfectly mimic the famous assassins of Ubisoft’s sister franchise. The minimap also strongly mirrors those from “Assassin’s Creed,” which may cause some confusion when scanning for a haystack to hide in. All of this ultimately adds up to a familiarfeeling game in a startlingly new locale. Graphic infidelities, such as cars that disappear when driven into water and getting stuck inside of buildings where one shouldn’t be able to go, lead to a lackluster overall presentation but the novelty of hacking in the game makes up for it. Pearce gains skill points that can be used to unlock new hacking tools or crafting options,
Watch Dogs
“Jersey Boys” Starring: John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen and Michael Lomenda Directed by: Clint Eastwood Grade: B Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) once said he’d be bigger than Sinatra — big words for a young boy from working-class New Jersey. For a while, he was a sensation, but it was a bumpy road to the top, as detailed in Clint Eastwood’s “Jersey Boys.”
smash hits (“Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Working My Way Back to You” and others featured in the film), his fame causes many problems in his personal life. His marriage to Mary Delgado (Renee Marino) — a “type A” dame, as an underhanded Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza) warns the burgeoning young singer — dissolves. Later on in the film, Valli’s deadbeat ways prompts the rebellion and, eventually, the death of his young daughter Francine. “Jersey Boys” is fast-paced as we watch members of The Four Seasons face many dilemmas throughout their careers. Whether it’s guitarist DeVito causing the band financial trouble or Valli dealing with personal issues, Eastwood keeps tension high. Despite Eastwood’s finesse with drama, the film falls short of being a bona fide movie-
Eastwood sometimes misses the musical mark, but amps up the tragedy. MCT Campus
Eastwood’s much-anticipated film adaptation of the popular Broadway musical tells the tale of how Valli and his band, The Four Seasons, came close to Sinatra’s level of fame. Once again, the famed director and actor, now 84, shows his uncanny knack for bringing a bit of darkness into a story by showing how fame always comes at a price. Valli lives a life in the spotlight from a 8 very young age and, although he sings a few
musical. The use of narration by the four separate band members is ideal, but DeVito is granted a disproportionate amount of attention. It would be nice to hear more of Bob Gaudio’s (Erich Bergen) side of the story, since the songwriter and keyboardist was the most articulate, inventive member of the group.
Jersey Boys
8
8 FROM PAGE 7
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 7
WATCH DOGS JERSEY BOYS such as jam comms, which disrupt police or gang communications. Some missions can be completed nonviolently by utilizing security camera hacks to their fullest but others require Pearce to go full Rambo. In the game, there is some semblance of a system of morality in which Pearce’s actions affect his “Reputation” bar and determine how the Chicago populace will react to his presence. Tracking down and beating up criminals earns him recognition as a protector and vigilante for justice, but mowing down innocents behind the wheel of a stolen car does the opposite. In order to face less police resistance, it is important to maintain Pearce’s “protector” status. Though “Watch Dogs” doesn’t have medium-defying plotlines or mechanics, its expansive world provides plenty of room to explore. It’s only slightly creepy that everyone’s name, fetishes, idiosyncrasies and bank accounts are at your fingertips. “Watch Dogs” and Pearce are slight dramatizations of our current society — the level of centralized control in the game might not be so far-fetched in real life.
DeVito’s charisma, street smarts and Italian accent make him the star of the show and you’d never guess that Piazza was the only Four Seasons cast member who hadn’t starred in the musical on Broadway. Young certainly looks the part but disappointingly makes Valli seem like too much of a pushover, especially in the early stages of the film. Valli, who still seems to have some baby fat, finally stands up to DeVito later in the film after a group disagreement over the band’s finances. But Young’s falsetto, far from brittle, has strong variety in tone color, and he especially nails the high vocal run at the beginning of “Walk Like A Man.” It’s an impressive feat, as the tracks were recorded live on set — following in the footsteps of 2012’s “Les Miserables.” The most head-scratching performance came from Michael Lomenda, who played Four Seasons bassist Nick Massi. Massi admits at the end of the film that he was the “Ringo” of the group — and Lomenda looks out of place with the group throughout the
film. Aside from his gangly stature, his corny bass vocals are awkward in a ‘60s pop singing group. His vocal delivery in the performance of “Sherry” look and sound downright goofy — perhaps even more funny than Joe Pesci (Joseph Russo, as the real-life Joe Pesci) borrowing a line from “Goodfellas,” 30 years before the movie’s release, as he introduces Gaudio to the group. Eastwood certainly had his work cut out for him as he faced the daunting task of lining up his storyline with both the true story of The Four Seasons and the Tony Awardwinning musical, which is the 13th longestrunning show on Broadway. In his search for tragedy, Eastwood delves deeper than the musical with the inclusion of Valli’s daughter and her tragic death from a drug overdose — the same daughter Valli sings to sleep earlier in the film with a soft, solo rendition of “My Eyes Adored You.” His daughter Francine (portrayed by four different actresses in the film) hardly appears in the Broadway musical. While Eastwood may not always nail the musical elements of “Jersey Boys,” at least he injects some of his trademark gloom and tragedy into the sunny ‘60s pop rock.
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
FEATURE
SPORTS
9
Senior volleyball player reps Pitt on national level Caitlin Hinsey Staff Writer
In some ways, Delaney Clesen is like other typical college students who are entering their final undergraduate year. This summer, she is working toward her dream job and getting the chance to travel. But Clesen is not a typical college senior — her dream job is to be a professional volleyball player. For the last two weeks, she tried to make the most of what is the biggest volleyball-related event to happen to her. The 5-foot-8-inch media and professional communications major played for a chance to make the U.S. Women’s National Team through the collegiate national team. “I loved every second of my experience,” Clesen said. “And I feel so blessed to have been given that opportunity.” Out of 248 collegiate volleyball players, Clesen was one of 36 selected to participate in the U.S. Collegiate National Team program. Only five other women were chosen for the defensive position of libero. The U.S. Collegiate National Team program took place from June 22 to July 1. Clesen and the rest of the CNT flew to Minneapolis, where they practiced on the campus of University of Minnesota-Twin Cities for one week. Following the training period, the 36 players were divided into three teams and put into a round robin competition that lasted from June 27 to June 30. Clesen enjoyed playing during these three days. Not only did the teams play using international rules — different substitution rules and a ball made of different material — and in front of huge crowds, they also got a chance to step back and appreciate their situation. “It was surreal having all these girls ask for our picture and autographs. When I was playing at that age, I would have never thought that I would be wearing a jersey that said USA on the back,” Clesen said. The round robin competition is known to serve as a second audition for the U.S. Women’s National Team after the athletes spend time with former coaches of the U.S. National teams,
Mike Hebert and Bill Neville. Both men are former collegiate and international volleyball coaches — Hebert formerly coached Pitt’s men and women’s volleyball team from 1976 to 1979 and Neville served as an assistant to the men’s national team in the 1968 Olympics before becoming the women’s national team temporary coach in 1972. “It was the most incredible experience being able to be coached by a few volleyball legends,” Clesen said. Clesen took part in the open tryouts for the U.S. National Team in February at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., but the open tryout by itself wasn’t enough to secure an athlete one of the final slots. Past performance in the CNT program also played a part in who made the team. Clesen had none. “It is a great honor for Delaney, and one well-deserved,” Pitt head coach Dan Fisher said. Last fall, she went over 1,000 total digs for her career as well as tallied a career-high 31 digs in the Panthers’ final match of the season against Virginia Tech. For the season, Clesen recorded 542 digs. This put her in the Pitt record books for the sixth-most digs in one season. In Minneapolis, the team participated in “double days” with the schedule breaking down as, “wake up and eat breakfast, play for three hours, eat lunch, take a nap, play for three hours, eat dinner, team activity,” according to Clesen. “Playing six hours of volleyball a day is exhausting,” she said. Fisher said he is proud of what Clesen has done. “She went into the tryout with no previous USA experience and proved herself as one of the best collegiate liberos,” he said. Now, Clesen hopes she can apply what she learned in the past two weeks to her Pitt team for the upcoming college season. “After training at such a high level and witnessing what it takes to be successful, I am determined to get my team there,” she said. “The experience was incredibly motivating and I’m Libero Delaney Clesen spent a week-plus competing and training with some of the so excited to start my final season at Pitt with best collegiate volleyball players in the country. Bobby Mizia | Assistant Visual Editor such a positive outlook.”
The Pitt News Crossword, 7/9/2014
10
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com ACROSS 1 Put some pizazz in 6 Florida resort, familiarly 10 __ America Competition 14 Speedy Amtrak train 15 The Bard’s river 16 “A time to cast away stones” Bible bk. 17 Illegally imported goods 19 “Star Wars” princess 20 Come up 21 Dada artist Jean 23 Director Affleck 24 Mercedes sedan category 26 Squatting exercise 28 Illuminated 29 Author Victor 31 Hard to find 32 BLT spread 34 Marshy wasteland 36 Rage 37 Enchant 40 2014 French Open winner Rafael 43 Opposite of pass 44 Fraternal gp. with an antlered animal in its logo 48 Brought to mind 50 Cruise stop 52 Delta rival: Abbr. 53 Wanderer 55 Irritable 57 Braz. neighbor 58 WWII mil. zone 59 Cobbler’s supply 60 Christian of fashion 62 Tuxedo accessory 66 What Clearasil treats 67 Norway’s capital 68 Davis of “Thelma & Louise” 69 Requirement 70 Situation to be cleaned up 71 Okays
Menʼs basketball nonconference schedule released
7/21/14
By Lila Cherry
DOWN 1 Calif.’s ocean 2 Author Umberto 3 Football ref’s call 4 Extreme 5 County counterpart in Louisiana 6 Slugger Ruth 7 Eggs in a clinic 8 Sir Arthur __ Doyle 9 Guitarist Segovia 10 Diner owner on “Alice” 11 Titanic sinker 12 Chemistry or physics 13 Libel’s spoken equivalent 18 Take for granted 22 Nut in a pie 24 Shade tree 25 Covert govt. group 26 Drink brand with a pitcher for a mascot 27 Quaint weekend getaway, briefly 30 18-hole outing 33 Honshu port 35 Score-producing MLB stats 38 Academy frosh
Saturday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
39 “Haven’t made up my mind yet” 40 Reno resident 41 Greed 42 Danged 45 Chases after 46 Shade tree 47 Tarzan portrayer Ron 49 __ bubble: Internet stock phenomenon 51 Get-up-and-go
7/21/14
54 Hopeless 56 “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” playwright Edward 59 Managed care gps. 61 Chianti color 63 D.C. United’s org. 64 Opposite of SSW 65 Opponents of defense lawyers: Abbr.
october 9 thursday OAKLAND ZOO SCRIMMAGE 18 saturday BLUE-GOLD SCRIMMAGE 31 friday INDIANA, PA* november 7 friday PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY* 14 friday NIAGARA 16 sunday SAMFORD 21, 24, 25, 26 MAUI INVITATIONAL, hawaii december 2 tuesday BIG TEN CHALLENGE, indiana 5 friday DUQUESNE, consol energy ctr. 13 saturday ST. BONAVENTURE 17 wednesday MANHATTAN 20 saturday OAKLAND 23 tuesday HOLY CROSS 30 tuesday FLORIDA GULF COAST february 2 monday BRYANT all games take place at the Petersen Events Center unless otherwise noted. * denotes exhibition game
July 9, 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. Schenley Farms. Large one bedroom apartment. Newly remodeled. Parking. Close to campus. Security deposit required. $950/mo. and all utilities included. Please call 412-6702036.
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. 2BR, 345 Coltart St, kitchen and dining room, living room, call for more information 412-466-0952 6 BR House. 3.5 Bath. Prime location, 300 block of Atwood Street, totally renovated. Available Aug. 15th. 412-414-9629.
11
12 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, $1500+ all utilities. No pets. For more information, please call 412-303-5043. Email: dtm1003@comcast.net.
Shadyside spacious 2 BR, 1 bath, hardwood floors, new kitchens, laundry, free heat. Aug. 15. Call 412361-2695. 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.
A large one-bedroom efficiency located on Oakland Ave. Available in August/September. Call 412-877-6555
July 9, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
Looking for volunteer to coach basketball at Sacred Heart Elementary School in Shadyside. Clearances required. Contact Michele Cromer m c r o m e r @ g t n l a w. com
Driver Wanted. 10 Hours/Week. Call 412-781-0815 Personal, professional masseuse wanted. Permanent position. Washington County. 724-223-0939 or pager #888-200-8265 any time. Wanted: Part-time servers, bussers, and bartenders. Must be able to work holidays and weekends. Contact the Pittsburgh Athletic Association @ 412-586-2072.
3 Air Conditioners. Less than 2 years old. Used one season. $300-all or $85-each. 412-608-8690 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* NYC At-Home Mom & Successful Dad, LOVE, Laughter, Beaches awaits your baby. Expenses paid 1-800-352-5741 *Laurie & Lawrence*