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The Pitt News Cover by Annika Esseku | Staff Illustrator

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Student Government Board works to improve undergraduate student experience.....................5 The big names: People to know at Pitt....................................................................................................7 A guide to Pitt’s COVID-19 situation....................................................................................................8 ‘Win above all else’: Nelly Cummings looks to put his hometown team back on the map..........9 Six on-campus construction projects to know about this fall...................................................10-11 ‘Variety of meal options’: Dining with a meal plan at Pitt.................................................................13 New-look basketball roster looks to make noise in ACC in 2022-23 season..............................14 Must-attend sporting events for new students..................................................................................16 Photo Collage: Campus Sights ...........................................................................................................…18 Preparations underway for the Year of Emotional Well-Being.......................................................22 Former Panther Therese Pitman aims to help college athletes in new role with NCAA............23 Photo Collage: Campus Sights..............................................................................................................24 Budget and executive committees discuss budget, tuition increases............................................25 Acrisure Insurance buys naming rights to Steelers, Pitt venue on North Shore..........................27 ‘En Sabah Nur’: Pitt men’s ultimate frisbee and its continued national success...................28-29 Good eats in Oakland...............................................................................................................................30 It’s okay to spend time alone in college................................................................................................31 How to take care of your body in college.............................................................................................34 A review of Pitt transportation methods.............................................................................................35 First year girls should be wary of the ‘Red Zone’................................................................................36 Five things you can do to survive the first week of school..............................................................38 Staff Picks: Favorite Dining Spots on Campus....................................................................................40 Six places every panther must visit around campus....................................................................42-43 Five things to avoid doing your first week of school.........................................................................46 Don’t rush your college experiences.....................................................................................................53

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STUDENT GOVERNMENT BOARD WORKS TO IMPROVE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Donata Massimiani Staff Writer

Student Government Board President Danielle Floyd said she hopes to create more “meaningful pathways” for students to engage with SGB during the upcoming school year.

“The main purpose of SGB is to promote the concerns, interests, needs and welfare of the student body of the Pittsburgh campus,” Floyd said.

According to Floyd, SGB consists of the office of the president, the board, three standing committees, five conditional committees, firstyear council, assembly, office staff, ad hoc committees and multiple task forces. Floyd said her role as president is to be the chief advocate for the undergraduate student body in dealings with the student body, the University, faculty and government officials.

“My main job is to work with the board and committee chairs to set SGB’s yearly vision and make sure we are communicating our goals effectively to the undergraduate student body,” Floyd said.

SGB holds weekly public meetings each Tuesday night at 8:45 p.m. in Nordy’s place, which are open for all students to attend. Floyd said board members are required to attend public meetings and give a report on what they’ve worked on throughout the week.

Eight students are elected to serve on the board each year and among those eight students, three serve in vicepresidential roles, according to Floyd.

“The board and President pittnews.com

are elected each year to serve as an effective voice for Pitt’s undergraduate student body, while working alongside fellow student leaders and University administration to complete initiatives, projects and programs,” Floyd said.

Board member Celeste Lintz said the board itself functions as the legislative branch when thinking about it in terms of the United States

inclusion, community and governmental relations, academic affairs, wellness and facilities, technology and transportation. Floyd said the conditional committees are open to all Pitt students and can be joined at any time by attending one of their weekly meetings, except for the diversity and inclusion committee, which is currently closed to new applicants. Standing

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Government.

“We are official representatives and we develop different programs. We work on these initiatives that we talk about when we go through election season and we create change on campus in that elected role,” Lintz said. “We are only in and out of office within one year.”

The five Conditional Committees include diversity and

committees do not have open membership and students must apply to become members.

“Committee members of Standing Committees are selected by an application and interview process, while committee members of Conditional Committees, except Diversity and Inclusion, can join a committee with no formal process,” Floyd said.

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The three Standing Committees include the allocations committee, elections committee and judicial committee.

Floyd said the Allocations Committee is responsible for distributing a portion of the student activity fund to registered student organizations and is made up of 12 members and a chair.

“The intent of the Allocations Committee is to mitigate clubs’ operating costs in order to facilitate the existence of a diverse array of student experiences on Pitt’s campus,” Floyd said.

According to Floyd, the Elections Committee has eight members and one chairperson, and works to conduct a fair, honest and efficient student government election in line with the SGB constitution and elections code. She said the Judicial Committee works to promote an ethical working environment within SGB and Pitt’s academic community as a whole.

“One of our key roles is to serve as the adjudicating body and appellate court for conflicts within student organizations and the Student Government Board,” Floyd said.

“Furthermore, we seek to provide the student body with a well-structured and transparent Constitution to guide the multitude of student affairs and activities that compose Pitt life.”

Apart from joining committees, another way to get involved with student government, specifically for firstyear students, is through the First-Year Council. Floyd said See SGB on page 17

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Jacob Mraz

THE BIG NAMES: PEOPLE TO KNOW AT PITT

Staff Writer

Let’s face it, these first few weeks on campus are likely to be a whirlwind. Right now students are more worried about getting IDs, figuring out where classes are and making friends than remembering a name they briefly heard at orientation. Luckily, The Pitt News is here to give everyone a rundown on faculty and student organization heads students need to know. Consider this the guide to who’s who at Pitt.

Chancellor Patrick Gallager The chancellor is primarily responsible for maintaining the University’s image and relationship with its local community, as well as facilitating a safe environment for students. Gallagher announced in April that he would step down from his role as chancellor — a position he’s held since 2014 — with plans to return to the classroom as a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the summer of 2023.

Gallagher received his doctorate in physics from Pitt in 1991 and was appointed by President Barack Obama to direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2009. pittnews.com

programs as well as ensuring from Columbia University. a welcoming social environment. The primary and most important goal of the office is educating and assisting the whole student — not just the one in the classroom.

Prior to 2021, Bonner served as Pitt’s Dean of Students and has worked at the University since 2004. He holds a docAnn Cudd, provost and se- torate of education in higher nior vice chancellor education management from The provost acts as the Uni- the University of Pennsylvaversity’s chief academic of- nia and a master’s in counselficer, and is responsible for ing from Kent State.

Clyde Wilson Pickett, vice developing and implementing chancellor for equity, divervarious academic programs sity and inclusion and initiatives, such as Pitt’s A graduate of Pitt’s School Success Pell Match Grant, of Education in 2017, Pickett which doubles students’ Pell is responsible for creating a Grant money at Pitt. Students welcome, inclusive and safe will likely get a lot of emails environment for students, facfrom the provost’s office ulty and staff. His selection about surveys and important coincided with a 2020 push by news around campus.

Black student organizations Prior to 2018, Cudd served for more representation and as Boston University’s Dean inclusivity within the Univerof the College and Graduate sity.

School of Arts and Sciences.

Before coming to Pitt, PickShe holds a doctorate in phiett was the chief diversity oflosophy as well as two mas- Carla Panzella, Dean of Stu- ficer for the Minnesota State ter’s degrees in philosophy dents Colleges and Universities and economics from Pitt.

The Dean of Students over- System and the Community sees student resources, from College of Allegheny County.

See Big Names on page 21 admissions to social and professional programs such Images via Pitt webpage, Frames by as the Career Center, PITT Fikayomi Olagbami | Staff Illustrator ARTS, new student programs and student life services on campus.

Prior to being named the new dean in Aug. 2021, Panzella served as Dean of Students for Salem State University in Massachusetts where she led numerous organizaKenyon R. Bonner, vice pro- tions such as athletics and stuvost for student affairs dent orientation. She holds a The student affairs office is doctorate in higher education led by Bonner and facilitates from Seton Hall and a masters campus inclusivity, diversity in organizational psychology August 1, 2022 7

A GUIDE TO PITT’S COVID-19 SITUATION Kendall Swift Staff Writer

This upcoming year will mark the fourth consecutive school year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, communities have rapidly adapted to changing recommendations.

Over the past two and a half years, Pitt has restructured the learning environment, leaving many students questioning how next semester will look. The Pitt News has compiled some important information for students regarding the University’s current COVID-19 policies.

Class Format One of an incoming student’s biggest questions is likely about where they will be attending class — whether it will be in-person or in a dorm room. Pitt is hopeful that the upcoming school year will take place fully in-person, though plans may change as case numbers rise or fall, according to a University

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spokesperson.

“We are planning to have a fully in-person campus experience for both classroom and other activities this fall and are hopeful that conditions remain steady so that we do not have to deviate from that plan,” a University spokesperson said.

Masks Mask requirements will remain consistent with CDC guidelines, according to an April 25 release updated by the University. Currently, masks are not required indoors, though the choice to wear a mask is up to individuals.

“Anyone should feel comfortable wearing a mask at any time while optional,” a university spokesperson said.

Pitt’s COVID-19 Medical Response Office still recommends masks, even for fully vaccinated students. They are recommended “especially for individuals who are immunocompromised and

those close to them, and in settings where you are in close contact with a number of people,” the CMRO said. “Masking plus staying up to date on vaccinations offers the best protection for everyone.”

Vaccinations Vaccinations are offered by the university at the PItt CoVax Vaccination Center, which is located beside the University Pharmacy on Fifth Avenue. CoVax offers COVID-19 vaccinations, boosters and flu shots.

All students are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have an approved exemption. Information about vaccination exemptions are available on Pitt’s website.

Testing COVID-19 testing is required weekly for non-vaccinated students. For vaccinated students, symptoms or exposure may lead to necessary testing. Pitt will also

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require a negative test from unvaccinated students moving into oncampus housing.

Pitt offers free COVID-19 tests to all students through Quest Diagnostics, according to their testing page.

On-Campus Resources The CMRO not only offers vaccinations, but also sends regular updates to the Pitt community regarding COVID-19 data. Weekly updates are sent to students’ Pitt emails, which include information regarding all campuses. According to the CMRO, the office collects data for these updates from various campus sources.

“We collect data from MyHealth@Work and Student Health Service, and require people to report positive tests. We also rely on people to upload their vaccination and booster status [online],” the CMRO said.

See Covid on page 14

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‘WIN ABOVE ALL ELSE’: NELLY CUMMINGS LOOKS TO PUT HIS HOMETOWN TEAM BACK ON THE MAP

Frankie Richetti Senior Staff Writer

Pitt graduate student point guard Nelly Cummings is a flat-out winner.

At every level, Cummings has enjoyed plenty of success, and one thing is for sure — he’s willing to work and make sure that continues at his hometown school.

Cummings is one of the most successful high school basketball players in Western Pennsylvania history — going 103-16 throughout his high school career, appearing in three WPIAL title games and finishing No. 6 all-time in scoring in league history. When it came time for Cummings to move on to the collegiate level, he wasn’t fazed.

After sitting out for a season due to transfer rules following his first-year season at Bowling Green, Cummings led Colgate to two regular season Patriot League championships and two Patriot League tournament titles — going back-to-back in the last two seasons. In the latter, Cummings made All-Patriot League first team honors. Now, he returns home with the same goal in mind — to win at all costs.

This past December, Colgate went on the road to play the Panthers in what was a homecoming for Cummings. Pitt spoiled the party, though, defeating Colgate 71-68 — a loss that started a five-game losing streak, with their next win not coming until Jan. 10, 2022.

But Cummings didn’t let the losing streak keep him down. He always had a response, this time by leading the Raiders to one of their best seasons in program history — including a 15-game win streak — which culminated in cutting down the nets in the Patriot League title game for the second straight year.

Colgate assistant strength and conditioning coach Dakota Dailey said Cummings embraced the chalpittnews.com

lenge of turning Colgate’s season around.

“Nelly is not afraid of a challenge,” Dailey said. “This past season, Colgate had a slump that would have turned off most players of his caliber. A constant positive influence and reminder of what was most important to the guys, he was able to right the ship and go on an unbeliev-

hardest worker I’ve ever seen.”

It’s hard to disagree with that notion. After all, Cummings was a three-time All-WPIAL and AllState selection. The Pittsburgh PostGazette named him Player of the Year for the 2016-17 season — a year in which he averaged 30 points per game. Most importantly, he just knows what it takes to win.

Pitt graduate student guard Nelly Cummings (0). Image via Pitt Athletics.

able run.”

Next time Cummings steps foot on the floor at the Petersen Events Center for a game, he’ll be wearing the Pitt script across his chest. As a graduate, Cummings hit the transfer portal and returned home. How he got to that point, though, is a testament to his resolve.

Lincoln Park Charter School head coach Mike Bariski believed college coaches under-recruited Cummings coming out of high school.

“He was overlooked by some of the schools, I think he was underrecruited that year,” Bariski said.

“Everything fueled Nelly’s fire, he always spins it positively. He’s the

18 days removed from losing to North Catholic in the WPIAL Championship, the two teams met up again in the state semifinal. Lincoln Park had the lead late, up by five points with 6:26 remaining.

Cummings came to Bariski and said “I just need the ball.”

From there, the rest was history.

Lincoln Park didn’t shoot a field goal for the rest of the game. Cummings went to the foul line repeatedly and only missed one free throw — going 20-21 from the line in the fourth quarter, willing his team to a 54-46 victory and earning a berth to the state title game.

Dailey and the rest of Colgate’s

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staff got to see that win-at-all-costs mentality carry over to the collegiate level.

“Nelly had an attitude that, regardless of what happened, it was going to be off the back of him,” Dailey said. “Obviously one of the most dangerous scorers in the Patriot League, but oftentimes it was not him scoring that decided the outcome. He was willing to play his role and be incredibly selfless to ensure Colgate won.”

Despite his success, Cummings said feeling overlooked was nothing new.

“Honestly, my whole life I felt slighted,” Cummings said.

Cummings keeps a chip on his shoulder because of it. He doesn’t just embrace challenges, he welcomes them. Fans are hoping Cummings can turn the program around and return the Panthers to their former glory. It’s certainly a challenge — a massive one at that. But he wouldn’t want it any other way.

Cummings grew up a Panthers fan. He said his favorite memories as a Pitt fan are of the Oakland Zoo and how loud it was, mentioning how big of a priority it is to recreate that environment. Cummings continued to follow the program even while he was away from home, saying that it was tough to see the Panthers struggle after seeing them at their best.

Cummings said it was important for him to preach to his teammates about the tradition of Pitt basketball.

“That’s something we discuss as teammates,” Cummings said. “That has to be known.”

Cummings said the prospect of making Pitt a potential national powerhouse again inspired him to get the chance to come back home and make things right.

“I want to win above all else,” Cummings said.

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Bella Markovitz

SIX ON-CAMPUS

Staff Writer

For any new or returning students, it’s always helpful to know what is going on and what changes to look out for on campus.

Pitt has an expansive campus and an abundance of buildings and resources already available and in use, so it may surprise new students to learn just how much development is in the works in Oakland. The Campus Master Plan has the 20-30 year road map, so here are the highlights of some of the projects currently underway.

Here are six recent and ongoing construction projects on campus to know about: 1. Hillman Library Great news for all the library lovers — the newly renovated first and second floors of Hillman will be opening in January according to Jeffrey Wisniewski, Hillman’s director of communications and web services.

The renovations began in July 2021 and will be completed this fall. Once the floors open, students can look forward to several new amenities.

The newly renovated floors

will include a large, open area with movable furniture, allowing seats to be rearranged for events.

Along with this study area, the renovations have added an accessible Forbes Avenue entrance ramp, an indoor/outdoor café and an expanded Open Lab. Wisniewski shared the next steps of the library’s reinvention plans, which will end in 2024.

“The final phase is scheduled to start in late January 2023 and end in the spring of 2024,” Wisniewski said.

He said the final phase will add a third floor patio deck for events, 18 reservable rooms for group study, a new space and lab for the Digital Scholarship Commons, a media lab with editing rooms, a video studio and more.

2. Cathedral of Learning The Cathedral’s main entrance and plaza are closed for the entire summer while maintenance crews work to keep the historic building in good condition. Senior Facilities Manager Dante Bongiorni said along with refurbishing the stone façade, they are also waterproofing the deck to prevent leaks to the ground floor and improve drainage. Though there likely won’t be any visual

Proposed view of Bigelow Boulevard. Image via University of Pittsburgh Master Plan.

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CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS FALL

differences, this maintenance aids in the preservation and upkeep of the Cathedral.

This project comes after last summer’s renovations to the Cathedral’s ground floor bathrooms and HVAC upgrades. All of these renovations are part of the larger $6 million Department of General Services project, funded by the state, according to a spokesperson for Bongiorni.

3. New Campus Recreation and Wellness Center A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Campus Recreation and Wellness Center is scheduled for Sept. 29, 2022. Janine Fisher, director of marketing and communications, said the ceremony will take place before construction begins.

“This ceremony will be student centered along with University staff and administrators.

This will be our official ‘launch celebration’ as the bulk of the construction gets underway,” Fisher said.

In one of the videos recently uploaded to the campus recreation page, Zak Klaczak, a junior sports management and marketing major, listed some of the features included in this new recreation center.

“An esports lounge, counseling center and yoga studio all in one place. It’s gonna be a really good time for the students and really great for the university overall,” Klaczak said.

The new recreation center is also slated to provide an indoor track, a stress-free zone, a new gym and a pool.

To pay for the new facility, which is scheduled to open in 2025, the mandatory wellness fee for full-time students on the Pittsburgh campus will increase by $50 for the 2022-23 school year. The fee will then increase by another $50 for the 2023-24 pittnews.com

school year.

4. Victory Heights Arena and Sports Performance Center Construction of this new arena will soon begin on the right side of the Petersen Events Center.

David DeJong, senior vice chancellor for business and operation, told the University Times that the arena project is “well down the road of design” after being delayed by the pandemic.

This arena and performance center is just one part of Pitt Athletics’ ambitious ‘Victory Heights’ project. So far the first part of the project has been completed, which was the third floor addition to the Petersen Sports Complex in Mar. 2021. Along with the new arena and performance center are plans to build an indoor track & field and band complex. A timeline of the project is available on the Hail to Pitt website.

5. Scaife Hall Attention all medical students!

The new west wing of Scaife Hall, the home to Pitt’s School of Medicine, opens this July.

New renovations on the original building are scheduled to begin at the same time.

The new 110,000-square-foot addition, according to the University Times, will include a Lothrop Street entrance, a renovated Falk Library, a café with both indoor and outdoor seating, private study spaces and a new gross anatomy lab with virtual reality equipment.

Meanwhile, the current renovations will update the labs, study spaces and lecture halls into designs meant to encourage team-based learning and interaction between students.

6. Schenley Café in the William Pitt Union Since the café is usually closed during the summer months any-

Proposed view looking north from south campus hub. Image via University of Pittsburgh Master Plan.

way, these renovations aren’t interrupting any business hours.

Julie Bannister, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Auxiliary Services, said these are only backof-house kitchen renovations, so students will likely not notice any changes upon the reopening of the café in the fall.These renovations are intended to support

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the catering operations that the Pitt Catering Company provides to various events on and around campus such as graduations, sporting events, office events, weddings and more.

Like the Cathedral Plaza project, these renovations will be completed before students arrive for the fall semester.

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Pamela Smith

‘VARIETY OF MEAL OPTIONS’: DINING WITH A MEAL PLAN AT PITT

Contributing Editor

Andrew Klepeis, a rising junior politics and philosophy major, said it’s important for students to familiarize themselves with meal planning options at Pitt to get the most out of a meal plan.

“Know every place you can use your dining dollars and meal exchanges,” Klepeis said. “That way you don’t let anything go to waste.”

Pitt offers a range of dining options, both on and off campus, through Pitt Eats meal memberships. Depending on the plan, meal memberships grant students access to the dining halls, meal swaps, dining dollars and flex swaps. Firstyear students living in on-campus residences are required to purchase an unlimited membership.

The Eatery at the Towers and The Perch at Sutherland are allyou-can-eat, on-campus dining facilities. Students with unlimited memberships get unlimited access to these dining locations.

Abbie Calvert, a rising junior neuroscience major, said one of her favorite places to eat on campus is The Perch.

“I really enjoy The Perch for its convenience living on upper campus,” Calvert said. “Although it offers less variety [than The Eatery], the Perch has high quality food and

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some steady options.”

Meal swaps allow students to get food from on-campus restaurants once a day with the Unlimited Membership. Formerly called “meal exchanges,” meal swaps allow students to choose a combination of approved food items with a value of up to $10.

Calvert also said variety is “important” when using meal swaps.

“I’d say it’s important to get a good variety using your meal exchanges,” Calvert said. “That really helped me to not get too bored with dining options.”

Klepeis also said variety is important, and added that students should find dining locations close to their classes.

“I would usually [use] my meal exchange at the Cathedral Café or the Union, they were close to where I would have class and the food was consistent but varied enough that it didn’t feel boring going there multiple times a week,” Klepeis said. “In particular, I was a big fan of The Roost and True Burger.“ Students can order ahead from on-campus restaurants using the TransAct mobile app or using kiosks at the Cathedral Café, Schenley Café, Petersen Events Center food court and Einstein’s at Posvar Hall. Students can connect their Panther Card to the TransAct mobile app to pay with meal swaps,

panther funds and dining dollars.

All on-campus dining locations accept dining dollars for purchasing food. Using dining dollars at oncampus locations provides a 10% discount on food purchased. 25% of a student’s total dining dollars are allocated to use at off-campus restaurants near Pitt’s campus, such as CHiKN, Stack’d and Pamela’s.

A Pitt Eats representative said dining dollars provide students with “a variety of meal options.”

“There are many locations in the surrounding area with a variety of meal options that accept Dining Dollars — including the Giant Eagle grocery store off Center Avenue,” the representative said. “Dining dollars can also be used oncampus and at any of the Markets, including Forbes Street Market.”

Pitt Eats also provides services for students who have dietary restrictions, such as food allergies and intolerances, as well as students who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. Students can connect with a campus dietitian at pitteats@ pitt.edu to develop a plan that fits their needs. Daily menus for oncampus dining facilities, including nutritional facts, ingredients and serving sizes are also available on the Pitt Eats website and Dine on Campus app.

The Pitt Eats representative said their goal is to “meet the needs of

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all students” through a variety of different dining options.

“Dining is an important part of campus life, and we want all students to have a dining experience that fuels and revitalizes them,” Pitt Eats said. “Our goal is to meet the needs of all students with a diverse, food-forward approach and ensure they have the tools to enjoy our dining locations with confidence — ensuring everyone feels welcomed, included and satisfied.”

For any students who may be experiencing food insecurity, The Pitt Pantry, located in Bellefield Presbyterian Church, provides inclusive food options. Students can fill out an online form to pick up food or pantry appointments. The Pitt Pantry accepts donations at the Thackeray Avenue side porch of the Bellefield Presbyterian Church during distribution hours.

Promiti Debi | Senior Staff Illustrator

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NEW-LOOK BASKETBALL ROSTER LOOKS TO MAKE NOISE IN ACC IN 2022-23 SEASON

Jack Markowski Staff Writer

Coming into the offseason following a disappointing 2021-22 season for Pitt basketball (11-21 overall, 6-14 ACC), head coach Jeff Capel and the rest of the Panthers’ staff needed to assemble a competitive roster. With eight scholarship spots up for grabs, Capel changed the team’s makeup and brought in a group of players that has reignited optimism and interest around the program.

Pitt made an early splash when it lured graduate student guard Nelly Cummings, a western Pennsylvania native, to the program as a transfer. Cummings opened his collegiate career at Bowling Green before transferring to Colgate, where he spent the last three years as a star point guard and helped

lead the Raiders to two consecutive tournament berths.

He will assume more of a scoring role than a playmaking one in the Panther offense, as he averaged 14.7 points and 12.5 field goal attempts per game as opposed to 3.4 assists last season. Despite not being a traditional point guard, Cummings will bring added experience to the backcourt, joining veteran graduate student Jamarius Burton and redshirt senior Nike Sibande.

Graduate student guard Greg Elliott, a transfer from Marquette, also joined the Panthers this offseason. Elliott spent four seasons as a Golden Eagle, where he shot 41% from three and 44.8% from the field over 114 games. He profiles as a consistent rotation option for Pitt, where he will operate primarily as a dangerous catch-and-shoot option on the wing. Elliott’s ability

Pitt first-year forward Giullermo Diaz Graham (25) practices shooting. Image via Pitt Athletics.

to hit shots from outside will also be a welcome development for a team that finished bottom three in the conference in three-point percentage at 31.4%.

Incoming first-year guard Dior Johnson committed to the Panthers in mid-June and instantly

became one of the highest-rated recruits in program history. People have raised questions about Johnson’s past, but there is no doubting his pure talent.

Once rated the No. 4 prospect in See Men’s Basketball on page 20

Covid, pg. 8 Fall Expectations As previously mentioned, Pitt aims to have a fully in-person, maskoptional learning environment for the fall semester. But this could change as the summer progresses.

Based on these guidelines, students should be flexible to change.

The CMRO expects a slight increase in positive cases once students return to campus, but hopes it will balance out shortly after the term begins.

“As the campus population increases, we expect an increase in positive cases — and we expect cases to continue to be mild, thanks to a highly vaccinated community.

Numbers generally stabilize a few weeks after move-in, but our health and safety experts continue to monitor data and respond accordingly,” the CMRO said.

Immortal gods and first philosophers, blind poets and mad emperors: Your ultimate journey into the past.

mystory.pitt.edu/explore-academics/cultures-and-languages and pitt.edu/global/languages

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MUST-ATTEND SPORTING EVENTS FOR NEW STUDENTS

Brian Sherry Staff Writer

New students on campus may feel overwhelmed by the number of sporting events Pitt has to offer. Keeping track of important games and events can be difficult. But fear not — The Pitt News has compiled a list of must-watch sporting events for the fall semester.

Only the football and volleyball teams have released their 2022 schedules, so here are a few can’t-miss events from those two programs.

Football vs. West Virginia — Sept. 1 at 7p.m.

This game requires little introduction. The 127-year rivalry returns after an 11-year hiatus, making for a mustwatch event. This will also be the football program’s first game of the season and the first test for the new-look of-

fense. After losing numerous star players and coordinator Mark Whipple, the reconstructed Panther offense will look to shine under the bright lights of Heinz Field.

The atmosphere will be electric for this game — with West Virginia likely wellrepresented in the stands, as Morgantown lies just 77 miles from Pittsburgh — hence the “Backyard Brawl” nickname associated with the contest.

New and returning students alike can’t miss this historic matchup.

Volleyball vs. Louisville — Oct. 23 at 1p.m.

Pitt volleyball comes into their 2022 campaign following a historic season last year.

The Panthers fell just short of a national championship, losing to Nebreska in the tourna-

ment semi-final. The program will face their first test at home on Oct. 23 against Louisville.

The Cardinals also came close to a national title last season, losing to the eventual champion Wisconsin in the semifinals.

The Cardinals also won the ACC championship last season over Pitt, who finished in second place. This game will likely decide the ACC championship this season, making for an intense match up at the Fitzgerald Field House.

Football vs. Tennessee — Sept. 10 at 3:30 p.m.

Panther football will immediately follow up their rivalry game against West Virginia with another major test against Tennessee. The Panthers narrowly edget out a road victory against the Volunteers in an energetic shootout last season, but Tennessee has made vast improvements since last season, ranking No. 24 in the nation in ESPN’s way-too-early poll.

This game also has historic roots — coined the “Johnny Majors Classic” in memory of the College Hall of Fame Coach who led Pitt to a national title in 1976 before leaving to coach to the Volunteers. It will also be the first time an SEC opponent has played against the Panthers at Heinz Field.

Volleyball vs. Ohio State — Sept. 18 at 1 p.m.

Pitt volleyball will face a tough non-conference opponent in Ohio State. The Buckeyes finished No. 11 in the nation last season and third in the highly competitive Big Ten. Ohio State fell to Georgia Tech in the third round of the tournament, ending their

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strong tournament run.

This game will also be the final non-conference test before the Panthers jump into ACC play. Ohio State stands as the most competitive team on Pitt’s non-conference schedule, making this a mustwin for the Panthers.

Football vs. Virginia Tech — Oct. 8, time TBD Many of the football program’s difficult ACC contests are road games, but Virginia Tech stands as the most competitive ACC team the Panthers will face at Heinz Field.

The Hokies notoriously wield a stellar defense, and this year will be no different. Virginia Tech will have a better returning defense than any of Pitt’s ACC opponents, ranking fifth in the conference in total defense last season. With their potent defense, Virginia Tech could stymie the new-look Panther offense.

This game could also play a factor in the ACC Coastal race. Virginia Tech typically proves to be a perennial competitor in the ACC Coastal.

But with the rise of Pitt’s football dominance last season, the Panthers may prove too much to handle for the Hokies.

Football vs. Syracuse — Nov. 5, time TBD Many Pitt fans may not know that Pitt has an established rivalry with Syracuse.

This will be the 77th meeting between the two sides, with Pitt leading the series with 42 wins. Pitt fans shouldn’t sweat this rivalry game too much, as the Panthers trounced the Orange last season by 17 points Still, the game will provide the Panthers a much-needed visit to Heinz Field in the midst of a difficult ACC road schedule.

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SGB, pg. 5 FYC is a small group of firstyear students who show potential for campus leadership and is chaired by the Chief of Staff, Dominic Victoria, and the Vice President of Initiatives, Bhuvitha Chagantipati.

“Under their leadership, FYC learns and refines leadership skills such as public speaking, time management and effective leadership,” Floyd said.

Board member and Vice President of Initiatives Bhuvitha Chagantipati, who will co-chair FYC, said the role of the co-chairs is to assist FYC in working on their initiatives.

Chagantipati said applications will open early in the fall semester.

“We gather a group of driven students and split them up into the different conditional committees,” Chagantipati said. “They work on several projects through the conditional committees, but they also work on a couple firstyear projects together.”

According to Chagantipati, if students do not want to join SGB, but want to share concerns or ideas with the board, there are plenty of opportunities to do so. She said board members are required to hold ten office hours a week where anyone is welcome to stop by.

“We’re very receptive to student feedback — that’s the reason we ran for these positions,” Chagantipati said.

“We’re working on ways to be more visible to the student body.”

Lintz said SGB is a resource for all students, not just those within the organization. She said a lot of SGB’s initiatives are targeted towards helping the general welfare of students and said the board intends to focus on making SGB an orpittnews.com

ganization that students feel comfortable approaching.

“We have mental health initiatives, things for minority students…” Lintz said. “So even if you are brand new and notice something on our campus you want to see fixed, or transfer students, for instance, if you had something on your previous campus you would like to see happen here in Pittsburgh, send us an email, we are very approachable.”

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PHOTO COLLAGE: CAMPUS SIGHTS Photos by Joy Cao, Senior Staff Photographer

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Men’s Basketball, pg. 14 his recruiting class, Johnson possesses a lethal offensive skill set that includes his ability to shoot, finish at the rim and overall feel within the game. He also has all of the tools to make him a nightmare on the defensive end and as a playmaker.

He will join a group of guards that is among the best in the ACC, and Johnson is the type of ceiling raiser that Pitt desperately needs as it looks to ascend into contention.

Junior forward Blake Hinson will bring several years of SEC experience and versatility to the Panthers’ lineup come November. He spent the first two seasons of his career at Ole Miss in 2018-19 and 2019-20, where he averaged 9.1 points per game on 40% shooting from the field over 60 games. He then went on to transfer to Iowa State but never played a game, missing the 2020-21 campaign before leaving the program prior to

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the 2021-22 season.

The fact that Hinson hasn’t played in over two years makes his potential impact more ambiguous, but the talent and overall profile is there. He built up a reputation as a reliable scorer and shooter while at Ole Miss, and his 6-foot-7-inch frame gives him flexibility in his game on both ends of the floor.

Hinson will have to come in and prove himself, but that prior success and size off the wing makes him a frontrunner for serious minutes right away.

The first of two junior college transfers the Panthers received this offseason was sophomore big man Fede Federiko. Coming over from Northern Oklahoma College, Federiko brings a blend of size and athleticism that makes him an intriguing developmental prospect in the frontcourt.

Measuring in at 6 foot 11, Federiko has the potential to be a force as a rim protector and rebounder as his offensive game progresses. Playing time may be

hard to come by in his first year, but three years of eligibility gives Federiko time to hone his skills and work closely with the staff to reach his ceiling.

The second junior college transfer is redshirt sophomore guard Cashius McNeilly, who was a teammate of Federiko’s at Northern Oklahoma. McNeilly averaged 10 points per game on the season while shooting 45.1% from the field and 43.6% from three before committing to Maryland. After a coaching change, he decommitted and eventually wound up at Pitt.

He brings shooting prowess and length to a stacked backcourt, but may also struggle to earn consistent playing time as a result. Much like Federiko, though, McNeilly has three years of eligibility and can afford to take his time to develop and not rush things along in 2022-23.

Perhaps the most intriguing additions to Pitt’s roster are first-year twins Jorge and Guillermo Diaz Graham. Rated as three-star pros-

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pects, the two big men hail from the Spanish Canary Islands. With both measuring in at 6 foot 11, the brothers could see immediate roles in the rotation due to the need for size in the frontcourt and on the wing.

Jorge projects as a stretch forward that will operate as a shooter that can develop into a consistent playmaker. Guillermo is a versatile threat for the Panthers, with good range from deep as well as flashing potential as a passer. Both need to fill in their frame in order to truly hold their own at the ACC level, but for the time being their size and raw talent should suffice.

With the returning talent in tow and the incoming class providing a mixture of experience and upside, the Panthers have afforded themselves a chance to be competitive in ACC play next season.

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Big Names, pg. 7

Ahmed Ghuman, interim director of University Counseling Center Previously led by Jay Darr, who stepped down in March 2022 after 3 years, the University Counseling Center offers an array of services for student mental health from a 24-hour crisis response line to group and individual counseling sessions. The UCC has worked to eliminate wait lists, develop a more diverse staff and implement a Higher Education Assessment and Response Team (HEART) for students in distress since 2019.

Interim director Ghuman is a clinical psychologist who focuses on inclusivity and promoting cultural humility and collaboration with his staff. Ghuman earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and holds a master’s in business administration from La Salle University.

ity resources and services (DRS) Under the umbrella of the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, DRS is responsible for students with disabilities within undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs and seeks to create an accommodating environment for faculty and staff at the University.

Culley, director since 2015, holds a master’s degree in school counseling from Pitt.

Danielle Floyd, SGB president Following spring elections, Floyd won the Student Government Board presidency with 59.09% of the vote.

As SGB President, Floyd will represent Pitt students in meetings with faculty and administration for the 20222023 school year. Floyd, a rising senior economics major, is an advocate for student mental health services and aims to create a safe and open learning environment for underrepresented students at Pitt.

Images via Pitt webpage, Frames by Fikayomi Olagbami | Staff Illustrator

Leigh Culley, director of disabilpittnews.com

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PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR THE YEAR OF EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING Elizabeth Primrose Staff Writer

Provost Ann Cudd announced the Year of Emotional Well-Being as the focus of the 2022-2023 “Year of…” initiative on April 28.

“The choice of this theme offers an opportunity to engage collectively with a focus on restoring and enhancing our emotional well-being,” Cudd said in her announcement. “The pandemic certainly has underscored the importance of fully supporting the emotional welfare of students, faculty and staff as everyone navigates the new terrain.”

Cudd asked Jay Darr, associate dean of students for wellness, and Jamie Zelazny, an assistant professor of nursing and psychiatry, to lead efforts around the

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Year of Emotional Well-Being.

According to Zelazny, she and Darr will form a committee of faculty, staff and students from the Oakland campus and each of the regional campuses in the coming months that will help with planning for the year.

“This is an enormously important and needed initiative,” Zelazny said. “We hope to engage the student body in all aspects of the Year of Emotional Wellbeing, starting with the planning phase.”

While planning is still in its early stages, Zelazny said she and Darr plan to host a kick-off event in October, which is also Mental Health Awareness Month at Pitt.

A spokesperson for Darr said he is “honored and excited”

about serving as a co-chair for the Year of Emotional Well-Being initiative.

Zelazny said she is eager to highlight the importance of emotional well-being across campus by leading the Year of Emotional Well-Being programs.

“I am excited about the events and speakers that will be offered by the Committee,” Zelazny said. “But I think I am most excited about the variety of ideas for promoting emotional wellbeing we will get from the campus community through the funding opportunities.”

As with previous “Year of…” initiatives, the Office of the Provost will provide matching funding to support projects and events related to the theme. Zelazny said these funding opportunities

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have the potential to benefit students, faculty and staff.

Zelazny said she looks forward to sharing more information about the Year of Emotional Well-Being after the committee has planned more events for the upcoming year.

Annika Esseku staff illustrator

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FORMER PANTHER THERESE PITMAN AIMS TO HELP COLLEGE ATHLETES IN NEW ROLE WITH NCAA

Pitt graduate student Therese Pitman (6). Image via Pitt Athletics

Zack Gibney

Senior Staff Writer

World-renowned physicist Albert Einstein once said, “The only source of knowledge is experience.”

After five years of playing college lacrosse, Pitt defender Therese Pitman brings just that to her new internship with the NCAA. With a firsthand understanding of the student-athlete experience, Pitman looks to shine a light on issues plaguing studentathletes across the country.

In their inaugural season, Pitt Lacrosse quickly found a sense of consistency in Pitman. Despite it being her first year playing with the team, coaches saw her as a leader given the fact that it was her fifth year playing Division I lacrosse.

Pitt head coach Emily Boissonneault said Pitman’s transition into becoming a leader in the locker room, and to Pitt as a whole, was a smooth one.

“We talk about Therese Pitman all the time,” Boissonneault said.

“She’s an incredible leader, she really engaged with the University last year, she comes from a smaller, mid-major school. The special thing is that anyone can step up in any moment, and I think everyone on this team is capable of pittnews.com

doing that.”

After stops at Binghamtom and Siena, Pitman started all 19 games for the Panthers and played a major role in establishing a standard in the program’s inaugural season.

But despite her on-field success, Pitman’s impact on college athletics is perhaps still in the making.

In a time when mental health struggles among student-athletes continue to manifest themselves in tragic ways, people such as Pitman are looking to make life easier for those bearing the weight of collegiate academics and athletics.

Unlike many of her peers, Pitman’s relationship with lacrosse was relatively short. Growing up in Sherrill, NY, Pitman didn’t touch a lacrosse stick until tenth grade, when her friend convinced her to give the sport a shot.

Lacrosse came naturally to Pitman.

“A lot of people fall out of love with the sport they play because they’ve played it for so long,” Pitman said. “Because I haven’t, it’s given me the opportunity to fall in love with [lacrosse] and never fall out of love with it.”

While Pitman didn’t draw much attention from D-I schools initially due to her relatively new See Pitman on page 26

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PHOTO COLLAGE: CAMPUS SIGHTS Photos by Joy Cao, Senior Staff Photographer

15%

discount with student ID!

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BUDGET AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES DISCUSS BUDGET, TUITION INCREASES

Allison Radziwon News Editor

The budget and executive committees of the Board of Trustees held a virtual meeting on July 14 to discuss the annual operating and capital budgets for the 2023 fiscal year, as well as tuition increases for the upcoming 20222023 academic year. In-state students at the Pittsburgh campus will see a 3.5% increase, while out-of-state students will see a 5.5% increase, according to Hari Sastry, Pitt’s senior vice chancellor and chief financial officer.

Sastry said the operating budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year is set at $2.7 billion, which is a 5.8% increase from last year’s budget of $2.6 billion. According to Sastry, the budget is meant to help strengthen research, recruiting “high caliber” students, enhancing diversity, supporting sustainability initiatives and other Plan for Pitt initiatives. He said the budget also includes 4.25% of the funds set aside for pay raises for faculty and staff, as many did not receive salary increases throughout the pandemic.

Gallagher later announced both the annual budgets and increased tuition rates in a University wide email update.

During the meeting Sastry also thanked state leaders for maintaining the annual budget appropriations for Pitt.

“We are grateful to our leaders in Harrisburg for maintaining their investment in the future of our commonwealth, as these funds are specifically used to provide tuition discounts for Pennsylvania students,” Sastry said.

Sastry said the projected research budget will reach $1 billion for the first time in Pitt’s history. He said this will “strengthen” Pitt’s position as a leader in research. pittnews.com

The capital budget is set at $667.1 million, according to Sastry. He said the funds will support several ongoing projects to preserve current campus buildings, and it will help support “new initiatives” such as health science programs.

Housing costs will also in-

crease by 4.6% to 4.9% for the Pittsburgh campus and 5% to 6% on regional campuses, according to Sastry. He said dining costs will increase at an average of 4% for Pittsburgh campus students and between 4.3% to 5% for regional campus students.

According to Sastry, students

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in the school of computing and information will also see rates rise an additional 2%. All undergraduate students in the Swanson school of engineering – both in and out of state – will see a 3.5% increase. On regional campuses, Sastry said both in and out of state students will see a 2% increase.

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Pitman, pg. 23 relationship with lacrosse, a connection to the Binghamton program got Pitman a foot in the door. She made an immediate impression on the coaching staff, and accepted her only D-I offer to play for the Bearcats.

About five years later, Pitman wore her No. 6 for the final time in blue and gold — a bittersweet goodbye to a school that had a profound impact on her life, despite playing just one season in Pittsburgh.

“It’s pretty cool to go from being told, ‘You’re never going to be able to play D-I lacrosse,’ to playing with some of the best players in the world,” Pitman said.

After their playing careers come to an end, it is well documented that many former student-athletes struggle to find a role in the workforce. After dedicating their lives to one sport, the institutions often forget about their former athletes.

For Pitman, her post-academic career will begin with focusing on that same problem and other issues many student-athletes face.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in English from Siena and a Master’s in Public Administration from Pitt, Pitman brings both onand off-the-field experience to her leadership development internship with the NCAA. “I felt like I wasn’t done yet, especially since I picked up lacrosse so late,” Pitman said. “What I’ve learned is it’s not just about physically going and playing, it’s also about the mental and emotional side of it too.”

Much of her passion for the wellbeing of student-athletes is drawn back to the Cathy & John Pelusi Family Life Skills Program at Pitt, which, according to Pitt’s website, is meant “to prepare student-athletes for success while in college and for life after college.”

The program provides resources for athletes to explore ventures such as future jobs and volunteer opportunities, along with other pittnews.com

tasks such as building their resume.

“At Siena and Binghamton, I didn’t have the ability to walk into the Life Skills department and talk about what I want my future to look like,” Pitman said. “I always say that when I become an administrator in college athletics, whatever school I’m at I’m going to make sure has a life skills department.”

Danny Bonaventura has served the University of Pittsburgh since January 2020 and currently serves as the director of mentorship for the Life Skills Program. A former student-athlete at Robert Morris, Bonaventura has worked with Pitman and other Pitt athletes to help make the college and post-college experience as valuable as possible.

“We have a mantra … ‘Meet you where you are, see where you want to go and help you build a plan to get there,’” Bonaventura said. “All of that comes with providing the student-athletes an opportunity to succeed academically, succeed athletically and help them grow personally and develop so that they can have success during their time at Pitt and after they leave as well.”

Bonaventura said it was clear that Pitman was interested in working in collegiate athletics.

“Right in our initial meeting, she told me her goal was to work in athletic administration and become an athletic director one day,” Bonaventura said. “She’s very goal-driven and she shared that with me right off the bat.”

Pitman believes The Life Skills Department at Pitt embodies an ideology that she believes should become the norm across the country — allowing student-athletes to create their own experience, both during and after college.

For Pitman, this means a number of things — even something as simple as pursuing non-athletic passions.

A published author, Pitman said writing was a great outlet and gives her a medium of self-expres-

sion that doesn’t involve lacrosse — something that she says is a valuable asset for student-athletes of all sports.

“Every week I take my time to reflect on what the week was like and what I learned,” Pitman said.

“I’ve used it as a piece to connect with other people.”

Pitman epitomized her vision of an athlete-centric culture in college sports even before accepting her internship with the NCAA. While at Pitt, Pitman helped organize various events within the athletic department, such as a Pride-themed game.

She said the school’s willingness to listen to student-athletes is one of the most noticeable differences between Pitt and her experiences at previous institutions.

“At Pitt, it was like, ‘Hey, what do you want this game to look like?’ It made us so happy to be included,” Pitman said. “Creating opportunities for student-athletes to drive their own experience is so important.”

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At the 2022 Panthers Choice Awards, Pitman received the Script Writer Award, which “recognizes a student-athlete who best embraces Pitt Athletics’ seven bridges achieving comprehensive excellence within the classroom, on the field/court of play, within our University community and within the city of Pittsburgh.”

Pitman will look to bring these qualities to the NCAA and to improving the life of countless student-athletes across the country.

“I care so much about the student-athlete experience.” Pitman said. “I want them to know that they’re not just athletes, and they can have a presence or a voice outside the field.”

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ACRISURE INSURANCE BUYS NAMING RIGHTS TO STEELERS, PITT VENUE ON NORTH SHORE

Dalton Coppola Sports Editor

Pitt football will no longer play its home games at Heinz Field.

The longstanding partnership between Heinz and the Pittsburgh Steelers came to an end when the Steelers announced that the naming rights to the stadium now belong to Acrisure Insurance on July 12. Pitt has shared the venue with the Steelers since its opening in 2001.

The Michigan-based company reportedly significantly outbid Heinz to own the naming rights to the venue. Andrew Fillipponi reported that Acrisure will pay $10 million per year to have the naming rights.

The company brings in about $3.8 billion in revenue, according to the Steelers’ statement.

Steelers President Art Rooney

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II is excited about the new partnership with Acrisure and looks forward to improving the venue as well.

“We are excited to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium,” Rooney said. “Acrisure provided us with an opportunity to ensure our stadium continues to be a valuable asset for our fans as well as keeping up with the market value of NFL stadiums. We are very appreciative to partner with Greg Williams and his company, and we look forward to a long, beneficial relationship for years to come.”

Pitt has not released a statement regarding the venue’s new name, but did update its website to show the Panthers play at Acrisure Stadium.

When it comes to the famous

Acrisure Stadium, formerly called Heinz Field, in North Shore. TPN File Image.

ketchup bottles on top of the jumbotron in the endzone, Rooney said it’s possible Heinz and the venue could continue to have a partnership to some degree.

“We are optimistic and hopeful we’ll continue to have a sponsorship relationship,” Rooney said.

“Who knows? The ketchup bot-

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tles could be part of that. We’ll see.”

The Panthers will play its first game in the now Acrisure Stadium in just less than a few months.

Pitt and West Virginia will renew the Backyard Brawl on Sept. 1 at Acrisure Stadium.

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‘EN SABAH NUR’: PITT MEN’S ULTIMATE FRISBEE AND ITS CONTINUED NATIONAL SUCCESS

Richie Smiechowski Senior Staff Writer

Though considered a ‘club sport,’ Pitt’s ultimate frisbee team has the intensity and caliber of a varsity-level Division I program.

College ultimate in the U.S. is no joke — there are over 800 schools with both women’s and men’s programs spread over Division I and Division III subcategories. There are rankings, intensely scheduled seasons and at the end of the year, the 20 best teams in the nation come together in a four-day tournament to crown a national champion.

Pitt ultimate, coine ‘En Sabah Nur’ by founders William Brody Brockman and Erik Frank, has built a strong national reputation since their founding in 1998. Back then the team played a few games a year recreationally, prioritizing building the program rather than competing at a high level.

Little did the two founders know that their small team of players wearing ‘En Sabah Nur’ written in black sharpie across the back of their white T-Shirts would become a powerhouse — capturing back-toback national championships in 2012 and 2013 and making the College Championship Tournament almost every year since its founding.

According to head coach Nick Kaczmarek, ultimate frisbee was hardly an organized sport when he began playing in high school. He fell in love with the game by just playing with his friends after high school but realized it was more serious than he originally thought when he came to Pitt in 2004. pittnews.com

“The sport at that time had no coaches or just infrequent coaches,” Kaczmarek said. “When I went to Pitt in 2004 or 2005 and there was like an actual team that was already formed, it was kind of a big step forward.”

Kaczmarek took over as head coach during the 20112012 season and immediately achieved massive success, winning national titles in each of his first two years at the

which I think has been a big part of our success.”

Since then, Pitt continues to annually contend for championships, consistently making it to the national quarterfinals and going to the national semifinals this past season before losing to Brown.

For Pitt ultimate and other programs across the country, coaches must make genuine efforts to recruit the country’s top high school players

Pitt Ultimate Frisbee team, En Sabah Nur. Image courtesy of Pitt Ultimate Frisbee team, by William Brotman.

helm. He said apart from the joy of simply winning a championship, the titles came at the perfect time for Pitt, capitalizing on a boom of viewership and participation and making Pittsburgh an enticing landing spot for prospective players.

“In 2011, 2012, the college championship started being covered first by CBS Sports and then by ESPN,” Kaczmarek said. “For us it was like right when the sport was really starting to be watched a lot online and on ESPN, we were successful. And so, I think that really allowed us to draw a lot of recruits to Pitt to play

to be successful. Yet the one big difference between ultimate and other varsity sports is that athleticism and hard work trumps all else on the field. Kaczmarek and Pitt take pride in developing highlevel athletes who played another sport in high school but weren’t looking to continue playing into college.

“I think a lot of those players are drawn to a sport that is a new challenge for them, but is also seriously competitive,” Kaczmarek said. “Ultimate I think offers something a little different than a lot of other sports in that it belongs to the

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players. I think a lot of athletes are drawn to that because a lot of high school sports are completely run by the adults.”

From the players’ perspective, that self-accountability and hands-off style of coaching has allowed the team to hold themselves to a higher standard than any coach could hold them to. According to graduate student and team captain Henry Ing, past success creates the standard, but it isn’t his team’s main motivation for competing every year.

“Our team feels that we’re not held to a certain level by other people, we hold ourselves to it,” Ing said. “Because of that we’ve had a lot of success for a long period of time, so we try to push ourselves to reach that level every season.”

Ing exemplifies how Pitt ultimate’s reputation attracts players without coaches needing to recruit them. He was introduced to ultimate in high school by his brother before choosing Pitt not only to pursue his degree in bioengineering, but to also continue playing ultimate at the highest level.

For college ultimate players, there are challenges that come with playing at a school like Pitt. Despite putting in countless hours of practice on top of a 40+ game schedule, being in a club sport means that the players don’t get the benefits varsity players do. There are no scholarships, and the club teams aren’t funded by the school, just purely from donations and out-of-pocket costs.

Still, clear obstacles to participation haven’t stopped ultimate from being one of the country’s most popular club sports. Graduate student and 28

player Chris Ng said although playing at Pitt is a big commitment, it’s nourished a brotherhood amongst the players on the men’s team — one that translates both on and off the field.

“The sort of culture that the upperclassmen and coaches have fostered on this team, like encouraging us to go out to dinner and get to know each other, has really helped us gain that chemistry and comfortability,” Ng said. “I’m super close with my teammates, like I even lived with them four out of my five years. We’re with each other constantly and it’s been an awesome experience.”

En Sabah Nur started with a group of friends in Sutherland Hall looking to play a new sport, and now continues as a bigger group of friends looking to dominate that same sport — this time with a coach and two national championships under their belt. For Ng and the rest of the team, the

Sabah script etched across the front of their gold jerseys represents something bigger than just ultimate frisbee.

“I guess Sabah sort of means something different for everybody on the team,” Ng said.

“What we use it for is in significance with that word brotherhood ... We’re always there for each other, so I think En Sabah Nur kind of just connects on a deeper level.”

Images courtesy of Pitt Ultimate Frisbee team, by William Brotman.

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column

GOOD EATS IN OAKLAND Jessica Snyder

Restaurant Group, which also owns Stack’d and Viva Los Pizza, chicken and rice ga- Tacos. For the most part, you lore! Although Oakland isn’t can’t really go wrong with this the best place to find a reli- chain, as their food is reasonable grocery store, the restau- able and consistent. rants on Forbes Avenue and in the surrounding area are hard Shah’s Halal Food Shah’s might be a bit out to beat. From Pitt’s cult clasof the way on Semple Street, sic Oakland joints to any numbut it is completely worth the ber of the conveniently acceswalk down there. If you find sible places on Forbes, these this walk not worth it, they are restaurants that you, Pitt also have a small cart on Fifth students, should know about.

Avenue across from Litchfield Some of these places, if not Towers.

Do keep in mind, all of them, offer the option to though, that the main restauuse Panther Funds and Dining rant often has a broader range Dollars at their location. This of toppings than the cart does. is something for most firstTheir menu comprises a broad year students to keep in mind when dining in the general scope of gyros and platters, all of which are worth a try.

Forbes Avenue vicinity.

This isn’t an extensive list, My favorite part about Shah’s though. There might even be is their portion sizes — the some places that I haven’t platters are never too much, been to yet. With that being but they always fill you up. said, I encourage you to ex- Shah’s is also always open plore the countless restaurants until really late as well, usuand dining places around cam- ally until around 2 or 3 in the pus yourself. Find what you morning. like — Oakland is full of a diverse amount of good eats to Stack’d Stack’d is also located on enjoy!

Forbes Avenue, just a couple of buildings down from CHiKN Located right on Forbes Av- CHiKN. While their customenue, CHiKN provides one of izable burger menu is their the most reliable places for forté, I’m personally more of a Pitt students to satisfy their fan of their quesadillas. Their fried chicken craving. While I buffalo chicken quesadilla think anything on their menu is See Snyder on page 48 good, I usually go for a Southern or Mild sandwich meal.

CHiKN offers dry rub spice on all of their chicken menu items, ranging from Southern to Damn Hot. As Mike Garner, one of the restaurant’s partners, has said, medium is usually most people’s limit, and I can confirm that this is true.

CHiKN is owned by Mero Annika Esseku staff illustrator August 1, 2022 30 Senior Staff Columnist

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IT’S OKAY TO SPEND TIME ALONE IN COLLEGE Rachel Soloff

Contributing Editor

In my first year at Pitt, I spent a lot of time alone. When I imagined college, I always imagined myself constantly surrounded by friends. They would be in my classes with me, they’d eat every meal with me and we would go to wild and crazy parties every weekend.

While I did eat meals with friends, make a few friends in classes and had my fair share of crazy weekends, not every moment in that first year was like that. I spent a lot of time on my own. At the time, I saw this as a failure. I thought that every single person was always surrounded by friends and was living a crazy, fast-paced life and I was the odd one out. The truth is, in some ways, everyone felt this — and it’s okay if you do too.

Spending time alone in college — and in life — has helped me figure myself out. As someone who grew up as an only child, I have always been independent, but college really solidified the need for it.

During my first year at college, being with people all of the time burnt me out. I needed time to myself just to fold laundry or go on a walk but I always felt guilty doing it — like I was “wasting” my college experience. The truth is no one is really spending every waking moment of college with their friends and doing fun things all of the time.

Everyone is trying to figure out how to balance their schoolwork, friends and mental health, and spending time on your own in your first year of college can help you strike this balance effectively.

Time alone is necessary for all human beings — especially those experiencing a new tran-

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sition in life. We need time to step back and process what we’ve been through. Especially in tumultuous times like the first year of college when everything in your life has changed, it’s important to be alone and process.

I had a lot of emotions entering college. I was worried, excited and many other unex-

plainable emotions. I needed time to just be with myself and sort them out. College is full of new experiences and a complete change of routine. As someone who is a self-described creature of habit, scheduling in some time alone was necessary to create some space for myself.

Being alone however, doesn’t

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mean just laying in your bed and scrolling through your phone — though even this can be beneficial sometimes — it can mean anything from taking a walk to reorganizing your closet. For your own self-care, it’s important to figure out what you like to do with your alone time.

See Soloff on page 50

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THE PITT NEWS Editor-in-Chief

Opinions Editor

BETUL TUNCER

RACHEL SOLOFF

editor@pittnews.com

opinions@pittnews.com

News Editor

Culture Editor

ALLISON RADZIWON

PUNYA BHASIN

news@pittnews.com

culture@pittnews.com

Sports Editor

Layout Editor

DALTON COPPOLA

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HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY IN COLLEGE Paige Wasserman Staff Columnist

College isn’t easy. I’ve written 20-page papers, performed in plays and musicals, written for extracurricular groups and searched for summer career opportunities all at the same time. But you wanna know what was the hardest part of college?

Learning how to take care of myself.

Sure, you’ve had health class and you know the basics. But when you’re in a new, exciting place with tons of social opportunities, you’re not playing high school sports and you’re not eating your family’s meals, you need to workshop a new self-care regimen.

Disclaimer — this is not a onesize-fits-all approach. Some people can chug a whole bottle of wine and feel fine the next day. Some people have disabilities that prevent them from taking maximum care of themselves. Please assume nuance.

Okay! Now the advice!

Eating The dining halls at Pitt are a buffet. You probably want to try everything, maybe get a dessert or a slice of pizza. I promise you, nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to be earth-shatteringly good. Take a look at your options and find a source of protein, a carb and a fruit or vegetable — and I emphasize the vegetable. Seriously. Constipation sucks.

Here’s a rule of thumb for din-

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ing halls in case you want a dessert.

Take a first bite. If it’s good, eat it!

Enjoy! If it’s bad, throw it away.

Don’t waste your stomach’s capacity on something you’re not enjoying.

A lot of social events in college are focused around food — this is a surefire way to gain the freshman 15. If you’ve had a meal prior to the event, have a snack, but don’t have a second dinner unless you’re actually hungry. Or, take some stuff from the event and save it for later.

The Freshman 15 You might gain some weight in the first couple months of college.

Here’s the thing—your body is going to change no matter what. In high school, you might’ve been completely sober, eating three square meals a day and playing year-round sports. That’s not your life anymore, and that’s never going to be your life again, so naturally, you’ll probably see your muscle mass and your fat content change. Be kind to yourself.

At the same time, if you’re noticing significant changes in your weight, whether that’s a loss or a gain, it’s worth figuring out the cause with a doctor and finding a solution.

Alcohol and other drugs I’m sure some college freshmen began drinking in high school.

Some people don’t get hangovers and some people do. Some people really like being drunk, and others

do not. There is no one right way to party in college –– you don’t have to drink, but if you’re going to, do it responsibly.

When you drink, drink as much water as you do alcohol. And, if all else fails and you overdrink and under-hydrate, find a hangover cure.

Sleep, Pedialyte, Pepto-Bismol, or even a greasy breakfast sandwich.

And more water. It’s trial and error.

Also, if you’re on psychiatric medication that interferes with alcohol, either don’t drink or tread very, very lightly. Many antidepressants and stimulants interact adversely with alcohol and other drugs.

To protect yourself from roofies, consider investing in the NightCap Drink Cover Scrunchie. This thing could save you from being drugged by someone with bad intentions.

Also, never leave your drink unattended at a party. If you have to go to the bathroom, or you suspect your drink has been tampered with, just throw it away.

Mental Health I’m of the opinion that everyone needs a therapist. If you find yourself struggling, seek out a therapist immediately. If you need to talk to someone soon, the University has a counseling center. If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 800273-8255.

If you find yourself severely, severely struggling and not improving, think about taking some time

August 1, 2022

off from school to find more comprehensive care. I took off 9 months in 2020, and it was the best decision I ever made for my self-preservation.

Caring for your mental health is very trial and error. Meditation, exercise, journaling, therapy, psychiatric care and general self-care is essential.

Exercise Exercise is crucial for your physical and mental health, and if you’re able, you should try to exercise 4-6 times a week. This doesn’t mean you have to run 5 miles or do 150 lb. deadlifts in the Pete. You can simply incorporate movement into your daily routine.

As mentioned before, food is often the center of social functions in college, but you can make exercise a social function too! Ask a friend if they want to go on a long walk –– or See Wasserman on page 37

Annika Esseku | Staff Illustrator

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A REVIEW OF PITT TRANSPORTATION METHODS

Talia Spillerman Staff Columnist

If you are an incoming first-year student, you will soon learn that Pittsburgh is a city that has it all — at least climate-wise. Between grueling heat, precipitation including but not limited to rain, snow and hail, and violent winds that feel like a slap in the face on your way to class, in Pittsburgh you really get the best of all four seasons.

Sometimes you must call on artificial ingenuity to protect you from the various climates and bring you to the location you need to go to — such as the 10A, Pittsburgh Regional Transit or Spin Scooters. As someone who grew up in a town where public transportation was not very prevalent and has now used much transportation during my two years at Pitt, here is my take on transportation at Pitt.

In case you have not fully explored Pitt, it is important to understand that campus extends up a hill. The street next to the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital which pivots at the Petersen Events Center is infamously referred to as Cardiac Hill because of the difficulty of climbing up the hill, as well as its proximity to the hospital. In addition to the weather elements of Pittsburgh, the rise in elevation makes it essential to understand transportation methods in Pittsburgh that can help you get to where you need to be safely and promptly.

First, the 10A shuttle is the easiest way to get around the actual campus of Pitt. Sometimes you can find its sister bus — the 10B — which runs a similar route.

Both buses start from the Cathedral of Learning, then travel towards Bellefield, but the 10A passes the Pitt Housing on Bigelow while the 10B does not. They then both pass Sutherland Residence Hall, down Fifth Avenue and loop pittnews.com

back on Forbes to the Cathedral of Learning again. Thanks to the Pitt shuttle tracker website, it is easy to figure out where the 10A is and when it will arrive at any location.

But I must provide a few warnings about the 10A. When it is icy or snowy — when a ride would be beneficial — the 10A often stops running. Also, after a cold and icy

Pittsburgh winter, the following season arises — pothole season.

This makes 10A rides more like a rollercoaster. I highly recommend sitting in the front of the bus to have the smoothest ride possible.

In the winter, the buses can become quite crowded — so if you are relying on a ride, I would make sure to get to the stop early to catch

a bus when needed.

After the 10A is done running, which is around 3:30 a.m., Pitt offers another shuttle called the “SafeRider,” which provides a safe ride home, as the name suggests. All you have to do is call the SafeRider, and the operator will inform the bus to stop at your loSee Spillerman on page 54

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FIRST-YEAR GIRLS SHOULD BE WARY OF THE ‘RED ZONE’

Ebonee Rice-Nguyen Staff Columnist

If you are an incoming firstyear girl, then you’ve already been told to beware of frat parties. Yes, this line of thinking is a form of victim-blaming, but as fraternities have become known incubators of sexual violence, these pieces of advice are an essential part of every college girl’s survival kit. While only a small percentage of students at Pitt are involved in Greek life, this fact just makes it easier to sweep the conversation of sexual assault within Greek life culture under the rug.

The transition from high school to college is a tumultuous time and one that brings a wave of new experiences, but not all of them are welcome ones. More than 50% of all college sexual assaults occur between a freshman’s arrival on campus and their departure for fall break. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) has labeled this time as “The Red Zone.” Despite sexual assault’s prevalence, many freshmen girls have never heard of the “red zone” and are unprepared for what it means.

It must also be noted that during this period, Greek organizations hold their “rush” events for sororities and fraternities.

As first-year girls try to navigate completely new environments without solidified friendships or groups, they’re especially vulnerable to those looking to take advantage of them.

Abby Gorman, a Sexual Assault Facilitation and Education (SAFE) peer educator and rising junior sociology major, said incoming freshmen girls find themselves in social hubs for sexual assault. pittnews.com

August 1, 2022

“Maybe they don’t have a lot of experience drinking. Maybe this is their first time being able to go out without having to report back to their parents. Maybe they never partied before. Whatever the scenario, they’re vulnerable,” Gorman said. “They don’t have a lot of back-ups. They don’t have a lot of experience. And that’s the perfect environment for upperclassmen or people who do have more experience to come prey on them.”

Greek life — at Pitt and nationwide — plays a central role in entrenching a culture of assault on college campuses. Greek life weekends tend to be organized around excessive drinking with the end goal of taking somebody home. This leads to situations where women are vulnerable. Women in sororities are 74% more likely to be raped than other women in college. Men in fraternities are three times more likely to rape women than nonaffiliated classmates.

“In general, Greek life kind of creates an environment where sexual assault is not only allowed, it’s kind of encouraged, especially in fraternities,” Gorman said.

“Brothers are encouraged to play the field … and they’re in these spaces where there are lots of impressionable young girls who are often new to college.”

When discussing sexual assault on college campuses, it is very easy to play the game of compare and contrast. In recent years, large schools like Stanford University and Indiana University have dominated media headlines and the discussion of sexual assault on college campuses.

Students and administration alike compare the University of PittsSee Rice-Nguyen on page 51

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Wasserman, pg. 34 a jog, if you’re feeling it –– in Schenley Park or around Shadyside. We love a good walk and talk.

You can also access the Pete, the WPU gym, or the many other small gyms that Pitt has to offer.

Healthcare If you’re fortunate enough to have great health insurance, don’t bother with Pitt’s health insurance. UPMC has a ton of amazing healthcare professionals, and you can take full advantage of that under your own coverage.

Always have a copy of your insurance information on your person, whether in your phone or in your wallet.

If you need any healthcare specialist, whether that’s a gynecologist, orthopedist, dermatologist, dentist, whatever –– do some research and fill out a new patient intake right now. Do it immediately. Don’t even finish reading this article. Once your classes start and you have tons of responsibilities, it’s going to be much more cumbersome to establish and access care.

COVID-19 Testing If you’ve been exposed, Pitt has on-site testing with Quest Diagnostics. Curative is also a great resource if you really want to expedite your test results. Curative has a trailer outside the Carnegie Museum on Forbes for COVID-19 testing.

Sex Get tested for STDs regularly, which you can do through Pitt’s health services. They also provide free condoms, which you should absolutely take advantage of.

Uterus havers, assuming you’re having intercourse that poses the risk of pregnancy, I recommend some form of birth control, whether that’s an IUD, the pill, or the implant. Research your options and again, consider establishing care with a Pittsburgh gynecologist.

Penis havers, especially if you’re non-monogamous, you need to be pittnews.com

using protection in the form of a condom. Always.

Also, for LGBTQ+ folks— Pitt provides clinical services for your needs and can refer you to LGBTQ+ friendly providers as well.

UPMC also provides great low-cost or free access to PrEP if you need it –– which, by the way, goes for everyone, not just LGBTQ+ students.

on a water bottle is worth it –– it’s so much better to have a steel-lined bottle that doesn’t leak or sweat and keeps your water cold. Hydroflasks are great. Get one in a bright color, and maybe slap some stickers on it so you never confuse it with someone else’s or lose it. Bring it everywhere and sip it whenever you can.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

To conclude, take all of my adHydration vice with a grain of salt, as this apGet a big water bottle and take proach won’t be suitable for everyit wherever you go. Spending $50 one. You’re going to make mistakes

while learning how to live a healthy lifestyle, and that’s okay. Your physical and mental health are crucial to your quality of experience at Pitt, so work on establishing healthy habits.

It is the foundation upon which you will build your success. Take care!

Paige Wasserman (she/her) writes about the arts, pop culture, campus culture and things that make her want to scream. You can reach her at plw15@pitt.edu.

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FIVE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SURVIVE THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL

Serena Garcia Staff Writer

Welcome to Pitt! You did it! You have arrived on campus, are most likely sitting in your dorm room and might now be asking yourself things like, “What’s next?” and “How am I gonna do this?” and “Class is tomorrow?!” Or you may have already thrown this guide in the trash.

If so, no hard feelings. For those of you Panthers who are stressed out about what this semester will hold, I recommend two things — take a deep breath, and let’s focus on just the first week.

The first week of college can be hard, especially as a first-year. Being in a new city with new people is especially scary. Add the stress of classes, clubs and maintaining a social life on top of it and now you’re probably having major anxiety. This feeling is completely normal. In fact, most students reading this will experience this stress and anxiety at one point or another. But I’m here to help. Here are five things you can do to survive the first week of school.

for any student. Whether you need to write down assignments, plan out your day or just have a visual class schedule on paper, the planner is the perfect choice for you! I promise you that a planner will be one of the best college purchases you make.

If a planner is not your style, don’t fret! There are many other options for you to keep organized.

You can choose to use to-do lists, a daily schedule, weekly schedule, or maybe even a monthly schedule. Or if you don’t like planning out your days or week, you can just simply write down important dates for the semester. You can always download some apps to your phone as well, such as Google Calendar, Notion and the Outlook Calendar, to keep yourself organized.

2. Read the syllabus I cannot stress this enough — you must read all of your syllabi. I know you’ve probably heard it before, but honestly, the syllabus is so important. A syllabus is essentially your guide for the whole semester for every one of your classes. Your syllabus should lay out the schedule for the class, different resources and any 1. Plan, Plan and Plan materials needed. My tip — once One of the best things to do is you get the syllabus, either read it plan. It sounds easy, but honestly it on your computer or, if you like patakes a lot of time, commitment and per, print it out! Once you’re done organization. My tip — buy a plan- reading, get whatever planning tool ner. A planner is a college essential you’re using and take note of all of pittnews.com

your assignments — and I mean all.

Getting this done during the first week of school prepares you for tackling the rest of the semester, and gives you an idea of when your busiest weeks will be. Trust me, once midterms come around and you already know your schedule and assignment deadlines, you’ll be thanking me!

3. Get to know people A lot of people say this, I know, but even though you’re getting a college education, don’t forget about your social life. On a college campus as big as Pitt’s, you’re bound to meet a lot of people. Whether they are on your dorm floor, your roommate, classmate or maybe someone you met at the dining hall, there are so many people that you will get a chance to meet.

For your floor, definitely either keep your door open to meet new people or maybe even just place some of your social media handles on your door. These new people may be sharing certain living spaces with you, especially bathrooms if you’re in Towers or Nordenberg.

But if that’s not your thing, I understand.

For introverts like me, writing your social media handles down allows you to still meet your floormates but not in a scary extroverted way! Remember, not everyone you

August 1, 2022

meet may end up being your lifelong friend, and that’s okay! Sooner rather than later, you’ll find your people, so don’t worry if it’s not during the first week of school!

4. Be prepared for the food I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, sometimes the dining hall food is not going to be the best. Instead of using your meal swipe, you may find yourself using a meal exchange — most likely everyday — at one of the many different Pitt Eats locations around campus.

If you’re in Sutherland or spend your days on upper campus, you’ll probably get used to using your meal exchange at Chick-fil-a. On lower campus, you will have a lot to choose from. I highly recommend The Roost in the Cathedral of Learning or Create in the William Pitt Union.

If you’re looking to use dining dollars, don’t be afraid to use them!

Dining dollars can be rolled over from Fall to Spring semester, so don’t fret if you still have some left come winter break. Be sure to get familiar with what places take dining dollars, both on and off campus, and you’ll be ready to go!

See Survive on page 54 Illustrations by Fikayomi Olagbami Staff illustrator

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STAFF PICKS: FAVORITE DINING SPOTS ON CAMPUS

The Pitt News Staff

Welcome to campus! Whether you’re a nervous freshman or returning student, the choice of food on campus is endless and sometimes intimidating. With so many options to choose from, we wanted to let you know our staff’s favorite dining spots that you can try out and hopefully make one of your favorites too.

Roots Natural Kitchen | Jacob Mraz, Staff Writer As a college student, it can be hard to eat healthy, and in a city famous for putting french fries on salad, it’s especially important to find some green in your bowl every once in a while. That’s why Roots Natural Kitchen, located between Starbucks and Piada on Forbes, is my go-to for something fresh.

Roots is a health food chain started by the University of Virginia with the simple goal of bringing healthy options to students and the local populace. While many of their bowls are chicken-based, they also offer plenty of vegetarian and vegan toppings like tofu and mushrooms to accommodate people like myself who do not happen to eat meat.

You can either choose from one of their pre-made bowls or customize one for yourself, much like Subway or Chipotle, all for around $14.

The portions are good and the taste is exactly what you need after five

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hours in the dark halls of Cathy or Hillman Library. It’s also great as leftovers if you happen to get a little too excited when ordering.

Maybe it’s not the most glamorous food – it is basically just different salads, after all. But you definitely won’t regret your visit and you won’t fall asleep in that 5 p.m. class from digestive fatigue either.

and it quickly became my perfect comfort food spot.

Fuel and Fuddle is a gastropub located in the heart of Oakland. It hosts a wide variety of brews, pub fare and thin crust pizzas. One of Fuel’s specialties includes their smashed potato pizza – which includes smashed potatoes, smoked bacon, cheddar, lettuce and tomatoes topped off with

Roots Natural Kitchen on Forbes Avenue. Clare Sheedy | Visual Editor

So if you want to be alert, healthy a homemade buttermilk dressing. and well fed, then I can’t recommend Just thinking about this pizza makes Roots Natural Kitchen enough. my mouth water.

While the food is delicious, it’s reFuel and Fuddle | Katelyn ally the atmosphere that makes Fuel Kruszewski, Staff Writer and Fuddle so unique. Even though There’s nothing better than go- Fuel is near Sennott Square and ing to Fuel and Fuddle with your Bouquet gardens, walking down the friends on a Friday night. The first sidewalk you might miss the small time I went to Fuel was with one of sign pointing out the pub’s location. my best friends in the middle of a Once you walk inside the entrance, slow afternoon. The staff was super it’s a different world. The sound of friendly, the vibes were amazing, patrons fills your ears — people

August 1, 2022

laughing, watching sports and joking with their friends. You can view the cooks behind the bar and the fire cooking up your favorite dishes.

Once you settle into your seat in a small booth or at a high table you feel welcomed. With comfort food and familiar faces, it’s the perfect spot to go for any Pitt student.

JJ Poké Bowl and Taiwanese Bubble Tea | Lynnette Tibbott, Staff Writer How can we cling to a feeling of euphoria and try to make it last? The answer might just be food. I was first introduced to poke bowls when I traveled to Hawaii. After a day of surfing in the island sun, I sat on the sand with a poke bowl. No feeling compares to the memory of the Hawaiian beaches. I enjoyed good food with friends, talking and listening to the sounds of the ocean and the gentle breeze of the wind, with the sun on my face and a temporary feeling of true peace.

When I came back to the rainy streets of Pittsburgh, I spent time trying to not only capture the euphoric feeling of a summer in Hawaii, but also the taste of a genuine poké bowl.

I had never heard of JJ Poké until I began looking for that feeling, and since then it’s earned its place as my favorite spot to eat on campus.

See Staff Picks on page 54

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SIX PLACES EVERY PANTHER

Serena Garcia

With your Pitt Student ID, you can venture throughout Being a Pitt student has its the city and experience Pittsperks, especially when you burgh, all without spending a can visit various cool places single penny. Whether it’s a for free. sports event, a day at the muStaff Writer

seum, or even just cool sights, Pittsburgh has it all. If you find yourself needing a break from schoolwork, wanting to get off-campus, or just feeling ready to explore, this is the ar-

ticle for you! Below you can find some of the best on- and off-campus places to visit that won’t cost you anything!

1. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens If you love nature, think of your plants as your children, or just love looking at beautiful displays of flowers, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is for you. Known simply as Phipps on campus, it is a must-see. As a Pitt student, you can go to Phipps for free — just visit the student affairs website for safety protocols and present your student I.D. Each season, Phipps highlights a different flower and botanical show. Right now,

you can attend their summer flower show, Monet in Bloom, which is showing through Sept. 25. The conservatory features new exhibits such as Butterfly Forest and Tropical Forest Hawai’i.

Phipps also allows guests to learn more about plants in general. A bonus is walking around their gardens and taking amazing photos throughout the exhibits. With its close proximity to campus, don’t wait to see this amazing place!

2. The Mattress Factory The Mattress Factory has got to be one of the coolest places I’ve visited here at Pitt. Located at 500 Sampsonia Way in the Northside of Pittbsurgh, this art museum is only a 20-minute drive from Oakland. You can also take the 54 bus for a 44-minute commute. To check bus routes, you can always download apps like Moovit and Transit. Like Phipps, the Mattress Factory’s photo op-

portunities will not disappoint.

Composed of three different buildings, the Mattress Factory not only features interesting artwork, but allows you to interact with some as well. Similar to Phipps, as a Pitt student you can get into the Mattress Factory for free with a Pitt ID. But you must reserve a time in advance, so you’ll need a student promo code provided by Pitt Arts.

3. Randyland When visiting the Mattress Factory, you can make a full day out of your visit by going to Randyland as well. Randyland is another must-see when it comes to exploring Pittbsurgh. Known for its vibrant and colorful artwork on display, Randyland is the perfect spot to visit on a day-trip.

Located on 1501 Arch Street in the North Side, it’s just a pittnews.com

quick five minute walk from the Mattress Factory. Randyland is free for everyone who attends and accepts donations from visitors. Whether you want to explore the public art museum or just find some cool spots to take a few pictures for your Instagram, Randyland will not disappoint.

Photos by John Blair | Senior Staff Photographer

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MUST VISIT AROUND CAMPUS 4. Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History If you’re looking to stay close to campus, then the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History are for you! Located right next to campus and only a short walk away from the Cathedral, these museums have a lot to offer. With stunning exhibits, both the Carnegie Museum of Art and Museum of Natural History are simply one of a kind.

At the Carnegie Museum of Natural History you can discover their newest exhibit, Nature’s Amazing Machines, which will run all the way through Jan. 2, 2023. Or see another

classic exhibition at the museum, the Dinosaurs in their Time exhibition.

If you’re an artist or feel inspired by any of the paintings, you are also allowed to bring a sketch pad and pencil into the art museum’s galleries with you. Similar to the Mattress Factory, you have to plan out your visit and reserve tickets via their website. In order to access the Pitt student discount, you need a student promo code. If you find yourself wanting to become an artsy girl or you love to look at art and enjoy a museum aesthetic, this is the place for you!

5. The Andy Warhol Museum If you’re looking for something that screams Pittsburgh, you must visit the Andy Warhol Museum.

Dedicated to the Pittsburgh native and Carnegie Institute of Technology alumni, the museum is a classic spot in the ‘Burgh.

Located on the North Shore, the museum not only showcases all of Warhol’s artwork and masterpieces, but also tells his story to visitors. It’s also unique in that it’s the largest museum dedicated to a single art-

ist in the United States and North America. If you want to learn more about Pittsburgh history and one of its distinguished natives, this museum is a bucket list must.

The museum is also home to the largest collection of Warhol’s pieces and features many of his classics.

But not every visit to the museum is the same. Each new visit brings different Warhol pieces to life through different exhibitions. Make sure to reserve your ticket before you go.

6. Athletic Events Last but not least is Pitt Athletics.

Here at Pitt, there are several different ways to cheer on your fellow Panthers. Whether you find yourself in the Panther Pitt at Acrisure Stadium cheering on the 2021 ACC Football Champions, rooting for both basketball teams in the Petersen Events Center, or watching Pitt Volleyball make it to the Final Four, there are many ways to provide your fellow Panthers support and cheer them on to victory. All athletics, ex-

cept football and men’s basketball, are free to Pitt students.

For most athletic events, except football and men’s basketball, students can enter by showing their Pitt ID at the entrance. Whether it’s in the stands at a soccer game, rooting on the softball team, or being at Acrisure Stadium, the atmosphere at any Pitt sporting event is electric and something that you never want to miss.

So, after a long week of studying, the places listed above are great ways to explore the city you will be living in for the next year! They

also serve as excellent ways to take a break and get off campus for a little bit. If you’re worried about transportation, don’t forget that you can

pittnews.com

Photos by John Blair | Senior Staff Photographer

ride the Pittsburgh Regional Transit make long-lasting memories — all buses for free with your Pitt ID. Col- for free, except the college part! lege is what you make of it, so don’t forget to visit some cool places and

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Staff Picks, pg. 40 JJ Poké is nestled on Atwood Street, near the Atwood Starbucks and between Forbes and Fifth. When you walk in, the quaint restaurant is decorated with Post-it notes by customers raving about the food and its friendly staff. JJ Poké lives up to its 4.9 star review.

Their menu includes a diverse selection of signature poké bowls and specialty bento, but their most popular option is building your own bowl.

pittnews.com

Customers can choose from various rice or noodles as a base, a form of protein (including salmon, chicken, shrimp, tuna or tofu) as well as an array of toppings and sauces. Poké bowls aren’t the only option to create your own. JJ Poké also offers createyour-own bubble tea, or a choice of signature drinks.

Although there are no beaches near Pittsburgh, I can almost pretend that I’m still back in Hawaii enjoying a poké bowl every time I order.

Next time the rainy weather brings you down, try a JJ Poké bowl and

experience a slice of paradise.

Stack’d | Serena Garcia, Staff Writer Name a better place to get a burger and watch the Pitt football games — I’ll wait. Stack’d is one of my all-time favorite restaurants here in Oakland. Providing a great atmosphere, superb location and a stellar menu, this place is a no-brainer to go and try as a Pitt student. I’m not usually the burger type, but whenever eating at Stack’d, ordering a burger is a must. With their wide range of options, you can create any kind of burger you want. If burgers aren’t your thing, don’t stress, because the restaurant offers plenty of other options as well. Another favorite of mine is definitely their regular and curly fries!

The atmosphere of Stack’d immediately screams college town, especially on Pitt football game days. If you can’t be in the bleachers screaming your lungs out, then Stack’d is the next best thing. Having both indoor and outdoor seating — weather permitting — you can always find a table to sit at. When sitting outside, the restaurant also provides some great views of Oakland as you sit on top of the roof. They also provide heaters when it’s chilly.

Also, if you find yourself strapped for cash, Stack’d accepts dining dollars, practically making it free.

Located in the heart of Oakland just a couple of blocks away from Cathy, Stack’d is hard to miss.

Whether you’re stopping in with your family on their visit to campus, screaming at the TV with friends while watching Pitt football, or just

grabbing a burger after class, Stack’d can serve all of your dining needs!

Pamela’s Diner | Punya Bhasin, Culture Editor This is my absolute favorite dining spot on campus. I cannot tell you how many amazing memories I have tied to this diner. For me, the food is not just comfort food, but also date food, friendship food, celebration food, hangover food and breakup food. There is not a single event you can experience that wouldn’t be made better by Pamela’s famous lyonnaise potatoes.

My go-to order is always the morning-after special which features eggs, a meat of your choice — I always pick sausage — and hotcakes.

I also have to get a side of their lyonnaise potatoes and, of course, orange juice. While I could use an endless barrage of adjectives to describe the deliciousness that is their food, the best summary I have is that every second spent scarfing down your meal at Pamela’s is utter perfection.

The diner, which is famous in Pittsburgh, first opened in 1980 and features what they call “the best breakfast in Pittsburgh,” which I think is a humble way of saying the truth — that it is the best breakfast in the world. They serve a variety of breakfast options including hotcakes, breakfast sandwiches, omelets and so much more.

So, if there is only one thing you can do on campus it should be to go to Pamela’s. Frankly, in my opinion you haven’t graduated from Pitt without at least one trip to Pamela’s.

Stack’d Oakland on Forbes Avenue. Clare Sheedy | Visual Editor

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FIVE THINGS TO AVOID DOING YOUR FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL

Sinead McDevitt Contributing Editor

The beginning of your first-year means something different for everyone. For some it’s the freedom of being out on their own, for others it’s their first time without their parents or any real adult supervision. You have to do your own laundry and pay for groceries, and it can be overwhelming. To help, here are five things to avoid doing your first week on campus.

1. Spending all your money all at once If college is your first time living on your own with a disposable income, it can be tempting to buy things as soon as you want them just because you can. I know I went on a shopping spree after my first paycheck came in. But it’s important to be careful and put aside some money in case something happens.

Sudden charges pop up all over the place in the adult world, so try to remember to put a little to the side for a rainy day before treating yourself with the rest.

2. Pulling an all-nighter pittnews.com

I know the image of pulling an all-nighter to get a project done is considered a classic college experience, but I definitely don’t recommend depending on them on a regular basis. Trust me, it sucks, and you don’t want to fall prey to an allnighter too many times. The quality of your work will suffer and, more importantly, so will your health.

First off, a lack of sleep is tied to an increased risk of several medical conditions, and hurts your immune system. Furthermore, since your brain consolidates and stores memories when you’re sleeping, you’re more likely to remember what’s on your next exam if you get a good night’s sleep beforehand.

Like I said, it’s more likely than not you’ll be stuck pulling an allnighter at least once while you’re in college — it’s okay, things happen.

But those first few weeks of classes are when you get into a pattern for the rest of the year, so don’t make a habit of staying up late to get work done. It isn’t worth it.

3. Eating like crap I know, I know, I sound like your parents, but like with sleep, developing good eating habits can prevent you from getting sick later on in the semester. You don’t have to commit yourself to eating a rainbow or following the food pyramid, just try to make sure you keep fruits and vegetables as staples of your diet.

If you’re in the dining hall, grab a

banana or apple along with your breakfast, or a salad or green vegetable with your lunch, or buy fruits to snack on while you’re in your dorm.

Also, while Oakland has a lot of great restaurants that you will definitely want to try, don’t eat out every meal. Not only can it be expensive, but also you’ll start to crave homemade food pretty quickly.

One benefit of being on your own is that you can decide what you want to eat and when. You never have to eat spinach again if you don’t want to! But it is a good habit to eat some fruits and veggies every day.

4. Staying in your room My first semester, I was really nervous about going out and experiencing the city, and then my second, just when I’d started to get a feel for the buses and going to the Waterfront, lockdown hit and I was confined to my room back home for a year and a half. I made it a point my junior year to really get out and about and boy, do I wish I had done it sooner.

I love the Pittsburgh Cultural District, or going to the Waterfront to look at shops. Pittsburgh is filled with museums — the Andy Warhol museum is a personal favorite — and exhibits to check out, and your student ID will get you into a lot of them for free or at a reduced price. It can be a great day trip with friends.

Even if you don’t really have an idea of what you want to do, a

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change of scenery can really help, especially if you’re feeling stuck and frustrated on an assignment. Go on a walk through campus for thirty minutes and I promise you’ll come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your problems.

5. Being afraid to ask for help This goes for pretty much any information. Don’t remember how to get to the second floor of Cathy? Just ask. Confused about a reading or need more time on an assignment?

Email your professor. They might not answer instantly but they’ll get back to you. Ask your RA if you need help with the laundry machine or using other facilities. If you need help with homework, ask your friends or classmates. Make use of the Career Center and Pitt’s mental health services.

There is no shame in not knowing something or needing to ask for help. Everyone on campus has been in that exact position before. Even if it seems like something everyone else knows, there might be someone else with the same question who’s also too scared to ask. At the end of the day, the momentary embarrassment you get from having to ask about something you feel like you should already know isn’t going to be as bad as ruining your clothes because you didn’t know how to wash out a stain or failing a class because you didn’t grasp the basic concepts. Don’t stretch yourself too thin because you were afraid to ask for help.

Illustrations by Fikayomi Olagbami | Staff Illustrator

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Snyder, pg. 30 can’t be beat. What’s more is that Stack’d offers deals on certain menu items everyday during the week. This varies by location, but I know by memory that Wednesday night is $6 quesadilla night in Oakland.

Frenchi’s Deli & Market This is the place to be on Atwood Street at around 4 in the morning. Frenchi’s is known for its extremely late hours that creep into the early morning, but also for its delicious food. They make wraps with everything you could imagine on them. Almost every one comes with your choice of crushed chips on top, along with meat and lettuce. Frenchi has an outstanding social media presence on Instagram, and his customer engagement is unmatched. I mean, he follows my mom back on Instagram and she even asked if Frenchi’s was going to be in this article, so I feel like that’s saying something. He also promotes BOGO deals on his Instagram, so keep an eye out for them!

Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar To keep this short, Primanti’s has a longstanding history in the Pittsburgh area for serving sandwiches intricately stacked with coleslaw and fries to truck drivers passing through town.

If you’re not originally

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from Pittsburgh, like me, you night menus perfect for a busy have to give Primanti’s a try. college student. I come here It’s almost a rite of passage. to socialize with my friends, but also for the buffalo chickThe Porch at Schenley en pizza. Also, when I’m in If your parents are stopping the mood for a rootbeer float in for the weekend to take you about once a year, it seems to out to dinner, this is definitely be the most convenient place the place to go. The Porch’s in Oakland that has them. food is definitely on the pricey side, but it is a classier Pie Express restaurant after all. The food Late hours and cheap pizthat they serve is quality and za — what more could a colthe menu changes seasonally, lege student ask for? I actually so it’s always nice to stop in hadn’t been to Pie Express

Pamela’s Diner I’m not an early riser by any means, but I would be if someone took me out to Pamela’s every morning. Their menu is extensive and doesn’t have a bad thing on it. For coffee lovers, Pamela’s offers bottomless coffee for each customer at a set price. They’re widely known for their hotcakes, but I’m a bigger fan of their croissant french toast. Pamela’s service is also unbelievably fast, so you can be in and out of there quickly if you have things to do in the morning.

The Columbian Spot This restaurant is relatively new, but is already making a name for itself. Located towards the farther end of Forbes Avenue, this place offers a wide variety of Latin American dining.

The desserts, entrees and drinks are authentic. The soda and tres leches cake are sweet and rich. I went on Easter and got a chicken bowl that was a colorful mixture of rice, Illustrations by Annika Esseku Staff Illustrator beans, salad and chicken. This every once in a while. My until my junior year, which I is a great up-and-coming spot personal go-to here is always regret with my entire being, in Oakland that shouldn’t be the big plate of lobster mac-n- although I’ve definitely made slept on. cheese, but I also enjoyed the up for it in the short amount Jessica Snyder primarily seasonal chicken and waffles of time that I’ve been going they had. there. I couldn’t find it at first writes about controversy in — it’s located in a basement art and politics. Write to her Fuel and Fuddle on Oakland Avenue. Though it at jes341@pitt.edu.

On Oakland Avenue, this now has better signage, so it joint is known best for its shouldn’t be too hard to find. pizza and beer. The atmo- My favorite pizza here is, of sphere here is energizing, with course, the buffalo chicken a bustling kitchen and a lot pizza for the even-better price of rustic antiques all over the of under $10 a pie. walls. Fuel and Fuddle also offers deals too, with select late August 1, 2022

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Soloff, pg. 31 My first year of college, I discovered the trails in Schenley Park. When I had a spare second or I felt overwhelmed, I would take a short walk through the woods and it would help me center myself better. Over quarantine, these trails also helped me to move my body a bit after being in Zoom classes all day.

Everyone has different schedules in college, so sometimes it’s hard to always have friends around. The logistical nightmare it would take to organize all of my friends for every meal would have caused me to have a nervous breakdown. Some of my friends felt embarrassed eating alone — and I did too when I first entered college — but sometimes enjoying a meal by yourself and reading a book or talking to a friend at home on Facetime helped me decompress from a busy day.

Spending time alone my first

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year of college also helped me create routines for myself and figure out how to be an adult.

With this time spent alone, I was able to get my homework done effectively, plan my week, do laundry and clean when necessary. When you’re out all the time with friends, everyday tasks that are necessary begin to slip away from you. If I hadn’t forced myself to go find study spots by myself or plan my week, I don’t think that I would have created the study habits I still use today.

The whole reason why the idea for this column came to me was because I had a bad case of FOMO, or fear of missing out, my first year of college. There was always something to do and I was worried that if I didn’t do everything with every person I met all the time, I would be stuck with no friends and nothing to do. In reality, time is valuable.

Sometimes this means you

Joy Cao | Senior Staff Photographer

should spend it going out and meeting new people, but more often than not, it means listening to your needs and spending time alone if you need it. Especially after two years where we were forced to be by ourselves, we may feel the need to push ourselves and make a million plans, but spending quality time alone can be even more important.

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As a new student, spend some time alone, find a study spot or activity that brings you joy and you might be surprised how much better it makes you feel.

Rachel Soloff writes primarily about the entertainment industry and how lame antisemites are. Write to her at rjs191@ pitt.edu.

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Rice-Nguyen, pg. 36 burgh to these universities. I myself have thought, “Well at least it’s not as bad as the University of Virginia or Alabama,” but by looking at sexual assault through a comparative lens we diminish its impact and the experiences of survivors.

“When you think of Pittsburgh and you don’t really think of it as a Greek school, we kind of ignore the fact that there is still Greek life which does still provide that environment that encourages sexual assault,” Gorman said. “When there is Greek life present, regardless of how big or small it is on campus, it still creates those same conditions of a really big campus.

Assuming that Pitt is immune to that just kind of ignores the reality that like sexual assault is occurring both within Greek life and outside of it. It’s not exclusive to the big party schools.”

Sexual assault is not a new issue for the University. In 2019, a study was conducted by the Association of American Universities Campus Climate (AAUCC) Survey of undergraduate and graduate students on sexual assault and sexual misconduct.

In the survey, 31.7% of undergraduate women at Pitt reported experiencing non-consensual sexual contact.

Even though Pitt is not a Greek-life-heavy school, firstyears should still be informed on the predatory nature of existing frat parties. The first-year desperation to find a party can lead to situations that first-year students have no control over.

If you are an incoming firstyear girl, then you are likely to experience Pitt’s notorious Hill Houses. The Hill Houses are home to four undergraduate Greek chapters near Sutherland Hall. The Houses are known for their huge, colorful parties and are considered a core experipittnews.com

ence for any Pitt student. But the houses are also home to countless instances of unsolicited male attention.

One first-year girl I spoke with described the Hill Houses as crowded, sweaty rooms where visitors feel more like sardines than students. The student said the close quarters and supply of alcohol-emboldened male students to act aggressively.

“There was one time, there was a random girl just dancing.

When asked why other firstyear girls didn’t come forward, the student said many fellow first-year girls feel the effort would be useless.

“If survivors go through this whole process of reporting, of doing all the right things, taking all the right steps, only for them still not to be believed, like why would they want to put themselves through that?” the student said.

It isn’t just first-year girls who

Promiti Debi | Senior Staff Illustrator

All of a sudden this big guy just comes up behind her, grabbed her by the neck and then he turns her head to give her a kiss,” the student said. “And she’s literally struggling, saying no. He’s on top of her, grabbing her neck, turning her chin with his thumb, forcing a kiss.”

Luckily, other people intervened and the girl was able to escape, but the student I spoke with said a scenario like that is common at the Hill Houses — so common that she and other firstyear girls connected over their shared experiences of sexual assault on their way back from the houses.

In this way, first-year girls find themselves in a vicious cycle when discussing their experiences. They enter college, unsuspecting of the dangers of Greek life party scenes and any college party scene, for that matter. If there is a case of predatory men taking advantage of them, they are reluctant to come forward, believing their voice will go unheard or that the University won’t take action. As more and more girls follow this pattern, the conversation on sexual assault at Pitt goes silent and more freshmen girls enter campus life, unaware of the potential danger.

“We mostly just automatically assume, but also we haven’t heard anything? Girls have no examples to go off, and if we even had like one person come out and have something done about it, I feel like a lot more of us would be willing to say, this guy did that to me too,” the firstyear student I spoke with said.

This wasn’t written to scare freshmen girls or to denounce Greek life. For many students, Greek life has given them countless friends and memories. There are many first-year girls who have good experiences at the Hill Houses and countless other frat parties. This also is not intended to victim blame. This issue rests solely on the perpetrators, but as the conversation on sexual assault continues to be avoided both in our society and University, first-year girls must know the truth.

Pitt offers a multitude of opportunities and experiences, but if we pretend that there is not a culture of sexual assault, one that has become tied to the first-year experience, then the cycle that many sexual assault survivors find themselves in will continue.

feel this way about coming forward. In the same survey conducted by the AAU, almost half of the students don’t believe an investigation into a case of sexual assault would be fair. As these feelings become common, the conversation on sexual assault continues to be stifled.

“I think people don’t talk about it because … they don’t think it’s going to get respected and don’t think anyone’s going to care really, because even if you do talk about it, what are they going to Ebonee Rice-Nguyen writes do? They’re not going to do any- primarily about political, social thing. So what do you gain? You and cultural issues. Write to her just come out as a victim, but no at ejr76@pitt.edu. one cares,” the student said.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR | DON’T RUSH YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE For some, their first day may lay the to many of us that our time and life changes rapidly, but you won’t be get-

Betul Tuncer Editor-in-Chief

For many college students, their first day on campus is one they’ll never forget. As they walk around campus hauling their stuff in a moving cart, taking in all the buildings and scenery and watching as new and returning students navigate the busy college campus, they wonder what new adventures they’ll experience.

While I myself have never really lived that exact moment thanks to the pandemic, I still think it’s worth mentioning, since for many students that first moment they walk on campus signifies the start of a new chapter.

Sure, this is a cliche way of looking at college, but isn’t that what we’ve been shown our entire lives? American movies and shows always depict move-in day as an iconic experience of college life.

And although the movies are not entirely wrong with this depiction, the first day of college is not necessarily the most important moment in college.

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groundwork for how the rest of their college experience is going to play out, but for many others this isn’t always the case. Take it from someone who never got to experience that “first day.”

In theory, or like the movies have shown us, the first day of college is like the first day of high school — in which you make all your forever friends, decide how you want to be perceived and mentally map out your surroundings.

In reality, college life is much more complex. And it seems like almost every day is your “first day.”

On a college campus like Pitt’s this really is true, since there’s so many people to meet, places to visit and things to do. And with so much to explore, it’s normal to not have everything figured out by your first day on campus, let alone your first week.

Even going into my junior year, there are still places on Pitt’s campus I have yet to visit and so many people I have yet to meet.

The pandemic acted as a reminder

is valuable. Throughout the past two years, we watched the world as we knew it change before our eyes, experienced the worst and best parts of humanity and were forced to reckon with many unpleasant realities. And while for many this time was filled with hopeless moments, it was also a learning experience to not take life for granted — which is exactly why we should cherish our years as college students.

Life in college can often seem rushed and limited, but it doesn’t have to be. There’s no need to limit your experiences from day one of college. You don’t have to make all your friends and have the rest of your four or so years planned out all at once. Take your time getting to know people, be a little spontaneous and enjoy even the little things.

Going into your first year of college you’ll want to experience everything all at once, especially given that the pandemic has shown us that the world

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ting the most out of your college experience by doing that. It’s important to appreciate the many experiences of college in the moment, and not just let them pass by.

College is when you get to take your time learning how to navigate life, so you shouldn’t rush it. You don’t gain much from a class by not taking notes, not studying or procrastinating all your assignments. The same logic applies to life in general.

If you want to make the most out of your college experience, you have to be willing to learn both through your classes and your everyday experiences. Be open to new things, adapt as you move along and don’t limit yourself based on some preconceived notion you may have of the “perfect” college experience.

And remember, even if your first day doesn’t go as you might have hoped, there’s always the next day, and the day after that.

Best of luck!

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Survive, pg. 38

5. Find your way around campus Be sure to use syllabus week to your advantage, and get to know the place you’ll be staying for the next few months.

My first year, all I did was walk around campus, visiting different spots, finding my own unique spots and just seeing campus life. Who knows?

You might even find a crying

bench by the Cathedral lawn just like me! Or you might find your own hidden study spot around campus!

Walking around campus the first week of school not only helps you in the long run, but also gets you out and active! While you’re sightseeing around Oakland, you may decide to get some Pitt merch along the way. Trust me, you can never have enough Pitt merch, especially the halfprice sweatpants from The Pitt Stop!

You also will learn the different Pitt slang that comes with walking around campus.

You’ll learn that the Cathedral is nicknamed Cathy, Dunkin is always packed, and never, and I mean never, walk up Cardiac Hill unless you have to. If you don’t know what Cardiac Hill is, trust me, it’s for the best!

Now hopefully some of your stress and worry has subdued and you’re feeling ready to face the first week. If you’re still worried, I completely understand. I still remember how anxious I was as a first-year.

Try to take a deep breath and relax. You got this! You’re gonna rock this fall semester, and through these pages I will be cheering you on! Good luck!

Illustration by Fikayomi Olagbami | Staff Illustrator

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Spillerman, pg. 35

TPN File Image

cation. Even though this service is free to Pitt students and can be very helpful, in my experience, sometimes the wait can be an hour or more on weekend nights. There is also a limited number of trips you can take — one round trip per night and 25 per semester.

Also, Pitt students have free trips on all Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses as well as the incline at Mount Washington. Generally, the buses run a few minutes late, so arriving at the bus stop at the scheduled time will ensure that you make the bus. From Oakland, it is easiest to access downtown or Shadyside using any 61 or 71 bus, but you can travel by bus to all areas and take the 28X to Pittsburgh International Airport.

Even though Google Maps is a good estimator and guide on what buses are coming, it is important to understand some general rules — coming from someone who has gotten lost on the bus system numerous times. On Fifth Avenue, buses travel against traffic, but this is not the case on every street. For me, the most challenging part of traveling via bus is figuring out which bus can get you back to campus. My best advice is simple — read the description on the front of the bus. If the bus’s sign reads a location “via Oakland,” it will take

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you back to campus.

Finally, while I do not have enough trust in my coordination to use this method, you can rent a Spin scooter or bike to travel around Pittsburgh. To use the scooters, all you have to do is download the app and then enter the number of the scooter you are renting. Unlike the other travel methods, this is not free to Pitt students. Using scooters as a primary method of transportation can become quite costly since it is one dollar to unlock plus about 50 cents per minute to ride.

The newly updated rental bikes — POGOH — are free for Pitt students to ride for up to 30 minutes, then are $3.50 for each additional thirty minutes. Although you can surely travel around Pittsburgh using a bike, due to the city’s many rolling hills it will not be a leisurely bike ride.

As I approach my third year on campus, I am learning more about the transportation system and getting more comfortable using it.

This is not an exhaustive guide to transportation, but hopefully, this gives you a good place to start.

Talia Spillerman writes about anything and everything. Write to her at tns26@pitt.edu 54

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