AUGUST 28, 2017 | VOLUME 108 | ISSUE 13
THE PITT NEWS
Chancellor Ghallager watches as first-year students participate in the 97th annual Latern Night . Kyleen Considine | Visual Editor
Lanterns light the way for legacies Janine Faust and Rachel Glasser community gathered at Heinz Chapel News Editors Alka Patel, alumna and keynote speaker at Pitt’s lantern night ceremony, said she was sure the young women in the audience were feeling a number of emotions — excitement, nervousness and maybe even a little bit of fear. “Or perhaps that’s just the mothers in the room,” she said with a laugh. More than 1,200 members of the Pitt
for the University’s 97th annual Lantern Night ceremony Sunday evening. Among them were hundreds of first-year women and their mothers, grandmothers, sisters and other female relatives who had preceded them at Pitt. At the event, these alumnae served as flame bearers, passing along the “light of learning” by lighting the lanterns given to the new women on campus. The young women who filed into
Heinz Chapel and the tent outside it were met by the smiles of Pitt alumnae glowing softly in the light of their candles. One such flame bearer was Nancy Allen Wood — a woman who, like her mother, graduated from Pitt’s School of Nursing. She was at the event to light the lantern of her daughter Laurel — the third person in their family to attend Pitt. “Pitt’s a wonderful school, so I was very happy that she chose to come here after me and her grandmother, especially
with all the changes that have been made,” Wood said. Lantern Night dates back to 1920 and is Pitt’s oldest tradition. It began as a welcoming ceremony for women new to the University. In the tradition’s early years, first-year women were invited into the secretary of the University’s home, where they would each receive a candle to signify the beginning of their highereducation journey. See Latern Night on page 4
Meet the editors:
News
Greetings from The Pitt News news desk! Happy first day of classes. As our section goes, we cover international, national and local news — especially if it directly affects you as a member of the Pitt and Oakland community. Sometimes this comes in the form of breaking news and other times it’s well-reported features and profiles. There are three of us who oversee the news desk — one news editor and two assistant news editors. I’m Rachel, the news editor. I joined The Pitt News last fall but took a short
hiatus when I studied abroad in China last spring. I’m a senior urban studies major and Atlanta, GA native, but no — I don’t have a southern drawl. I’m most proud of my work on the counseling center story and participation in election coverage last year, but the most fun experience I had with news was reporting on haunted buildings in Oakland for Halloween. I’m Caroline, an assistant news editor and sophomore english writing major on the nonfiction track. I got my start at TPN on the culture desk, while also doing a bit of reporting for the news desk. For me,
the best part about being a staff writer was getting an inside look at lesser-known communities on campus, like the underground poetry scene. I also loved how my reporting threw me into the action at events like the post-election marches last year. I’m Janine, an assistant news editor (Thing 2 to Caroline’s Thing 1 and Rachel’s Cat in the Hat). I’m a sophomore english nonfiction writing major from the Philadelphia area. I’ve been on the news desk for two years and enjoyed the opportunity to profile interesting organizations and people at Pitt, such as the Conquering Cold Cases
club, The Pitt Pantry, security guard Ricky Smith and student campaign workers. We’re looking forward to publishing stories students want to read about and topics relevant to them. Feel free to send us some tips or suggestions at news@pittnews.com. And stay tuned — there’s definitely going to be a lot going on with this section in the coming year. Whether it’s city protests, Pitt’s developing unions, student loans, the upcoming mayoral elections or someone getting stuck between two buildings trying to impress a woman, we’ll be bringing all the details to you.
TRANSGENDER WORKING GROUP PUSHES GENDER INCLUSIVITY EDUCATION
Caroline Bourque
Assistant News Editor Before joining Pitt’s transgender working group, Kate Shindle knew little about the obstacles to building gender-neutral restrooms. “It’s not just as easy as saying that, ‘We need a gender-neutral restroom somewhere,’” Shindle, a senior biology major, said. “It’s also like, ‘Where’s plumbing in the area?’ ‘Does it match up to building codes?’” The working group Shindle is a part of — which formed last summer — aims
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to study and evaluate University-wide transgender policies and make suggestions on how to best improve the experiences of transgender students. Pitt started the group during the summer 2016 as a result of former Pitt Johnstown student Seamus Johnston’s 2013 lawsuit against the University. Johnston — who was born female but identifies as male — was expelled in 2012 for using the school’s men’s locker room. He took up the issue in federal court on the grounds that the school was in violation of Title IX of the 1972 Education Act. As part of the settlement he reached
with the University out of court, Pitt formed the working group to address the needs of transgender students on campus. The university chose Pam Connelly, Pitt’s first Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Inclusion, to organize this initiative last summer. The group is a mix of faculty, students and staff, including at least three transgender individuals. The group includes academics and diversity Kate Shindle is part of Pitt’s transgenspecialists along with facilities der working group. Courtesy of Kate See Transgender on page 6 Shindle
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Superheroes, sewing, and script: New Pitt clubs aim to serve
Students in the Imagination Project, a new club at Pitt, dress up for children in the hospital.Courtesy of Allie Saltzer
Grant Burgman Staff Writer With the addition of three new service clubs at Pitt, students can dress up, write letters or sew — all while giving back to the local or international community. These clubs offer creative alternatives to your typical volunteer opportunities, allowing students to help those in need in uncommon ways. The Imagination Project For anyone who’s dream is to be a superhero or Disney princess, there’s now a Pitt club that will supply you with the means to achieve it. The Imagination Project — a new club at Pitt where students dress up as some of the most popular characters from cartoons and movies to visit patients at pediatric hospitals — is recruiting its Belles, Jasmines, Moanas, Ariels and other
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Disney princesses. Joanna Anninos, a senior nursing major and one of the club’s four founders, said the group is also looking to add more superheroes to the mix. “We do have a Spider-man costume, so we’re waiting for the right guy to come along and be our Spider-man,” Anninos said. The club’s other three founders include: Allie Saltzman, a senior nursing major, Revu Pillai, a sophomore neuroscience major and Raksha Pothapragada, a sophomore biochemistry major. Anninos and Saltzman — who came up with the idea for the club — experienced setbacks from the beginning. The two were inspired by a similar organization called A Moment of Magic. Originally, Anninos and Saltzman planned to affiliate with the foundation
— but that would’ve required $1,500 and have an administrator’s signature. Anninos continued to pursue the idea, and she and Saltzman discovered that Pillai and Pothapragada were independently working to form a club with the same purpose. “The four of us collaborated to start this crazy new project,” Anninos said. The club has grown from the original four members to eight total members on the club’s board, and the board members anticipate a large number of new participants this year. While the club’s main focus will be hospital visits, Pillai said the club wants to broaden its charitable efforts. “We’re trying to add more stuff like volunteering elsewhere and maybe making care packages and stuff,” Pillai said. Dressing up in costume isn’t the only
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way to help. The club is currently seeking photographers and makeup artists to join the team as well. “Anyone who wants to be a part of this mission of ours we want them to help us out,” Anninos said. Days for Girls For students looking for an international focus, Days for Girls is a new organization on campus that serves women and girls far from Pittsburgh. Once it gets off the ground, the Pitt chapter of this international organization will assist women and girls in developing countries by providing them with reusable feminine hygiene products and access to health education. Giovanna Guarnieri, a sophomore majoring in political science and gender, sexuality and women’s studies, is in the See New Clubs on page 9
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Latern Night, pg. 1 The women would then embark on a procession across campus — all in white dresses with candles in hand — to the University Women’s Center, located in the Sarah Heinz House, a building dedicated exclusively to women’s activities that was located by Alumni Hall during the early part of the 20th century. As more women began to attend Pitt, the tradition grew in popularity and it eventually moved to the Cathedral of Learning Commons Room and then to Alumni Hall. Now first-year women make the journey with their lanterns from the Cathedral of Learning to Heinz Chapel. Alexandra Curtis, a first-year attendee looking to study political science, was not the first in her family to attend Pitt, or to be so excited to be a part of its community. Curtis fondly recalled how her grandmother, now deceased, loved her time at Pitt so much she ended up staying in the city near it, eventually marrying a Pittsburgh native in Heinz Chapel. “She was a big motivator in me com-
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ing to Pitt, because she enjoyed her time here studying and what the city had to offer,” Curtis said. Curtis said she and the rest of her family believe creating a legacy at the school her grandmother loved so much would be a good tradition to start. “My parents are really happy that I’m getting an education where she did, and
hallmarks of Pitt’s community. “[Lantern night] give us an instant common ground together, and an automatic bond to share while we are here on campus,” Gallagher said. “But it lasts until long after we’ve moved on to pursue our own paths, and to live out our University’s mission of leveraging new knowledge for society’s gain.”
“[Lantern night] gives us an instant common ground together...” -Chancellor Gallagher I think it’d be awesome if my kids and grandkids came here,” Curtis said. Chancellor Gallagher, in his speech at lantern night, said that lantern night and other traditional events on campus are
As Chancellor Gallagher recounted in his speech, the event was inspired by the story of Margaret and Stella Stein — two sisters and the University of Pittsburgh’s first two women to enroll at the Uni-
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versity, called the Western University of Pennsylvania at the time. In 1898, these two women tied for first place in their classes. But at that time, there was a rule that only one person could serve as valedictorian. “The decision for who would hold this esteemed title came down to a coin toss,” Gallagher said. “Stella won.” But Margaret didn’t truly lose — she went on to become the first woman to complete a graduate degree at Pitt, when she completed her studies in 1901. Both Stein sisters went on to become educators. “Lantern night is about the light of learning,” Gallagher said. “It celebrates the spark of scholarship that the Stein sisters lit more than a century ago, one that is still burning brightly at the University of Pittsburgh today.” Corrine Chernich, a first-year in Pitt’s school of nursing, said she is also the first in her family to attend Pitt and hopes to not be the last. “I joked to my friends, ‘my kids don’t have an option,’” she said. “I really like the campus and the opportunities here, and it’d be super cool to build a legacy.”
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Transgender, pg. 2 management professionals and database experts. Connelly noted that the groups spent much of its first year identifying the existing University structures and practices in order to promote a more inclusive climate on campus. “A good part of the first year was spent just figuring out what systems existed and what to do with them,” Connelly said. The group first started with broad goals. These goals included expanding transgender individuals’ access to genderspecific spaces such as bathrooms and locker rooms and developing a plan for educating the Pitt community on transgender issues. Pitt’s current bathroom policy states that faculty, staff and students are welcome to use restrooms corresponding to their gender identities. Student affairs also provides a map of single-occupancy and unisex facilities on campus. According to Connelly, Pitt does not have a specific locker room policy. Transgender students are invited to use
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the University’s single-occupancy showers in each of the University’s recreation areas according to the Student Affairs website. It also says that any students with concerns about locker rooms may speak with a member of staff in the Baierl Recreation Center or contact the director of intramurals and recreation.
Shindle is part of the inside the classroom education subcommittee, which makes sure that professors are better educated on how to support their transgender students. “It’s really important for us to have this committee so that we as students can communicate with the administration to
“It’s not just as easy as saying that, ‘We need a gender-neutral restroom somewhere’” - Kate Shindle Members of the transgender working group eventually split into subcommittees to tackle additional, more specific issues. The committees convene each month to share their progress.
try and make everything as inclusive as possible, so that transgender students can have the same opportunities and really reach their potential here at Pitt,” Shindle said.
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Carrie Benson, a Title IX specialist and employee of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, serves on the subcommittee that addresses issues in housing and student programming in residence halls. As part of its work last year, this subcommittee ensured the language on housing applications was appropriate in regards to gender. “I have been impressed with what this group has accomplished in just one year,” Benson said. “Subcommittees were formed, two educational events were initiated and important conversations have taken place at every meeting.” The transgender working group also focussed largely on awareness. Last year, it held panels and programs to bring attention to issues that affect the transgender community. The group partnered with Persad, a counseling center specializing in transgender issues, to hold the Supporting Transgender Community Members event this past April. This program sought to provide the more than 65 staff and faculty in attendance with knowledge and guidance on how to provide respectful environments for transgender community members. See Transgender on page 10
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New Clubs, pg. 9 process of starting a chapter at Pitt and hopes to have it operating by the spring semester. “[Days for Girls is] working to raise awareness and help break the taboo surrounding menstruation in so many areas of the world,” Guarnieri said. Days for Girls members sew the washable pads and drawstring bags, which are thrown together in a kit with washcloths, panties and other essentials and then sent out. But students lacking sewing skills shouldn’t be deterred. “I was an intern for the Baltimore team and I have zero sewing experience at all,” Guarnieri said. “There are so many other tasks that you can do.” In some areas of the world, young women are forced to drop out of school because of inadequate access to feminine hygiene products and poor attendance during their menstrual cycle. Guarnieri feels passionate about the mission of Days for Girls to diminish this problem. “My goal with Days for Girls at Pitt is to educate others so they can get involved and help make a change,” Guarnieri said. Campus Cursive For students interested in giving back a little closer to home, they can check out Campus Cursive, a new club that spreads handwritten letters around campus for random students to pick up. The club was started by Swathi Srinivasan, a sophomore psychology and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies major as a way to uplift people through a small yet meaningful act See New Clubs on page 29
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Transgender, pg. 10 The group hosted a panel in June entitled “Education for Leadership and Citizenship on Trans Issues” as part of a new workshop series focused on transgender issues and curriculum reform, which brought together professionals, activists and educators from around Pittsburgh. “I think that these things aren’t going to have an immediate effect on the climate at Pitt,” Shindle said. “But I do think that they’re starting the conversation and really encouraging people to think about these issues.” Shindle has enjoyed seeing excitement and support from both students and Pitt’s administration for the working group’s efforts. The group has also given transgender people a forum to voice their concerns. “We tell people at the Rainbow Alliance, ‘If you see something that’s not transgender inclusive let us know and we’ll pass it on, and we’ll try to make those changes,’” Shindle said. “It’s been really exciting because some people have brought up things like how the OCC, for example, collects information or how Peoplesoft collects information, and then we bring those concerns back and we’ve been able to change some of them.” Connelly said that the working group’s committees will continue to focus on each of their specific goals in the coming year and work together to better identify areas for Pitt to improve in. “We are a diverse group of people with different viewpoints and backgrounds, but we share a common goal — improving the lives of transgender individuals within the University community,” Connelly said. “That is enough to keep this group working, to keep that mindset that we can keep improving the world around us.”
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Meet the editors:
Opinions
Welcome to Opinions, your home for the controversial, the personal and the bold here at The Pitt News. I’m Christian, a junior politics, philosophy and creative writing major. Over the summer I was the editor of the opinions section — you might’ve read my column on fraternity culture, an issue I feel passionate about. During the school year Henry will take over as editor, but I’ll keep working as the assistant editor. I’m Henry Glitz, the opinions editor this year. Some of you might know me
already as I was the assistant opinions editor in the spring, but maybe you know me from my short tenure as news editor in the summer. While Christian took the reins in opinions this summer, I took some time on News Desk to learn some key skills on fact finding and checking that I look forward to integrating into the opinions section. So be on the lookout for columns that feature interviews and reporting, as well as longer feature pieces in the section. The section brought a lot of really
interesting topics into focus this summer. We tried to bring some variety into the section with columns on topics like ice cream tips, the global rise of nationalism, the new season of “Doctor Who” and the rise of recreational Xanax. This year, we’re going to continue to elevate the voices of our columnists, a group of students whose opinions we value and think should be heard. But instead of just publishing columns this year, we’re planning to expand what the opinions section does. We hope to reinvent the
section to bring you a range of creative writing, science opinions, conservative thoughts, liberal arguments and more. We believe that the opinions section should be a platform to provide a representative sample of student voices, so we’re hoping to hear from even more of you. If you have something that you’d like to share with us, or that you’d like to share with the rest of your readers, send us an email. We love to read op-ed submissions and letters to the editors, and are looking forward to working with you.
WHERE I CAME FROM
Going abroad to find my heritage
Kim Rooney Contributing Editor When talking about adoption, people approach me with a delicate curiosity, like when enquiring about the sick or the dying. Apologies, whether for the assumption that my parents are my birth parents or for the adoption itself, are common. People don’t quite know what to say to me. They ask more about my circumstances or tell me about someone else they know who’s adopted. Sometimes, people make unnecessarily cruel comments about how my real parents didn’t want me. I’ve also encountered intellectualized ignorance, where people explain the politics of the one-child policy without regard for the human consequences. Over time, I have learned how to navigate these conversations. But returning to China to study abroad this summer shifted the paradigm. I could no longer answer as an adoptee who had never been back. When I first arrived in China, I thought I could avoid, or at least delay, having to think about myself and my adoption for another few years by avoiding my hometown. After all, I was studying in Shanghai, and while Gaoyou was close, traveling there wasn’t convenient. But eventually, I returned. I’m not quite sure what
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made me do it. There was no romanticized yearning, no sudden epiphany that going back was something that I needed to do to find fulfilment or closure. I may have just mentioned the potential of going back one too many times, and eventually it turned into an actual conviction to return. It may have helped that being in China brought my Chinese identity — or rather, the difficulty of my claiming it — to the forefront of my mind. I’m not fluent in Chinese — something I was reminded of every day while there. When I arrived I could barely explain to people that I didn’t know Chinese. I have a respectable grasp of Chinese history, but nothing close to resembling expertise. I don’t know about the culture, and for a long time I had little interest in even learning. I prioritized learning new recipes and songs or developing my skills as a writer and editor. The stakes always felt too high to even try learning to be Chinese. After all, if I failed, if I wasn’t enough, I might discover that I was never really Chinese at all. At times, the notion seems ridiculous. Being Chinese seems like an identity that you either are or aren’t. Nobody gives you guidelines on the criteria of identification so I always felt that I was falling short. The fear that somehow I wasn’t enough — good enough, Chinese enough, interested enough — kept me from exploring
Kim Rooney (right) met one of the ayi, who took care of See Rooney on page 14 her as a baby in Gaoyou. Kim Rooney CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
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from the editorial board
Safe roads require more than bike lanes From the lack of parking in front of the Cathedral, a safer Bigelow Boulevard crosswalk or the freshly painted white and yellow lines — the new bike lanes are pretty hard to miss. The City of Pittsburgh opened the lanes Aug. 15 on portions of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard — a muchneeded development as Oakland is the city’s second most-biked neighborhood, after Downtown. The lanes, which travel both directions on the two streets, will almost certainly help students and professionals around Oakland travel more safely throughout the neighborhood. But while the development will be useful now, the circumstance under which it happened paints a dangerous picture of Oakland for cyclists. Susan
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Hicks, a Pitt administrator, was struck by a car and killed in 2015 while riding her bicycle on Forbes Avenue at the Bellefield Avenue intersection. In Pennsylvania, this isn’t uncommon — a 2015 nationwide study found that cyclist fatality rates were up 12 percent that year. Building bike lanes isn’t the only step toward ending cyclist deaths. What’s important now is that drivers and cyclists alike know how to behave when they encounter bike lanes, and that the City of Pittsburgh continues to invest in making the roads safer for everyone. When driving in Oakland, especially during the school year, you must be alert. When cyclists and pedestrians flood the streets in between classes, a momentary lapse of concentration can
have life-ending consequences. Remember — when on the roads, cyclists have the same legal rights as cars, and thus should be treated as such. And when cycling in Oakland, your behavior is just as important for your safety as drivers’ behavior is. The bike lanes are pretty simple, and are marked by the traditional double-yellow lines. When biking, keep the double-yellow lines to your left — you’ll avoid head-on bike collisions and stay a safe distance away from cars. Because the lanes are past the far right lane of car traffic, don’t try to drift to the left lane to make a turn. Instead, approach the light in the bike lane and wait for perpendicular traffic to be signaled. This traffic flow limits the risk of left-turning cyclists
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being hit from the left side by cars going straight. We all know that Oakland is complicated, confusing and dangerous to drive and bike through. But despite the high volume of traffic that pours through Oakland every day, it’s time to truly share the road. These bike lanes are an important first step in Oakland’s effort to become safer, but it shouldn’t stop there. Bikers, drivers and pedestrians alike should continue to take steps to educate themselves through resources such as BikePGH and PennDOT, and Oakland should continue to be open to changes that will make people safer. As for Bigelow’s parking spaces? Sure, there are fewer — but no parking spot is worth the cost of a life.
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Rooney, pg. 12 my roots, lest I fail and discover I would never fit in. But Gaoyou didn’t symbolize my own validation. Getting there wasn’t like reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. If anything, the prospect of being there heightened every anxiety I had to the point of nausea lasting the entire week before I went. A little over a week before the scheduled trip, I emailed the former Communist
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Party Secretary of Gaoyou, Ni Wencai, whom my parents had met when they adopted me. He reserved a hotel room for me and scheduled a visit to the welfare center where I’d spent the first year and a half of my life. When I arrived at the hotel, I was met with a language barrier. The translator Wencai hired was waiting at the welfare center, so the car ride was spent mostly in silence with a few attempts to strike a balance between his limited English and my paltry Chinese. The welfare center was smaller than I’d
expected. It was simpler. Quieter. A building of several stories with balcony-lined hallways opening to the road stood inside a gate that retracted to let the car in. We got out of the car and Wencai led me up a staircase to the top floor, where several staff members were waiting to usher me into an air-conditioned meeting room. I sat down, and they handed me a bottle of water and a folder filled with my original adoption paperwork. I looked through the first year and a half of my life — the police documents from when they initially found me, the medical reports, the photos and
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paperwork my parents had to send in to adopt me. They asked me if I had any questions, anything I wanted clarified. I asked them about the welfare center, about Gaoyou, but after a few questions I realized that they didn’t have the answers I wanted and that the confusion I had could never be clarified. They couldn’t tell me who my birth parents are or why they abandoned me. They couldn’t give me the peace of mind that I really am Chinese. When I finished looking through the See Rooney on page 20
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WHEN REPRESTATIVES DON’T REPRESENT
DON'T RE-ELECT
Saket Rajprohat Senior Columnist
How does something extremely unpopular become law in our democracy? Congress. Over the past few months I have attempted to keep up with fast-paced news like the GOP’s health care bill’s rapid push through Congress by Mitch McConnell or the votes on the Restoring Internet Freedom Act — two bills that were wildly unpopular among constituents, both liberal and conservative. And with every headline I wondered why our representatives — with clear nationwide opposition to these bills —continue to ignore us? The widespread disapproval of these bills amongst the American people versus the relatively wide approval in Congress shows the clear influence of money and political parties in politics. Though these issues may always exist in some form, the power of each vote has the potential to significantly weaken the influence of the corporations, donors and traditions that influence our representatives. But even more than the power of each vote, the power of each phone call is real. Whether it’s to members of Congress or local representatives, phone calls and emails in mass numbers are hard for representatives to ignore, and even moreso if the messages imply the ultimate threat of losing a vote.
In its final form, Trumpcare was set to deprive 23 million people of health care, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Those suffering from an addiction to opioids or from serious mental illnesses would have experienced a serious lack of care. The poor, the sick, the elderly and survivors of sexual assault would have needed to pay significantly more over the next decade. The bill would have even cut Medicaid, hurting a large portion of Trump’s rural, white voting base. The Restoring Internet Freedom Act, if passed, would be a devastating blow to the American people and the principle of net neutrality. This would give internet service providers like Verizon the ability to provide faster internet for their own services, translating to slower speeds and higher costs for everyday Americans. Hiding this in a bill about “internet freedom” is something few Americans support — in fact, 61 percent of Americans supported net neutrality according to a May Morning Consult poll. Eventually, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was unable to pass either the American Health Care Act or the mere repeal of President Barack Obama’s health care law on July 28, as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., opposed the bill’s passage. Alongside this defeat, President Trump announced that See Rajprohat on page 19
Even more than the power of each vote, the power of each phone call is real.
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The Pitt News
Editor-in-Chief ASHWINI SIVAGANESH
Managing Editor JOHN HAMILTON
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Opinions Editor HENRY GLITZ
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Janine Foust | Assistant News Editor Caroline Bourque | Assistant News Editor Christian Snyder | Assistant Opinions Editor Mackenzie Rodrigues | Assistant Sports Editor Anna Bongardino | Assistant Visual Editor Wenhao Wu | Assistant Visual Editor Danah Bialoruski | Assistant Layout Editor Jaime Viens | Online Engagement Editor
Kim Rooney | Assistant Copy Chief Copy Staff Alexa Marzina Amanda Sobczak Kelsey Hunter Mia DiFelice Rachael Crabb
Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left. The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and
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Rajprohat, pg. 15 he would be willing to “just let Obamacare fail” and that he would not be responsible for the effects this might have on the American people. The first reason why the American Health Care Act failed is a simple but overlooked issue that Republicans have faced over the past eight years. Republicans have generally held that the government should not have to provide health care to the American people. Despite that, the majority party has been forced to act as if the government wants to provide health care, titling the bill the American Health Care Act, yet not acknowledging that it would leave millions uninsured. The second reason arises from the fundamental problem of mixing money with politics. Because of our representatives’ constant need to fundraise for their campaigns, they often fall short on promises made to the American people in exchange for money and favors from large corporations and donors. This influence is evident in the cases of both these unpopular bills.
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The only threat that truly holds any weight against our representatives is that of a loss of votes for reelection. Though money in politics may be the root of the issue, there is no better way to drive that from our politics than to advocate for what we voted for and what we believe in. Our voices do not and cannot stop at the polling booths. It may be easy for our senators to say they see a bigger picture and give us facts that may cause us to rethink our beliefs — something everyone should do now and again — but it is far more important to stand by the values we elected our representatives to represent. Continue to call your senators and house members who supported Trumpcare and push them to support what you elected them to represent. Continue to demand from your representatives clearer information and more loyalty — not to their parties, but to their constituents. Next time you call one of your representatives that voted for the AHCA or supported the RIFA or anything else you don’t feel you elected them for, let them know your discontent. It’s our civic duty to a country that runs on a representative democracy, not silence.
Sen. John McCain leaves the senate chamber in July after voting against the Skinny repeal bill. TNS
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ROONEY, pg. 14 paperwork, they showed me a few rooms where children were playing. In the second room, a young girl immediately wrapped her arms around me and led me to the table where she was playing with a train set. I sat in the too-small chair, overwhelmed at having been called jiejie — older sister — for the first time, when the translator tapped me on the shoulder and introduced me to one of the ayi — nannies — who remembered me from when I was a baby. The staff took our picture and asked me how I felt, but I didn’t have an answer in either language. Wencai and some of the welfare center staff took me out to dinner afterwards. I was mostly silent, partially from processing the day’s events but mostly from the language barrier. They made a toast to me, but they had to translate it for me so that I knew that they were welcoming a daughter of Gaoyou back home. It seemed almost humorously incongruous. That night in my hotel room, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It’s hard to say whether I feel any more Chinese now than I did before going back. I know more Chinese, I learned about Chinese politics and history and I immersed myself in Chinese culture for two months. But those are things anyone with enough time and dedication can do. But I feel as though for the first time, I’m on the right track. There’s still plenty of fear that I’ll always be lacking or insufficient, but fear of failure isn’t a good enough reason not to try. I hope that next time I go back, I’ll be able to be proud of how far I’ll have come. Kim Rooney is the Assistant Copy Chief for The Pitt News. Write to Kim at kcr20@ pitt.edu.
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Meet the editor:
Culture
The culture section isn’t just reviewing films, events and music anymore — and it hasn’t been for a while. I’m Lexi Kennell, a senior English literature and fiction writing double major and the culture editor for the upcoming academic year. With my new position, I look to continue the section’s focus on subcultures in Pittsburgh, but also showcase the people who make up these subcultures — profiling individuals who are in these groups and make a difference
on Pitt’s campus, whatever that may be. Over the summer, the culture section profiled Panthers for Animal Welfare, a social media baking mogul, multiple Pitt musicians and bands, a successful author who is a professor on the side and the new host of Pitt’s late night talk show “Pitt Tonight.” The culture writers and I will continue this trend into the year and add people from these organizations to specifically profile. I have also been rummaging through
archives and researching university campus buildings and chancellors. I even drove all of the way to Tennessee last week with fellow editors John Hamilton and Anna Bongardino to report on Pitt scientists who were studying the total solar eclipse. As we continue to move into covering topics pertaining to Pitt students’ lifestyle — bicycling, fashion, the LGBTQ+ community — we still plan to review music, film and theater productions that
interest our readers. So I want to continue publishing entertaining yet valuable stories that mean something — stories that are thought-provoking and may change the way you look at Pitt and its surrounding community. As long as Pitt students and community members keep doing impressive and unusual things, The Pitt News and the culture section will be here to continue to report on them.
RETRO OAKLAND:
LEARNING ABOUT UNIVERSITY LEADERS BY LEXI KENNELL, CULTURE EDITOR | PHOTOS VIA CHANCELLOR.PITT.EDU lthough Pitt students today have grown accustomed to a chancellor who takes selfies with each upcoming class and tweets regularly, past leaders of Pitt had different approaches to interacting with students. There have been 18 Pitt chancellors — and each one impacted the University as we know it today. From Pitt’s inception as the Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 to one of the
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nation’s most distinguished universities with five campuses, Pitt has weathered hardships as well as celebrated successes. Whether you take classes in Crawford Hall, live in Litchfield Towers or shoot pool in Nordy’s Place in the William Pitt Union, you have been in buildings named after these chancellors. Learning about these influential leaders could potentially give you a new perspective on the University, or at the very least a building you’re in every day.
Hugh Henry Brackenridge —
Founder of Pittsburgh Academy Before our school was the University of Pittsburgh, it was the Western University of Pennsylvania — but even before that, the school was called the Pittsburgh Academy. Hugh Henry Brackenridge founded the Pittsburgh Academy in 1787, and a residence hall on Fifth Avenue is named after him because of it. Brackenridge — who emigrated from Scotland with his family when he was 5 years old — not only founded the Pittsburgh Academy, but was also a justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, helped in 1786 to establish the Pittsburgh Gazette — which operates today as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — and wrote a satirical novel, “Modern Chivalry,” about the American frontier.
David Riddle
Chancellor from 1849-1855
David Riddle
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Much of Pittsburgh — including many Western University of Pennsylvania buildings — was engulfed in the flames of the Great Fire of 1845 and burned to the ground. After this catastrophe, the University constructed a new building — Duquesne Way — and finished it in 1846. But this too burned down when the second fire in less than five years destroyed much of what was left of the University in 1849. Riddle was the chancellor during the recovery See Retro Oakland on page 22 from the second fire. According to the chan-
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Retro Oakland, pg. 22 cellor’s website, Riddle served a school without students because classes were suspended during his tenure. A new building — a 16-room, slate roof and brick building — was built on what is now the corner of Forbes Avenue and Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh but at the time was the corner of Ross and Diamond streets. The CityCounty building now resides on that plot.
John Brashear Chancellor from 1901-1904
Wesley Wentz Posvar
William Jacob Holland
Chancellor from 1967-1991
Chancellor from 1891-1901
Although many Pitt chancellors were Scottish, Holland was born in Jamaica. He was a zoologist, paleontologist and like many other chancellors of the school, was an ordained Presbyterian minister. Holland wrote multiple books about butterflies and moths, and donated his private collection of over 250,000 species of butterflies to the Carnegie Museum, where he was director for 21 years after Andrew Carnegie appointed him director in 1901, according to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s website. He was the first chancellor to allow women to attend the University, making the school co-educational in 1895. The first U.S. college to be co-educational was Oberlin College in the 1830s.
hunger to expand the campus — he bought and renovated the Hotel Schenley, now the WPU, and acquired the land for the Hillman Library. Three years after his resignation, he died in a private plane crash over Lake Michigan, according to the University Library System.
Brashear was chancellor when the University was still the Western University of Pennsylvania, and was an astronomer who at one point was also the director of the University’s Allegheny Observatory. His ashes are kept in a crypt below the Keeler Telescope at the Allegheny Observatory with his wife’s, and a paraphrased line from the poem “The Old Astronomer” by Sarah Williams — “We have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night” — is inscribed on the crypt, according to Pitt’s Physics and Astronomy Department website.
Edward Litchfield
Chancellor from 1956-1965
Despite inheriting tremendous debt, Posvar’s tenure proved beneficial to the campus — during his time as chancellor he added more than two million square feet to the campus. He also created the University Center for International Studies, the Center for the Philosophy of Science and the Honors Program, now known as the Honors College. Historical information sourced from Historic Pittsburgh, Pitt Library System “Pitt: The Story of the University of Pittsburgh” by Robert C. Alberts “Oakland” by Walter C. Kidney
John Gabbert Bowman Chancellor from 1921-1945
Bowman — the 10th chancellor of Pitt — both initiated and completed the Cathedral of Learning despite many objections from the faculty and community. The 42-story Late Gothic Revival building was the tallest educational structure in the world in 1926 but is now — according to World Atlas — the fourth tallest educational building in the world. As the 12th chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, Litchfield plunged Pitt into massive debt, which was the root cause of his 1965 resignation. This debt came from a
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SUMMER ALBUM ANALYSIS From the moody, morbid “Melodrama” to the introspective “Witness,” the songs of the summer were filled with self-discovery, disappointment and apologies. And with so many new releases over the course of three short months, it can be difficult to keep up with what’s essential and what you can tune out. To help, here is a quick rundown of some of the albums our staff can’t get enough of. HAIM, “Something to Tell You” Amanda Reed | Senior Staff Writer
In their sophomore album, the trio trades guitar distortion for Fleetwood Mac decadence, starting off strong with the pop-y “Want You Back” and racing to the end with “Night So Long.” Every song almost sounds like “If I Change Your Mind” from their 2013 debut, “Days Are Gone,” but that’s not a bad thing — it’s excellent music for driving down the road with bass blasting and windows rolled down. Danielle Haim’s
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vocals continue to soothe in every song, but we hear more from her sisters, with Este and Alana making an appearance throughout with tight backing harmonies. Despite the tinges of pop, these siblings still know how to shred — “Kept Me Crying” features a mean guitar solo reminiscent of their first album. And although “Night So Long” is a somber ending to an otherwise happy album, it’s a lullaby that makes you want to relisten to the album all over again. See Album Analysis on page 27
Haim | Wikimedia commons
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TOTALITY IN TENNESSEE:
Pitt scientists witness, document historic eclipse Lexi Kennell | Culture Editor
The Pitt Shadow Bandits launched a balloon as part of a NASA eclipse research project. Anna Bongardino | Assistant Visual Editor
The Pitt Shadow Bandits gradually filled their weather balloon with helium, and a symphony of worried gasps escaped from the crowd of spectators as they heard a loud pop and saw the balloon’s deflated remains spread out on the lush Tennessee grass. “Do they have enough helium for another?” someone in the crowd asked. “What will they do if they don’t? Launch anyway?” The balloon in question belonged to the Pitt Shadow Bandits — a group of Pitt students, faculty and staff. They travelled to Springfield, Tennessee on Monday to send a balloon and payload up to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere to document and research the total solar eclipse. The team — which is participating in NASA’s Eclipse Ballooning Project — brought five balloons to Springfield, but only enough helium to fill two balloons. Luckily, they were able to fill their second balloon and successfully launch it in time to livestream the total eclipse — the first to cover the entire United
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States in more than a century. Janvi Madhani, a rising senior majoring in physics and astronomy, said that the team barely had enough helium to fill a second balloon — the team usually uses 7.6 pounds of helium, but had to settle for 7.2 pounds. “We did run lower on the amount of helium we wanted to send up,” Madhani said. “[It was] actually a significant amount, but we still made it.” In the eight test launches the team held leading up to the eclipse, not one of the balloons popped, according to Dr. Russell Clark — a professor in Pitt’s physics and astronomy department. “We just barely [had enough helium],” Clark said. “It was a real nail-biter.” Dr. Sandhya Rao, a professor in Pitt’s physics and astronomy department, said the balloon was oddly shaped and more elongated than it should be, and that is was clearly a manufacturing defect. “We were fortunate that it popped when it did and not after
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it was launched,” Rao said in email. David Turnshek, a Pitt professor and director of the Allegheny Observatory, said they didn’t have enough helium for a third balloon. “We’re not really in bad shape,” he said after the pop, “unless we lose another balloon.” Along with some local residents, friends and family of the Pitt team joined the scientists in Tennessee to watch the launch and witness the historic total eclipse. The moon began to eclipse the sun just before noon. The Shadow Bandits monitored the progress for the next 90 minutes, before taking a break from their work as the moon’s shadow fell on Springfield. All of the scientists and spectators removed their glasses and craned their necks to marvel at the sky. The moon perfectly covered the sun, and the sun’s corona — hot gas surrounding the star — became visible around the silhouette. The sky’s light blue hue deepened as the moon positioned itself before the sun, blocking out most of its daylight. A low, warm yellow light appeared on the horizon, and many spectators remarked that the sky resembled the golden hour — the time shortly after sunrise or before sunset — even though it was the middle of the day. Some of the professors pointed out solar prominences below the corona — red glowing loops of plasma rising and falling back onto the sun’s surface — and the diamond rings on the left and right of the corona immediately before and after totality. “It was dynamic and it was moving,” Clark said. “There were the little red prominences, the Bailey’s beads and the diamond effect — and it’s just like, this isn’t some CGI thing — this is real.” The team’s goal is to confirm or disprove the standing theory that shadow bands — thin waves of alternating light and dark that can be seen undulating on plain-colored surfaces before and after a total solar eclipse — are caused by atmospheric turbulence. Based on preliminary data, the Shadow Bandits confirmed the long-held theory that the earth’s atmosphere is the cause of shadow bands on the earth’s surface during eclipses. “Having this data — this is high-resolution, high-speed film — that’s going to add to the whole repository knowledge about these things,” Clark said. “We’ve got some good solid data to report and share with the community.” Though they have enough data to confirm the theory, Clark said the team could be analyzing the data for weeks or even months. “We are still looking at the data that the balloon payloads took, and so far it looks great,” Rao said in an email. Though the team eventually found their payload — which holds all of the team’s GPS trackers, cameras and light sensors — they had some technical difficulties trying to cut it loose from the balloon. As their cut signals failed, the balloon kept floating higher and higher, eventually reaching a height of 103,704 ft — well See Eclipse on page 28 above the
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The Pitt News SuDoku 8/28/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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Album Analysis, pg. 23 Fleet Foxes, “Crack-Up” John Hamilton | Managing Editor
Coming off a six year hiatus, Fleet Foxes returned in June with their third album — “Crack-Up,” the band’s most ambitious and inventive effort to date. Fleet Foxes maintain their orchestral indie-folk sound, but here it’s prettier, more detailed and more complex. This meandering record, full of unexpected sonic shifts, rewards multiple listens, which Robin Pecknold’s voice and songwriting make extremely easy.
like Stevie Nicks. “Lust for Life” is her most cohesive work thus far, despite maintaining the old Hollywood-melancholy she’s known for.
Japanese Breakfast, “Soft Sounds from Another Planet” John Hamilton | Managing Editor
Japanese Breakfast’s guitar-pop, shoegazey sophomore effort doesn’t really sound like it’s coming from another planet, though songs like “Machinist” and “Planetary Ambience” hint at
cosmic inspiration. Instead, the thoughtful — often devastating — lyrics, paired with melodic guitars and a few sax solos, make “Soft Sounds from Another Planet” an engaging listen that will leave you wanting to listen again right as the closing track ends.
Toro y Moi, “Boo Boo” Emma Maurice | Staff Writer
In his eighth album “Boo Boo,” Toro Y Moi — real name Chaz Bear — abandons his well-known upbeat, synth-pop
sound and opts for something slow and melancholic. We were first teased with the release of the cheery and lustful “Girl Like You,” but unlike his previous albums, the indie R&B “Boo Boo” was not meant for a summer kickback. Between the repetitive lyrics and electronic beats in “Windows,” and the near instrumental songs “Pavement” and “Embarcadero,” “Boo Boo” is the perfect indoors/study album. A gloomy record overall, each track flows seamlessly into the next, telling a sorrowful story of heartbreak.
Lana Del Rey, “Lust for Life” Amanda Reed | Senior Staff Writer
Lana Del Rey | Wikimedia Commons Although most of Lana Del Rey’s songs are about love, the theme somehow stays fresh in her fourth album, “Lust for Life.” Del Rey doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel — she touches on the nostalgia of Americana, singing about white Mustangs, Woodstock and summer, just like she sang about blue jeans and the National Anthem. The only difference is, she no longer uses American flag visuals. Unlike before, the album features trap-influenced drum beats and an impressive list of featured artists, from contemporary chart-toppers like The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky to legends
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Eclipse, pg. 24
Moment of totality. John Hamilton | Managing Editor
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intended 80,000. After four attempts of sending signals to the balloon to cut the payload loose, the request finally went through and the payload parachuted down to earth. “At one altitude the winds were going one way, and at the other altitude the winds were going the opposite way,” Clark said. “So as it falls, it might kind of do a zigzag and land pretty close to here.” And Clark was right — at about 3 p.m., the payload ended up in a forested area four miles away from the launch site, much closer than their average test launch.
The team immediately downloaded the data recorded from the recovered payload after the eclipse ended, and began reviewing not only the scientific findings, but also reflecting on the phenomena. “[The eclipse] was definitely breathtaking — I don’t think I was prepared for how beautiful it was,” Madhani said. “The trip was totally worth it — I would do it again.” Madhani doesn’t have to travel too far or wait too long to view another total solar eclipse — the Unites States will see the moon cover the sun once again on April 8, 2024, and the path of totality goes straight through northwestern Pennsylvania. But for now, the team is thankful they suc-
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cessfully launched their balloon and captured high-definition video of the eclipse despite the few hiccups. “We spent a year building up to this, just to have this two minute event,” Clark said. “And the sun was not blocked, we saw the shadow bands — it’s just like, everything came together at the last minute — second, literally.” For Clark, like many of the team members, the eclipse was more than just something they’d been waiting to see in order to test the theory. “I have to admit — it made me much more emotional than I expected,” Clark said.
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New Clubs, pg. 9 of kindness. “Campus Cursive is here to remind everyone of tangible acts of love — it believes in the good that exists in handwritten letters, especially in an increasingly digital age,” Srinivasan said. Although there are several similar organizations across the country under the parent organization More Love Letters, Srinivasan found the idea for the club organically.
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“Long before I knew about Campus Cursive, I wrote letters to people as my own personal remedy,” Srinivasan said. “What started out as a secret initiative my freshman year of high school turned into a small revolution by my senior year.” The club is available for all students and Srinivasan is already planning events for the upcoming year, including a few “love letter writing parties” and an event for incoming first-year students to help welcome them to college and ease the transition.
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“Hopefully with a large turnout, we’ll be able to send them to someone who has requested a love letter bundle and make his or her day,” Srinivasan said. Srinivasan is hoping to turn what was formerly a hobby of hers into a program to benefit others. “It’s an endeavor that requires people to connect with other people,” she said. “The time has come to spread love and letters throughout our campus community.”
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Meet the editors:
Sports
As the new school year begins, it’s time for the new editors at The Pitt News to begin as well. Over at the Sports Desk, we’re excited to be taking over as the sports editor and assistant sports editor. I’m Ryan Zimba, a sophomore economics major, and I’ll be this year’s sports editor. Last year I contributed to Pitt men’s basketball game coverage and published columns and features. My favorite story highlighted Brycen
Spratling and his journey from running for Pitt’s track team to transforming into one of the world’s fastest men. I also enjoyed discussing controversial topics such as Pitt men’s basketball head coach Kevin Stallings and why fans shouldn’t argue for his resignation just yet. I’m Mackenzie Rodrigues, a junior English writing major on the nonfiction track. I was the women’s basketball beat reporter for the 2016-17 season, but this
year I will be the assistant sports editor. My biggest story featured Pittsburgh’s very own first family of basketball, the McConnells, and how the women of the family have taken Pitt by storm. In the last year of coverage, the sports section reported on the full gamut of highs and lows. From the football team’s defeat of Penn State in the first game of the renewed rivalry to the wrestling team’s scandal and all of the department news in
between, we aimed to bring the truth to the Pitt community. Although we are bringing new ideas — including ACC power rankings and collaborations with other student media — that top priority will not change, and the sports section will continue to cover as many of the wins and losses as possible. Keep an eye out for this year’s papers, and follow @pittnewssports on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest on Pitt sports.
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‘SWEET CAROLINE’ CHANGE NOT ENOUGH Ryan Zimba Sports Editor The Pitt football program’s decision to alter the “Sweet Caroline” tradition was a step in the right direction for the team’s Heinz Field experience, but it could’ve — and should’ve — gone further. The unoriginal tradition of singing Neil Diamond’s 1969 tune has been a trademark of Pitt’s home games and its student section in recent years, but it’s also been a major topic of debate. As many have pointed out, the Panthers are just one of many teams to play the song. The most well-known team that plays the song is the Boston Red Sox, who started their own tradition of singing it in middle of the eighth inning in 2002. Other teams include the New York Mets and the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. The debate grew over time, and no doubt played a part in Friday’s announcement that the football program will move the song to various different points throughout the game instead of its standard timeslot between the third and fourth quarters. But while many — including myself
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“Sweet Caroline” will no longer be played in between the third and fourth quarters at Heinz Field. PITT NEWS FILE PHOTO — are overjoyed with this announcement, it’s not the lack of originality that matters. Instead, it’s what happens after the song ends. The students walk down their aisles, and their section — meant to be the rowdiest part of the stadium — becomes
an empty, quiet place. Rivalry games against Penn State, West Virginia and Notre Dame are the lone exceptions, with students opting to stay solely due to the opponent’s notoriety. Over time, leaving after “Sweet Caroline” has become as much of a tradition
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for the students as singing it. Therefore, what’s meant to generate excitement and enthusiasm does the exact opposite at the point the team needs it the most. It remains to be seen whether the students will stay after the third quarter now, but it should be better. Maybe they’ll just leave even earlier, if that’s when the song is played. More needs to be done to fix the problem and get students to stay the entire game. To accomplish this, the Panther Pitt could do one of two things — either get rid of the tradition entirely or move it to the end of the game. Both are acceptable and realistic options that would eliminate the problems the tradition poses. The former of the two would please those who think the tradition is an all-around negative, but in the process it could alienate the students who hold it so close. So, while many would rather see it replaced with something more motivational, it’s not the right choice. The song should be moved to the end of the game — played after every Pitt win. Assuming everyone stays, it would be See Zimba on page 36
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VOLLEYBALL DROPS 2 OF 3 TO OPEN SEASON
David Leftwich Staff Writer
Stephanie Williams delivered the Panthers their only win of the weekend with a service asce on match point SSaturday afternoon. Anna Bongardino ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR
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After making it to their first NCAA Tournament since 2004 last fall, the Pitt women’s volleyball team began its 2017 season by traveling to Seattle to take part in the Husky Invitational. In their three games over the weekend, the Panthers (1-2) struggled to play error-free volleyball and squandered the opportunity to pick up a few signature wins. Even in its five-set win over the St. Mary’s Gaels, the team played somewhat sloppily, and head coach Dan Fisher will need to make sure it gets corrected by the beginning of ACC play. “[Putting balls away] is something we’ve been struggling with this whole weekend but the story of the match was us sticking together as a team and finding a way,” Fisher said in a press release. Washington The Panthers had a tall task in their opening match of the season Friday night, taking on No. 3 Washington Huskies. The Huskies dominated throughout the entire match, defending their home court and sweeping the Panthers, 3-0. The two teams came out and matched each other early, reaching an 8-8 tie early in the first set. The Panthers slowly lost ground on the Huskies from there, committing nine
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errors, with the Huskies taking the set 25-17. In the most competitive part of the match, the Panthers managed to keep the second set close despite continuing their poor play. After battling to an 11-11 tie, the Panthers reeled off four straight points to take a 15-11 lead. Keeping up the pressure with strong serving, they extended their advantage to seven at 21-14 and seemed to have the set in hand. But the Huskies rebounded, capitalizing off five Panther errors to win eight of the next nine points, tying the set at 22. Despite coughing up a big lead, the Panthers managed to take the next two points and earn a set point at 24-22. They couldn’t capitalize though, as the Huskies seized control of the match by taking the next four points to win the set and go up 2-0 in the match. Riding the momentum of their second set win, the Huskies dominated the third set. The result was the most lopsided set of the match, with the Huskies crushing the Panthers, 25-16, to win the game 3-0 and hand the Panthers their first loss of the season. Creighton The Panthers returned to Alaska Airlines Arena See Volleyball on page 37
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Zimba, pg. 30 a great way to end a day at Heinz Field. The stadium would be loud until the end of the game, and that energy would be carried over while the crowd empties out. Other programs, like Notre Dame, have similar traditions. In the case of the Fighting Irish, the players congregate in front of the student section after every game — win or lose — and everyone takes part in the singing of their alma mater. If Pitt were to do something similar with “Sweet Caroline,” it could make for a more memorable tradition. In the process, it would get everyone to stay for the entire game, because if there’s one thing the current tradition has done, it’s gotten students to stay for the song, just not after it. Getting students to stay for the fourth quarter is something the Panther Pitt has been trying to do for years, and this would be an easy way to do that. Whether it’s been the “#4Quarters” movement or giving students a snack
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and a drink for staying the whole game, nothing has worked so far. With the current change, it’s unclear what the result will be. What if it’s played during the third quarter? Will students leave then? It’ll be interesting to see, but either way it’s encouraging that the program is at least doing something in the hopes of making a change. Because if there’s one aspect of Pitt football that the fanbase agrees on, it’s that the experience at Heinz Field needs to improve. Winning, of course, would be the simplest way to raise attendance, but for years the athletic department has been hesitant to do much of anything else to help it. So for that, they deserve to be applauded. Hopefully, it’s a sign of what’s to come under new Athletic Director Heather Lyke. If it is, the program’s already bright future could look even better, as head coach Pat Narduzzi continues to build his program for the long run. “Another eight-win season, I can’t handle it,” Narduzzi said this week at the program’s annual luncheon. “And I certainly can’t handle a six-win season.”
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Volleyball, pg. 31 Saturday morning for a match against another ranked opponent, the No. 9 Creighton Bluejays, again falling short by a score of three sets to none. In the opening set, the Panthers found themselves in a hole, going down 14-8. The team quickly responded though, winning the next six points to tie it at 14 apiece. From there, the Blue Jays retook control and slowly built up a lead on the Panthers, taking the set 25-19. The second set was a much more even affair, as neither team could gain much separation from the other. With the score tied at 16, the Blue Jays won three straight points to gain a 19-16 lead and looked to go up two sets. Pitt responded, surging to take a 22-20 lead, but Creighton was the better team down the stretch, going on to take the second set 25-22. Like Friday, the Panthers didn’t put up much of the a fight in the third set, as Creighton went on a 12-2 run to take a quick 16-7 lead. And despite a strong five-kill set from freshman Kayla Lund, the Panthers were overmatched as the Blue Jays took the third set 25-17 to send the Panthers to 0-2. Saint Mary’s In their final game of the Invitational against St. Mary’s, the Panthers were able to overcome their sloppy play to win their first match of the season in a five-set thriller. The two teams were very evenly matched in the early portions of the game, but the Panthers were able to escape with the first set, winning 25-22 behind sophomore Nika Markovic’s eight kills. Riding its momentum, Pitt came out strong in the second set and grabbed a 13-7 lead. The Gaels came back though, reeling off six straight points to tie it up at 13. The two sides traded blows in the middle part of the set, splitting the next 16 points to make it 21-21. This time, it was the Gaels who were able to pull out the set, winning four of the next five points to take the second set
25-22. Tied at one set apiece, the Panthers went down early in the third set but quickly rallied to tie it at eight. Later on, with the score tied at 16, they grabbed four straight points to take control, winning the set 25-22 with an ace from junior Angela Seman. With a chance to take the match with a fourth-set win, the Panthers ran out to a 9-4 lead. The Gaels quickly got back in it, though, taking advantage of multiple Panther errors to tie things up at 12. St. Mary’s then won five of the next seven points and maintained their edge for the rest of the set, forcing a match-deciding fifth set. Despite only hitting nine kills in the
match, redshirt junior Stephanie Williams made all the difference in the end. The two teams remained close the entire time, but, facing a three-point deficit at 13-10, the Panthers were just two points away from defeat. Following a kill from Markovic, the Panthers scored on a St. Mary’s error and a Williams kill to tie the match at 13. After losing the next point, the Panthers fought off the Gaels with two straight kills from Williams to take a 15-14 lead. Coughing up their match point with an error, another Williams kill put the Panthers up 16-15 with an opportunity to serve for the match. Stepping to the back line with the ball in her hands, Williams finished off her
tremendous set with a service ace to propel the Panthers to victory. Even though the Panthers only finished the weekend with one victory, they showed a great deal of promise. The team consistently hit more kills than their competition but were held back by an abundance of errors. As the team gets more experience in matches, these mistakes should be limited and the group will begin to look more like the NCAA Tournament team they were a year ago. The Panthers will be back on the road next weekend for the Dayton Invitational, where they will take on Iowa State and Dayton. The first match takes place Saturday, Sept. 2 against Iowa State at 1:30 p.m.
Women’s Soccer,pg. 33 LoPresti tied up the game and erased her team’s deficit. The remainder of the game was scoreless, but rife with fouls for both teams. The Bearcats fouled four times while the Panthers came close with three. Couperus also drew a yellow card with 15 minutes left in the game. At the end of regulation, the game was still tied at two, forcing sudden-death overtime. In the first 10-minute period, the Bearcats dominated, outshooting the Panthers 6-0, but weren’t able to end the game, sending the game into a second overtime. The Bearcats dominated shooting in the second period just as they had for the entire game. Although the game ended with a yellow card on Cincinnati, it did not end with a winning goal. The result was a draw, but considering how badly his team was outshot — 34-5 in total — head coach Greg Miller was probably pleased to get just that. Xavier As the Sunday afternoon game opened up, the Panthers faced the Musketeers (2-1-1) with an organized passing game. Still, the offense struggled, with the team only able to muster another draw thanks to a late goal by redshirt junior Seyla Perez.
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Xavier’s offense got off to a strong start in the game, but McEachern was up to the task early, making four saves in the first half to keep her team close. The Musketeers succeeded in pressuring Pitt’s defensive line, but couldn’t execute when it mattered most. Pitt took advantage of long passes to challenge Xavier’s control, but the Musketeers only intensified their pressure, forcing McEachern to come off the line to block shots. The physical game picked up as the first half wound down, leading Pitt to foul repeatedly. Xavier redshirt freshman Carrie Lewis took a resulting free kick, serving the ball into the box for a goal from first-year Sydney Schembri 35 minutes into the game. The Musketeers protected their 1-0 lead while Pitt tried to regain momentum and return from the deficit. As the half closed, the Musketeers led with five shots on goal to Pitt’s one. The teams were tied with four fouls and two corner kicks each. The second 45 minutes opened with a substitution in goal for Pitt as redshirt freshman Amaia Pena replaced McEachern. Holding onto their lead, the Musketeers pressured Pitt early in the half.
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Men’s Soccer, pg. 33 and as a result, the team had one of their best offensive stretches of the game. In the 90th minute, Prosuk ran into the box towards the post and received a cross from McCrary. Prosuk buried the shot behind Outcalt, crushing the Panthers’ hopes and delivering the Buckeyes the 1-0 win. James Madison The Panthers’ early deficit proved too much for the team to overcome in the Sunday afternoon game against the James Madison Dukes. Pitt fell in its second game of the season 1-0. The Dukes opened the game with relentless shooting efforts. This didn’t prevent the Panthers from taking their own shots, with the first coming from first-year Colin Brezniak. As the game progressed, the physical play stepped up and resulted in a Pitt foul, followed by a yellow card for Pitt senior Matt Bischoff nearly 14 minutes into the game. JMU followed suit 20 seconds later with a foul and a yellow card for junior Soheyl Alipour-Rafi. Pitt followed the fouls with consecutive shots by sophomore Josh Coan and Pimentel, respectively. Both shots were saved by JMU goalie T.J. Bush. Bush’s saves turned the game over to the
August 28, 2017
Duke’s offense, resulting in nearly 10 minutes of JMU-controlled play. JMU redshirt junior Billy Metzler scored his first goal of the season from 12 yards out just over 34 minutes into the game, putting the Dukes in a 1-0 lead. The Panthers attempted to clear the deficit, but junior Javi Perez’s shot was saved by Bush and would be the last from Pitt in the first half. The second period of play took off with three shots from the Dukes. The Panthers managed to get the ball under their control, resulting in two corner kicks. Pitt’s fouling in the second half more than tripled from the first. In the first half of the game, the Panthers received three fouls, while in the second they ended up with 11. The physical play of both teams picked up in the second 45 minutes. JMU picked up its second yellow card nearly 13 minutes into the second half, this time for sophomore Tim Estermann. They received another yellow four minutes later for sophomore Fernando Casero and one seven minutes after for junior Aaron Ward-Baptiste. Regardless of the Dukes’ transgressions, the Panthers could not get a shot on goal. Even following a corner from Perez in the 71st minute, no attempt was successful. The next shot from Pitt came with six minutes remaining in the game. Senior Pol Planellas got a foot on the ball, but his shot went high.
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I N D E X
Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER
For Rent North Oakland 5BR furnished house, located on Dunseith St. $2975. No Pets. 412-537-0324. Available NOW! Rooms available in furnished 5 bedroom house in North Oakland. Close walk to University of Pittsburgh and shuttle. Utilities included. AC/ washer/dryer. $600/ mo. Contact: rentalschool22@gmail. com or 412-953-8820. Offering housing in North Oakland in exchange for working 12-15 hour/week with active senior man needing personal care and assistance with therapy at home and daily pool exercise. One block from Pitt, very large estate. Great opportunity for health and rehabilitation science students. Experience not necessary. Day and evening hours, also overnight available. Contact Mike 412-901-4307 or felafelman@gmail. com.
South Oakland 1,2,3,4 BR. Apartments, prices range from $450-$750 per person. Some include utilities, some you have to pay. Call Jarrad 814-403-2798
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2 bedroom house available starting September 1st 2017 for $800/month. Five minute walk to Pitt. No pets. 1 year lease ending July 2018. Call 412-983-5222.
7 bedroom house available starting September 1st 2017 for $2800/month. Five minute walk to Pitt. No pets. 1 year lease ending July 2018. Call 412-983-5222.
3 bedroom and 4 bedroom. Free laundry on premises, separate utilities. Available now. 412-334-8804.
House for Rent. Beautiful 3-BR newly renovated-Allequippa Street. Close to Peterson Center & Pitt Dental School. Equipped kitchen, new carpeting, washer/dryer, 2 bathrooms, full basement, fenced-in back yard, security system. Looking for 3 students to share/or single family. Discount on first month’s rent. Security deposit required. Students require adult co-sign. Available September 1st, $1600+ all utilities. No pets. For more information, please call 412-303-5043. Email: dtm1003@ comcast.net.
3,4,6 houses Available now. Lawn St. Ward St. and Juliet. Call 412-287-5712. 4 BR. House for rent. Ideal for 3 students. 2 car indoor garage and 2 outdoor parking spaces. Large living room and dining room. Kitchen with new countertop. Two bathrooms. Convenient location, close to law school and Cathedral of Learning. Call 724-328-1133. 5 bedroom house available starting September 1st 2017 for $2000/month. Five minute walk to Pitt. No pets. 1 year lease ending July 2018. Call 412-983-5222. 519 Zulema. 4BR, 2BA. Brand new remodel. $2,500/ mo. Short-term semester lease available. Inquire today. 412-680-6209 or visit amomgmt.com 6 BR. house, 3 bath, appliances included, laundry, a porch, and front yard. No pets. Great view. Ophelia St. $3000 plus utilities. Call
M.J. Kelly Realty. Studio, 1Bedroom Apartments, N. & S. Oakland. $725-$850. mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412-271-5550. www.mjkellyrealty. com
Squirrel Hill 3 BR. house, 1 bathroom, living room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, basement, garage, and porch. All kitchen appliances, washer/dryer, and central air included. $1550 a month plus utilities. Available
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October 1st. Please call BEFORE 7PM anyday of the week 412-421-7548. Professors or medical residents only please.
Rental Other 3 bedroom house 3 miles from campus. $1000. 412-225-8723.
Employment Research Studies CMU researchers are looking for adults to participate in paid behavioral research studies. Studies pay $10/ hour on average. Must be 18+ and speak English. Register at https://cbdr.tepper. cmu.edu/Participate. aspx Daily smokers needed for paid research study. Must be 18 to 45. Call 412-256-8722. asrl@ pitt.edu
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Contact Landmark Event Staffing @ 412-321-2707. Servers wanted for Church Brew Works. Great part-time job, apply in person. 3525 Liberty Ave. The Pop Stop Snack Bar at Children’s Hospital is located in the main hospital, Floor 3b, 4401 Penn Ave. We feature an extensive menu, including gourmet coffees, pastries, sandwiches, salads, desserts and more. Looking to add members to our team, training part time and the possibility to take on more hours. Someone with prior coffee experience and customer service skills is preferred. Willingness and ability to work in a team environment and multi-task while keeping our guests the no. 1 priority is essential in this position. Duties include cleaning, stocking,
sandwich building at deli, drink making at espresso bar, milk shakes, customer service, cash register, and more. Will be training for a closing position (we close at 4pm Mon-Fri, closed for weekends) All candidates may be subject to mandatory drug testing and able to obtain Act 33/34 clearances. If this sounds right for you and you are interested in applying for the position please attach a copy of your resume as well as a brief paragraph stating your interest in the position. Potential candidates can also stop by in person to fill out an application. popstopchp@gmail. com. No phone calls, please. WAITER/WAITRESS, DISHWASHER/COOK: 20hr/wk, great working environment. Cafe Sam, 5242 Baum Blvd.
Apply Monday-Friday 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
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Health Medical and Heart Care, Students Welcome, 155 N. Craig Street, Dean Kross, MD, 412-687-7666
Instant cash paid for: baseball cards, sports cards. Game used sports items. Bats. Gloves. Jerseys. Goudey sports cards. Antiques. Gold. Silver. Coins. Diamonds. Watches. Paper money. Old toys. Trains. Comic books. Huge collections. Entire estates. We will pick up and pay CASH! Call Scott at (513) 295-5634.
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Have Your Party Here! ESCAPE ROOMS AND PARTY CENTER Celebrating an event? Birthday? Wedding? Maybe you just want a party.... Rent out our space and BYOB!!! www.HauntedDollescape.com/ PartyTime 412-722-6865
Educational Phlebotomy Training Centerwww. justphlebotomy.org 2 evening classes weekly, 5 weeks + excellent Clinicals. Call 412-521-7334.
Residential parking available. Dawson street. Please call 412-682-6976. Terris Parking
Services Other Dana’s Dunkin Duds is the cheapest, oldest laundry mat in the area w/ the hottest driers! Located on Cable and Semple.
General labor, maintenance, and landscaping for private home in North Oakland. Call 412-901-4307. NOW HIRING Looking for fun, part-time employment with flexible scheduling, working concerts, NFL/NCAA football and other major events in and around Pittsburgh?
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