The Pitt News
T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | September 10, 2019 | Volume 110 | Issue 20
PA. TO ALLOW ABSENTEE VOTERS TO APPLY ONLINE
UNDER THE SEA WITH MUSICAL THEATRE CLUB PG.4
Erica Guthrie
Assistant News Editor Pennsylvania voters who are unable to make it to the polls Nov. 5 can now apply for an absentee ballot online, rather than by mail or in person. On Monday, Governor Tom Wolf announced in a statement that the program will be open for applications within the next week, and the website will be mobile-friendly. “Applying for an absentee ballot online will make the process faster and more accessible for thousands of voters,” Wolf said. “This builds on the option to register to vote online which Pennsylvania launched four years ago and it will provide an easier way for people to exercise their right to vote.” After absentee voters receive their paper ballots, they will still have to mail them or return them to their county’s election office by Nov. 1. If the ballot comes after the Nov. 1 deadline, it will not be counted, regardless of whether or not it is before election day. This change comes four years after Wolf began an initiative that allowed Pennsylvania residents to register to vote online. Since it began in 2015, 1.4 million people have registered online, according to Wolf’s statement. For now, the online registration will only be available to those with a PennDOT driver’s license or identification card. By the 2020 election, Wolf plans to expand the program to those without a PennDOT card, overseas voters and military members. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot this year is Oct. 29, one week before the Nov. 5 election. The absentee ballots will have to be delivered to the voter’s county elections office by Nov. 1, the Friday before the election, as per Election Code.
Pitt’s Musical Theatre Club performs “Under the Sea” as a part of its 24 hour production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” Saturday evening at Stephen Foster Memorial Theater. Hannah Heisler senior staff photographer
FRIDAY LAWN EXHIBIT WILL ‘SEND SILENCE PACKING’ Carolyn Brodie For The Pitt News
More than 1,000 backpacks will line the Cathedral of Learning’s lawn this Friday to represent real college students who have lost their lives to suicide. The traveling exhibit, called “Send Silence Packing,” is sponsored by the national mental health awareness organization Active Minds, which advocates for mental health care and de-stigmatization surrounding mental illness. The group of backpacks, on display from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., aims to put a visual to the statistics of suicide victims. Attached to the top of each backpack will be the biography of the student that
once carried it, along with personal anecdotes and comments from friends and family members. Julia Lam, the president of Pitt’s Active Minds chapter, said she was enthusiastic about the installation’s relevance on campus. “It is valuable especially to Pitt, and early on in the school year, to help students remember that so many people care and there are resources available to help,” Lam, a senior psychology and rehabilitation science major, said in an email. “Pitt also plays a role as a big school in the heart of Pittsburgh, as a very visible location for a suicide awareness display that can reach not only students but anyone
passing through the Oakland area.” Lam also drew attention to the demographic prevalence of mental illness in college students. According to a source sheet by the national Active Minds organization, 39% of college students significantly struggle with mental health diagnoses, and among causes of mortality in this demographic, suicide is the secondhighest. Though Lam predicts the subject matter and displays at Send Silence Packing will likely create a heavy emotional atmosphere, some of the Active Minds’ 50 members will be around the perimeter alongside Counseling Center staff, comSee Silence on page 2
News
PITT RANKS IN TOP 20 PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
Silence, pg. 1
munity members and national Active Minds volunteers to encourage conversation and provide support for observers and passersby. Anyone — including staff, students or members of the community — is welcome to attend. Eric Macadangdang, a current Student Government Board member and the the former chair of the board’s Wellness Committee, said Send Silence Packing events held at other college campuses have prompted more open dialogue among students and staff about mental wellness issues students face with suicide as well as clinical depression and anxiety. Macadangdang spoke to the effectiveness of past Pitt Active Minds’ initiatives like the “Remembering the 1,100” display last October. “On the Cathedral Lawn they put down 1,100 white flags to represent the 1,100 college lives lost every year [to suicide],” Macadangdang said. “It was a very powerful movement. This is again just kind of visually representing the magnitude of the problem [of mental health] especially with suicide amongst young adults in college.” Macadangdang said he hopes the imagery of the exhibit will have an impact on the people who pass by. “Hopefully it resonates with people to see these piles and piles of backpacks that are representative,” Macadangdang said. “Once you make that mental connection that these aren’t just backpacks, these are lives, it kind of wakes you up.” Jay Darr, the director of Pitt’s Counseling Center, emphasized the importance of talking about suicide ideation alongside discussion of its victims. “The vast majority of college students who think about suicide never make a suicide attempt, and even fewer die. Please know that help is available by contacting the University Counseling Center or re:Solve Crisis Network [a 24/7 emergency mental health service],”
pittnews.com
Erica Guthrie
Assistant News Editor
“Send Silence Packing” events are held across the country to raise mental health awareness. Image via Wikimedia Commons Darr said in an email. The University of Pittsburgh’s Counseling Center — which can be found on the second floor of Nordenberg Hall — has programs and resources, as well as mental health professionals on staff to address suicide and other mental health concerns. “We hope we can continue educating our peers on how to seek [these] mental health services on and off campus, how to handle a mental health crisis, and
grow our community of students that share similar experiences with mental health,” Lam said. “While the [Send Silence Packing] event is just one day, we always want to continue the conversation and advocacy year round.” The telephone number for the National Suicide Lifeline is 1-800-2738255. If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis, please call this number. Suicide is preventable, and someone can help. You are not alone.
September 10, 2019
U.S. News and World Report released its 2020 list of Best Colleges Sunday, listing Pitt as the 18th best public school in the country. This ranking boosts Pitt up eight spots from last year, when it ranked 26th on the public school list. In a statement from the University, Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said the top-20 ranking was a “powerful testament” to the Pitt community. “[The ranking is] a clear signal that our trajectory as a world leader in learning, teaching and research is still — undeniably — on the rise,” Gallagher said. The 18th spot on the public schools list puts Pitt in a tie with three other schools who ranked the same — Purdue University, Florida State University and rival Penn State. On the national rankings list, which combines both public and private schools, Pitt rose to 57th spot — last year, the University was in 70th place. In this position, Pitt is tied with Purdue, FSU, PSU and University of Miami. According to the U.S. News and World Report website, rankings are assessed by six criteria — outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence and alumni giving. “Some factors that supported Pitt’s rise in the rankings included student graduation and retention rates and class sizes,” the University said in a statement. This year, Pitt was also ranked 30th in Best Colleges for Veterans and 63rd in Most Innovative Schools.
2
Opinions
ONLINE Editorial: Absentee goes online pittnews.com
column
Candidates who didn’t qualify for the September debate need to drop out Devi Ruia
Staff Columnist For whoever needs to hear this, please end your presidential campaign. There are way too many people running in the Democratic Primary. As of now there are still 20 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination, with six who have already left the race. More candidates need to drop out, not only to save themselves and the country some valuable time and money, but especially because we need some of them to run for Senate instead. The Iowa caucus is still about five months away, and already people are starting to feel fatigued from the Democratic Primary. Some candidates, like former Maryland Congressman John Delaney, started announcing their run in July of 2017, more than two years ago. Even serious contenders for the nomination, like Elizabeth Warren, began announcing their run in December of 2018. This primary process has been long and drawn out, and the sheer number of candidates isn’t helping one bit. By refusing to drop out, these candidates are “clogging up the system,” according to several Iowans. At the Iowa State Fair, the Washington Post conducted a survey where reporters showed Iowans pictures of all of the candidates, and asked if they could identify them. Participants were able to name some of the more well-known figures, but most other candidates caused more of a struggle — especially ones who didn’t even participate in the June or July debates. “It needs to be cut down,” one Iowa resident told the Gazette. “There’s some people on the debate stage where it’s like, ‘Why are you wasting our time? Go away.” The DNC has seemingly tried its best to at least cut down on the number of candidates on
pittnews.com
the debate stage by putting more difficult requirements in place for candidates to qualify for the September debates than for the June and July ones. In order to qualify for the September debate, candidates needed to have 130,000 unique donors to their campaign and reach at least 2% support in four separate polls. As a result, instead of 20 candidates and two nights of debates, the September debate is going to feature 10 candidates on one night. Some candidates who didn’t qualify decided to drop out of the race, knowing that not meeting the qualifications signalled that their campaign wasn’t going to gain enough momentum to send them to the White House. “I think being able to have a voice on a debate stage, when other candidates have that, is really important,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., stated in an interview announcing the end of her campaign, “and without it, I just didn’t see our path.” Other candidates unfortunately didn’t see things the same way and decided to criticize the DNC’s requirements instead of acknowledging this as a sign that their campaigns needed to end. Tulsi Gabbard, a presidential candidate and congresswoman from Hawaii, went on Fox News and said the new qualifications “lacked transparency,” despite the fact that the qualification process was made public several months ago. Instead of clinging to failing campaigns and blaming the process, the best service some of these candidates could do for this country would be to drop out of the race. Delaney announced his campaign more than two years ago. Despite the fact that he’s been a candidate for so long, he can’t seem to crack more than 0-1% in the polls. In the first two debates, the most notable thing he did was act as a catalyst for other candidates’ viral moments, which is prob-
Eli Savage contributing editor
ably why he didn’t even come close to qualifying for the September debate. Despite this, Delaney refuses to drop out of the race, even though his own staff wants him to. He has been running an obsolete campaign for over two years now and it is long past time for him to hit the road and donate some of his money to another candidate. Michael Bennet, the current senator of Colorado, may be a little too moderate, but at least seems to work hard to accomplish things by proposing bills that could gain bipartisan support. He’s just not gaining any traction with voters perhaps in part because he isn’t bringing anything new to the table. Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar are more well-known moderates — which is unfortunately the only distinctive trait Bennet seems to have at all. He should drop out and focus on the other Senate seat in his state that’s up this year to help get another Democrat representing Colorado. Marianne Williamson is another candidate that didn’t qualify for the September debates — but maybe she shouldn’t drop out. Obviously someone like Elizabeth Warren is a far better candidate in every traditional sense, but Williamson has the power of love. And crystals. And also orbs. Could anyone really underestimate those valuable tools in these dark times? Just kidding — Williamson is literally a candidate who should only keep running so that we can see Tina Fey
September 10, 2019
come back to Saturday Night Live and absolutely slay an impression of her. Wayne Messam, Tim Ryan, Bill de Blasio, Tom Steyer and Joe Sestak are candidates that most would struggle to point out in a lineup. Messam and Sestak haven’t qualified for any debates so far and should have dropped out a long time ago. Ryan, on the other hand, is similar to Delaney in that he hasn’t contributed anything to the debate stage beyond setting up standout moments for other candidates. De Blasio is the mayor of New York City and should focus on fixing the subway before he tries to fix the entire country, while Steyer is a billionaire who also hasn’t been on the debate stage yet. All five men should drop out of the race and focus on helping other candidates get elected to the Senate or throw their weight behind a more likely presidential candidate. Steve Bullock is another candidate most wouldn’t be able to pick out of a line up. However, as a successful Montana governor, he’s what most would consider the best shot at picking up a Senate seat for the Democrats in his state in 2020. It’s time for these candidates and their staff to think long and hard about why they’re doing this and where their campaign could possibly go from here. Instead of overwhelming the electorate by continuing to run, these candidates would best serve the country by pursuing other endeavors.
3
Culture
ONLINE Lion King comes to Benedum Center Reflecting on Mac Miller pittnews.com
Dive into Musical Theatre Club’s 24 hour musical Siddhi Shockey Staff Writer
As the lights dimmed, the melodies of “Part of Your World” and “Under the Sea” filled the theater and the audience applauded in excitement. Ariel, played by Heather Royer, took her position at center stage, and the crowd laughed as she danced like a caricature of a ditzy Disney Princess. This excitement resulted from a production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” hosted by Pitt’s Musical Theatre Club in the Stephen Foster Memorial Theater this past Friday. The club hosts an annual 24hour musical, and this year’s production put a comedic take on the Disney classic. The production was a collaboration across Pitt’s musical theater groups — including Pitt Performance Collaborative, MTC, Redeye Theater Project and the United States Institute of Theater Technology. With only 24 hours to cast, direct, choreograph and design a set for the full two-and-a-half-hour production, the cast and crew attempted to throw together a hilariously imperfect musical. Many of the sets and props were thrown together from household objects and construction paper, while the costumes were predominantly clothes the cast already owned. Julianna Pillets, a senior communication major and president of MTC, said she was proud of the work they were able to put together in just 24 hours. “It was tough to create an ocean and land in 24 hours with just construction paper, like we didn’t spend any money on the entire thing,” Pillets said. “So, Ursula’s tentacles were made from trash bags … it was a matter of being creative to get over those hurdles.” In the show’s opening scene, Ariel watched as Prince Eric, played by Josh Weiner, sailed along in a boat constructed of a piece of brown construction paper labeled “Boaty McBoatFace.” Royer’s portrayal of the classic, clueless Disney Princess drew laughs from the audience as she
pittnews.com
Pitt Musical Theater Club’s Heather Royer plays the part of Ariel in the club’s 24 hour production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”. Hannah Heisler senior staff photographer called an oversized tinfoil fork a dinglehopper. Senior Dustin Butoryak’s direction, which was done on a tight schedule, allowed the cast to put a comedic twist on their roles. Whenever Triton, played by Luke Shaffer, became upset about losing Ariel, two of his guards would sensually massage him until he shooed them away. Meanwhile, Sebastian’s famous Jamacian accent was swapped out for a Fran Drescher impersonation. The audience would roar with laughter each time Flounder tried to flirt with Ariel, despite her oblivious attitude toward his advances. These moments — spontaneous or directed — sent the audience into fits of laughter. The production even featured pop culture references with
dances like the shoot, hitting the whoa and the “Why you so obsessed with me” TikTok dance. Vaishnavi Guddeti, a junior neuroscience major, felt that references like these dances — which have become memes and viral videos due to their odd styles and funny context — added an unexpected element to the show. “I really liked the pop culture references like when Sebastian dabbed,” Guddeti said. “The inclusion of them in this play made it more enjoyable for the college audience.” Although the acting overall wasn’t as clean as a traditional production, it fit the expectations for a show that was put together in 24 hours. Despite the quick turnaround, the production featured a talented cast of both minor characters and leads.
September 10, 2019
Ursula, played by Kayla Bradley, stole the show with her powerful voice and sultry attitude. She played up the dark and humorous side of Ursula in her song “I Want the Good Times Back.” Bradley also took the liberty of sprinkling in a few comedic moments herself. After her death in the final scene, she kept laying on the ground singing through the final number as the rest of the cast serenaded newlyweds Ariel and Eric. Even minor characters like Scuttle, Ariel’s sisters and the head chef in Eric’s palace all had their featured moments. The actors parodied these classic roles, diving into the comical essence of the catty sisters or the ostentatious French chef. In one scene, as the head chef runs through a list of his favorite seafood dishes, the audience couldn’t hold in their laughter at his ridiculous French accent. When Ariel’s sisters hung out in their “girl cave,” they embodied the classic caricature of bratty siblings fighting for Triton’s attention. It was moments such as these that Ashley Bufano, a junior natural science major, enjoyed most about the show. “I thought the cast did an amazing job of making sure the audience was having a good time while they were still having a great time,” Bufano said. “And it’s crazy that they put it on in 24 hours.” Pillets said it was a lot of pressure for the cast and crew alike, but she also confessed how much fun the organization had with the 24 hour production. When the ensemble or a lead character missed a line or note, the performers simply laughed it off — and the audience did with them. “Something to take away from live theater like this is that you can’t control the situation that you’re in, you can only control how you react to it,” Pillets said. “And sometimes the best that you can do is just laugh and have a good time.”
4
review
‘IT CHAPTER 2’ DELIVERS CHEAP TRICKS Thomas Wick
Senior Staff Writer Stephen King film adaptations are the cinematic version of the lottery. Sometimes we get really good adaptations such as “The Shining” and “Shawshank Redemption.” Other times we get dumpster fires such as “The Dark Tower” and “Maximum Overdrive.” This isn’t to say the original novels themselves are bad — but it seems that Stephen King’s film adaptations have an inconsistent track record. Two years ago we received a fantastic adaptation of “It,” with great writing, wonderful child actors and good direction. But no amount of quality could save the sequel, “It Chapter 2,” from being a sloppy, drawn out, jump-scare-infested step down. “It Chapter 2” picks up the story 27 years later. The Losers’ Club have all grown up and moved on from their lives in Derry, Maine — everyone except Mike Hanlon (Isaiah Mustafa) who soon finds out that the evil clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) is back. Mike calls upon the Losers’ Club to come back and finish Pennywise off once and for all. To extend the little optimism left in this review, let’s go over the pros of “It Chapter 2.” The cast is easily the best part of this movie. The adult actors accurately match their child counterparts and both give excellent performances. Bill Hader’s performance as Richie is the definitive standout, delivering hilarious dialogue that prompted genuine laughter from me every time. That’s another thing “It Chapter 2” has going for it — the humor. While it’s not quite as funny as the first one, this sequel has some witty dialogue that will definitely get a laugh out of you. Skarsgard as Pennywise is also a standout, both funny and creepy when the script demands him to be. With the help of some great practical effects, Skarsgard helps deliver some terrifying scares, while the excellent cinematography and directing offer some great moments of tension. Unfortunately that is where the positives for this movie end — the rest of the film is a complete mess. Despite having great prac-
pittnews.com
Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise in “It Chapter Two.”TNS tical effects, the CGI for this film is horrendous. It’s so bad the filmmakers had to rely on flashy strobe lights throughout the bloated two-and-a-half-hour runtime to hide how bad it is. The movie relies heavily on the CGI, rather than using its budget for practical effects or some great animatronics. People tend to take animatronics for granted, but a film like “An American Werewolf in London” proves that well-made animatronics can produce great scares. One use of CGI that stuck out in an awful way was the film’s attempt at de-aging the child actors. In the two years since “It” came out, they’ve all aged dramatically. The filmmakers needed to make the actors look more like they did in the first film — and they did not have the technology or skill to make it work. A shot in the trailer shows a young Richie (Finn Wolfhard) with a face that’s just too smooth and clean to be human. During the climax there is a scene where a head begins to sprout spider-like legs — and at no point did it look real or creepy. The jump scares also kill whatever remaining horror this movie had left. Once
you use one, everything else becomes less scary. But the movie decides to continue using them, verbally assaulting the viewer with even more flashy strobe lights and terrible CGI. It’s like a child trying to say “boo” underneath a flashlight every five minutes, who then shines it in your face in a pitiful attempt to scare you. Maybe it worked the first time but after the seventh it vexes you to the point where you want to grab that flashlight and smack them across the face with it. Then you want to use that flashlight to search for any semblance of an engaging narrative within whatever dark joke the writers called a story. It starts out interesting enough, but then the characters each have to go on an unnecessary fetch quest for artifacts to perform an ancient Native American ritual to defeat Pennywise. That isn’t a typo — that’s the actual story of the movie, and the writers play it completely seriously. If this movie wasn’t already long enough, the writers decided they needed pointless filler too. This came in the form of bringing back a character from the first film —
September 10, 2019
who was presumed dead — just to serve as a mild inconvenience to the main characters’ campaign. This added 10-15 minutes to the movie’s already long runtime. It’s such a shame that a great cast and visual effects team are wasted on such an incohesive slog. There are some enjoyable moments in this film, and it doesn’t even come close to being the worst movie to come out this year — I’m looking at you “Enter the Anime.” If you were a massive fan of the first film, you may end up enjoying this film. If you haven’t seen the first film and are seeking a good horror/thriller comedy for the Halloween season, you are better off taking your money to see “Ready or Not.” More than simply wasting time and money, “It Chapter 2” commits one of the greatest sins a sequel can — making the viewer doubt whether or not the first film was good. Many have praised this sequel for being faithful to the original novel, but if that’s the case, I don’t want anything to do with it. The only hope this movie provides is offering more exposure to Bill Hader — because, my god, he deserves better than this.
5
Sports AMANDA WEST IS JUST GETTING STARTED Ben Bobeck Staff Writer
Most first-year students spend their first week at school trying to get acclimated to their new environment — buying books, figuring out the locations of classes and meeting new friends. But first-year forward Amanda West has looked right at home since the moment she stepped on the field for Pitt women’s soccer, leading the team like a veteran and re-writing the team record books along the way. Her debut appearance for Pitt women’s soccer was as close to perfection as possible — the Canadian phenom turned in a hat trick, including the game-winning goal in Pitt’s thrilling 5-4 victory over Loyola Marymount. It was the first hat trick by any Pitt player since the 2015 season, and the first debut hat trick by a first-year player in program history. West provided the heroics again two days later, this time in the form of a second overtime golden goal in the Panthers’ 1-0 win at Bucknell. West’s incredible start led her to be named ACC Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 27 — becoming the first Pitt rookie to claim the title and just the second Panther in program history after Taylor Pryce in 2015. West, who was born in Sweden before moving to Ontario as a child, credited the team’s early arrival on campus as a huge factor in their hot start to the season. “The team had to come in in June, so I definitely think that helped with the adjustment,” West said. “We brought in 21 new people to the team this year, so everyone’s new. There’s a whole lot of fresh faces, so I think coming in early and getting to know each other for two months before our season started was definitely helpful.” Of the 21 new members in the program brought in by second-year head coach Randy Waldrum, 17 are first-years. With her work ethic, studious approach and high am-
pittnews.com
First-year Amanda West is the first Pitt women’s soccer rookie to obtain ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Image via Pitt Athletics bition, West has brought “a breath of fresh air” into a transitioning program, according to Waldrum. Pitt fell back to Earth a bit after those first two wins, dropping its next two outings to Dartmouth and UMass each by a score of 2-1 before returning home with a 1-1 draw against Rhode Island and a 2-0 win over Saint Joseph’s. West notched points in every game, bringing her total to 17 — comprised of seven goals and three assists — and extending her run of recording a point in every match she has played in. Both West and Waldrum said they understand how this season, along with West’s stretch of consistent breakout performances, have started to set the stage for a massive jump — not just for her, but the entire program. “I think she’s going to be the lynchpin that’s gonna kinda carry us through this season a little bit offensively,” Waldrum said.
“Next year with the recruiting class, we hope we get her some more help offensively, but I’d be shocked if her four-year career is not very steady like this.” To put West’s impact in perspective, the Panthers have netted 11 goals so far this season. Seven of them have come off of West’s foot. Four other players each have one, with West tallying the assist on three of them. Even when widening the scope beyond just offensive output, West has totaled 29 shots, 20 of which registered as shots on goal. Senior midfielder Juliana Vazquez and sophomore winger Anna Rico are tied for second on the team with four shots on goal. Ben Waldrum, Pitt’s associate head coach and Randy Waldrum’s son, said West brings new skills with her this year that make her such a special player on the field. “You guys obviously see her pace, she’s dynamic, she’s good around goal,” Ben said. “And that’s something we didn’t really have
September 10, 2019
last year.” But when a team’s entire offensive attack is dependent on one player, especially a first-year, that can be an issue — even when said player is ready to carry the pressure as much as the team needs. “There’s some young players that come in and they just seem to be like veteran players, and there’s other young players that need a little time to really find their place and what their importance is to the team,” Randy said. “But I think she thrives on that, I think she’s the one that doesn’t shy away.” Randy specifically pointed out West’s comments to the team during the break before overtime in the match at Bucknell as evidence of how quickly she stepped into a leading role among her teammates. “She was the one that said something like ‘We’re winning this game, we’re not tying this game,’” Randy said. “I thought that said a lot about her and her character makeup.” When Pitt announced its initial recruiting class, days after a disappointing season ended last fall, Randy was already talking about West’s ability, saying, “Amanda is a goal-scorer. She has tremendous pace, composure and ability in and around the goal that will have an immediate effect on the 2019 team.” Randy, who coached two national championship teams in his tenure at Notre Dame as well as serving as the U.S. women’s national team U-23 coach, said he is excited to see the player that West will become, with expectations as high as appearances for the Canadian national team and the possibility of a professional career someday. Both player and coach already have an eye to the future, as West said she anxiously awaits the chemistry she expects to develop and the results that will follow. “I’m looking forward to the future of this program,” West said, “not just this season but the next four years here, because I know we’re going to get really good and I can’t wait for that.”
6
Narduzzi press conference: Week 3 Trent Leonard Sports Editor
With Pitt football restricting media availability in the week leading up to its decisive rivalry game at Penn State on Saturday, head coach Pat Narduzzi delivered what will likely be some of the only team comments until game day during his usual Monday morning press conference at the team’s facility inside the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “I love the media. I love you guys. You guys know that. I’ll do anything for you. So it’s nothing against you, you guys know that,” Narduzzi said of the team’s decision to limit outside access during Penn State week, which has been consistent since the rivalry’s renewal in 2016. “But I just want to keep it tight with our kids and let them focus on what they need to focus on,” he said. Narduzzi spoke to the fact that Saturday will be the last game for the foreseeable future between the two in-state rivals. The four-game se-
pittnews.com
ries began back in 2016, but scheduling conflicts between both schools led to negotiations running dry on any further matchups. “You know, again, I’m going to emphasize to our kids, ‘You might be the last team to ever get to play this game.’” Narduzzi said. “I don’t know if it’ll be played. I’m either going to be in a coffin or retired probably, so I don’t know which one it’ll be.” He spoke to the extensive preparation of his players and staff, noting that this isn’t the sort of game that can be planned for using just one or two games’ worth of film. “We’ve got years of videotape, whether it’s against us or anybody else, that we’ve scoured through and got thick books that big of really what we’re looking at here,” Narduzzi said. “It’s not a one-game breakdown, it’s not a five-game breakdown. It’s a three-year study going on here for this game.” Ever since Penn State head coach James Franklin made dismissive comments about Pitt after beating the Panthers in 2017, saying that Pitt
Head coach Narduzzi enters Heinz Field before Saturday’s matchup with Ohio University. Sarah Cutshall visual editor treated the game like a Super Bowl while Penn State viewed it like beating Akron, fans have assumed that some bad blood likely exists between the two head coaches. But Narduzzi put this notion to rest, saying that he and Franklin have a positive relationship. “James is a great guy. We go on the Nike trip every year, and I would call that a vacation, so we do vacation and socialize,” he said. “But when it’s
September 10, 2019
game day, it’s game week.” With a sellout crowd expected at 106,572-seat Beaver Stadium, Narduzzi touched upon an element that his team hasn’t yet had to deal with this season — the sheer volume of such an environment.
Find the full story online at
pittnews.com
7
I N D E X
Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER
For Rent North Oakland 3 Bedroom 2 Baths
2nd Floor apartment.
Laundry in basement. Walking distance to
Pitt/CMU. $1,800/mo. +utilites
North Oakland
location. “Country in the City”. Call 412‑999‑3112.
North Craig & Center 1 BD for $795.
Air Conditioning,
Laundry, Great Loca tion.
M.J. Kelly Real Estate
mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412‑271‑5550.
South Oakland 3 BD apartments
available in South Oakland from $1195‑$1600
M.J. Kelly Real Estate
Employment • CHILDCARE • FOOD SERVICES • UNIVERSITY • INTERNSHIPS • RESEARCH • VOLUNTEERING • OTHER
3BR, 2BA furnished apartment. Dawson Street. Spacious
bedrooms, living
room, dining room, kitchen. Washer & dryer in unit. Free parking available.
Pitt bus stops at door. $1000/mo. +utilities. 412‑818‑9735
Fantastic 2 bedroom 1 bath in South Oak land. 3327 Niagara. $1125 plus utilities. Washer dryer in unit with a front porch and backyard. Contact: John C.R. Kelly Office: 412‑683‑7300 Email: info@kellyre altyinc.com Website: www. jcrkelly.com
3408 Parkview Ave.
Research Studies
BD for $1,295.
Available immedi
ately. Pet Friendly & Parking. CALL
NOW! 412‑455‑5600
pittnews.com
services
• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE
notices
• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER
R A T E S
Insertions
1-15 Words
16-30 Words
1X
2X
3X
4X
$6.30
$11.90
$17.30
$22.00
$7.50
$14.20
$20.00
$25.00
5X $27.00 $29.10
6X $30.20 $32.30
Add. + $5.00 + $5.40
(Each Additional Word: $0.10)
Deadline:
Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978
in a research project. Must be between 21 and 28 years old and be a social drinker. Must be willing to drink alcohol. Earn $90 for participating in 2 session study. For more information call 412‑624‑8975 or email asrl@pitt.edu
Employment Other Help Wanted, COOKS! Part‑time/ Full‑time. Experience not necessary but pre ferred‑will train. Stop in and apply today, located in the Shady side Business District, 412‑621‑1188. 5431 Walnut Street.
Share spacious, furnished apart‑ ment, S. Oakland. Living room, dining room, Washer/dryer included. $600/mo. 412‑818‑9735
Employment
2 BD for $950 & 3
• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS
Roommates
mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412‑271‑5550.
Classifieds
For sale
Alcohol & Smoking Research Lab at The University of Pitts burgh is looking for males to participate
September 10, 2019
8