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 16. 2019 | Volume 110 | Issue 23
STATE REP. DAN SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR PG. 7 FRANKEL HOSTS GUN POLICY HEARING IN WPU Brian Gentry
Senior Staff Writer As president of the Pennsylvania chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Deborah Moss has placed children at the forefront of her professional life. So when she treated a child for a grazing bullet wound recently — one of many such wounds she’s treated throughout her pediatric career — Moss said she thought about the failure of legislation to prevent such incidents from affecting children. “He couldn’t sleep anymore, he was afraid to go back to school,” Moss said. “As public policy people, it’s important to With fewer than 10 seconds left in the game and positioned less than a yard from the endzone, Pitt failed to tie the game and lost 10-17 to Penn State in the last game of the schools’ rivalry. Kaycee Orwig | senior staff photographer think about what we can’t see.” Moss, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, was one of several speakers at Friday morning’s House Democratic Policy Committee hearing, hosted ing — a traveling exhibit run by Active Minds, a look at the exhibit. Hanna Amanuel, a member of by State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-23, in the Caroline Brodie For The Pitt News national mental health awareness and advocacy Pitt’s Active Minds chapter, said she was grateful for William Pitt Union ballroom. The hearorganization. The exhibit consists of backpacks the turnout. More than 1,000 backpacks sat on the Catheing, which focused on “the public health representing individuals who died by suicide and is “We have had a huge turnout which has been dral of Learning’ s lawn on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 epidemic of gun violence,” featured medimeant to raise awareness and promote conversation really nice, and everyone seems to be really glad it is p.m. Some were new, some were used, some were cal professionals, crime data experts and about mental health and suicide. The exhibit’ s next here, ” Amanuel said. “It is really impactful, you replain and some had ribbons tied onto them. Many local community leaders, each of whom stop will be at Duquesne University on Tuesday. ally have to sit and look at [the exhibit] for a second.” had once belonged to a college student who died by gave a different take on the multifaceted Many passersby, including Pitt students and Aaron Holme was a 21-year-old college student suicide. See Frankel on page 3 See Backpacks on page 3 The backpacks were part of Send Silence Pack- professors, stepped onto the lawn to take a closer
BACKPACK EXHIBIT SEEKS TO RAISE SUICIDE AWARENESS
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Pitt exploring plans for hotel next to University Club pittnews.com
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH KICKS OFF WITH CELEBRATION OF LATINX CULTURE Jade Chang
For The Pitt News On the William Pitt Union lawn, two girls with bottles of red, green, yellow, white and black face paint carefully brushed a Mexican flag onto a male Pitt student’s cheek as they tried to keep from laughing. Others bobbed their heads to Spanish pop music playing on the speakers. The Latinx Student Association and other student organizations kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month — a celebration of Hispanic and Latinx culture from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 — on Saturday with pastries, music and games, as well as informational tables about the Latinx clubs on campus. Patricia Lenau, a junior finance major and president of LSA, said HHM’s dates were chosen because they correspond to independence days for various countries, including Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Chile. “It actually started as a week, and it was a whole big thing to make it a month,” Lenau said. “It’s really just about celebrating our culture and who we are and what makes us us.” Gina Garcia, an associate professor in the School of Education and LSA’s advisor, said in a medium-sized city like Pittsburgh, the Latinx population needs time to celebrate their diversity and culture, as well as educate others about the issues Latinx people are facing today. A record 14% of the current first-year class are underrepresented minorities — Latinx students make up 7% of all first-year students. “For us it was important to bring awareness to a population that is large in the U.S. — actually the largest racially minoritized group in the U.S. — yet really small in Pittsburgh,” Garcia said. “So when we first started thinking about Hispanic Heritage
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Month, that was a big thing. We just wanted to bring about awareness of the diversity within the Latino population.” LSA invited several other clubs to table at the kickoff, including the Pitt Spanish Club, Brazil Nuts, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Roberto Cle-
kickoff, representatives from the clubs shared similar sentiments about hoping to spread awareness about Hispanic culture, as well as demonstrate the diversity of the Latino population and showcase their own clubs. According to Lenau, many people have
First-year Mia Moore poses in face paint and traditional dress at the kickoff to Hispanic Heritage Month. Carolyn Pallof | staff photographer mente Minority Business Association, the Latin American Graduate Organization of Students, the Pitt Salsa Club and even Carnegie Mellon University’s Spanish and Latin Student Association. The Center for Latin American Studies also had a table to discuss its own study abroad opportunities and events. At the
the perception that Central and South America have the same culture, but each country has its own lifestyles and customs. “Every single one of the countries is so unique and diverse, and it’s kind of amazing,” Lenau said. “We were just ordering candy for this event, and we were trying to get something from every country but
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every single country had a completely different candy.” In the wake of the Aug. 3 shooting in El Paso, Texas, where the shooter targeted Latinx people, Garcia said celebrating Latinx culture and diversity is now more vital than ever before. “I think HHM is especially important considering the current political climate, because Latinxs are being attacked regularly, both blatantly and covertly through public discourse and policy,” Garcia said. “HHM is a chance for us to shed light on some of the negative discourse around Latinxs and also disrupt it.” To many members of LSA, including Oscar Hung, a first-year global management major, the club provides a home away from home by providing a family for its students and staff. According to Lenau, a former president and vice president of LSA met when one heard the other speaking Spanish in Nordy’s Place in the William Pitt Union basement and started to discuss ways to create a community for the Pitt’s Latinx population. “Being Hispanic and having that background is something that a lot of us share,” Hung said. “It’s important to share these moments with these people and make other people aware.” LSA is planning many different events for HHM, including Loteria Night, Spanish Karaoke Night and a comedy show. SGB also recently approved funding for two different Latinx speaking engagements in Oakland, featuring Joe Hernandez-Kolski and Bobby Gonzalez. Lenau hopes that many Pitt students — of all backgrounds — come out to the various events LSA is planning. “To me, it’s celebrating not only just the broad term ‘Hispanic,’” Lenau said. “Each individual country and what makes them special and sharing our culture with people who haven’t really experienced it.”
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Backpacks, pg. 1 when he lost his life to suicide in 2016. Attached to the laminated biography page pinned to Holme’s backpack was a note to passersby from his family. “As you make your way through your busy day on campus, I encourage you to take time to reflect on the small things that can be life changing for you and the people around you,” the letter read. “Take the time to reach out for help when life starts to get ahead of you and you can’t catch up. You don’t have to have all the answers, you just need to know someone cares and they do. If you need help, let someone know —- just make the call.” Placards provided by Active Minds — placed along the walkways between the Cathedral and Heinz Chapel — encouraged students to seek mental health treatment. Their messages read “Your story isn’t over yet,” “Stigma is shame. Shame causes silence. Silence hurts us all” and “Treatment is EFFECTIVE and can HELP.” The backpacks created a visual of the vast impact suicide has on the college-aged demographic. According to Active Minds, three quarters of all mental health issues develop by the age of 24. Many of the bags also had biographies of their former owners pinned to them, as well as pictures or messages from families and friends. Kati Kuuseoks, an employee of the national
Frankel, pg. 1 issue of gun violence. Friday’s meeting, attended by about 20 members of the public, centered on HB1075, a bill that seeks to establish a process for obtaining extreme risk protection orders, which allow for legal proceedings to bar at-risk individuals from possessing firearms. ERPOs, or red flag laws, have been enacted in 17 states and Washington, D.C. The event was divided into three panel sessions, each with a different theme based on the expertise of the speakers. After testimony by the experts, local leaders, including Frankel, the representative for Oakland, Greenfield and Squirrel Hill, asked follow-up questions to gain further insight into the issues at hand. Joining Moss among medical professionals were Dr. John Rozel, a psychiatrist at UPMC’s Western Psychiatric Hospital, and Dr. Raquel Forsythe, director of trauma at UPMC Presbyterian. Each gave testimony explaining that treating
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Active Minds organization, came to Friday’s event. Kuuseoks said she was glad that by noon, a majority of the 2,000 flyers detailing ways that individuals could actively notice and prevent suicidal behavior had already been distributed to attendees. At the Active Minds information booth stationed at the event was a backpack with the Pitt Script logo that had been donated by the University Counseling Center Staff. Attached to the zipper was a note that read “In loving memory of all of the Pitt students who lost their lives to suicide.” Julia Lam, the president of Active Minds at Pitt, said the event was designed to connect students to the Counseling Center and other mental health resources at Pitt. The exhibit’s visibility was key, she said. “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 said in an email. Albert Tanjaya, a senior computer science major, said that the exhibit stopped him in his tracks. When he turned the corner onto the Cathedral lawn, he was overwhelmed by the volume of backpacks. “The moment you turned the corner and saw all of the backpacks and banners it was like you stepped into a different atmosphere. My friend and I both stopped talking,” Tanjaya said.
More than 1,000 backpacks were spread across the Cathedral lawn on Friday to bring awareness to the lives of college students lost to suicide. Hannah Heisler | senior staff photographer
the victims of gun violence takes an emotional toll on patient and doctor alike. Rozel advocated for the bill, noting that though there does not yet exist standard language for laws allowing ERPOs, the bill’s phrasing is in line with guidelines set by the American Psychiatric Association taskforce. But among his recommendations for strengthening the bill were amendments to explicitly include stalking and harassment as behavior to get an ERPO and permissions for medical professionals to petition for ERPOs. He said his support for the bill stems from a desire to improve public health. “We are anti-gunshot wound, not anti-Second Amendment,” Rozel said. Heath Johnson, the crime analysis coordinator for the crime analysis unit at the Pittsburgh Police Bureau, contextualized the national gun violence conversation in terms of local data. He noted that gun violence has actually decreased in Pittsburgh, albeit modestly. Pittsburgh saw 71 gun homicides in 2014, while only 26 gun homicides have occurred in 2019 to date — a 37% decrease relative to the
five-year average. “It is in this context that the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has been ambitious in its desire to address the ongoing incidents of gun violence, that, while fewer in numbers, remain a scourge to the victims and family members and communities touched by such violence,” Johnson said. He emphasized that the decrease in homicides cannot be attributed to a single policy — rather, it’s the result of a multi-pronged approach that includes policies such as the Gun Violence Intervention squad, which increases between police officers and community members in an effort to reduce gang violence, and ShotSpotter, a new technology that allows police officers to pinpoint the precise location of a gunshot within seconds. Erika Strassburger, City councilperson for District 8, which encompasses much of Pitt’s campus, spoke on the community aspect of gun violence. She emphasized the racial disparity in victims of gun violence, noting that a black person is 10 times more likely to be a victim than a white person and a black child is
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15 times more likely to be a victim than a white child. “Too many people have experienced the pain of losing someone to gun violence,” she said. Among the initiatives she’s worked on in City Council is a package of laws introduced by her and councilperson Corey O’Connor in the wake of the Tree of Life shooting last year. These laws ban the use of “assault-style weapons” and increase local funding for gun violence prevention initiatives. In parallel with gun control laws, she advocated for measures that would attack root causes of gun violence, including measures that increase school funding and provide easier access to affordable housing. These policies, she said, should be a top priority for state and local governments. “Although we might be closer than we have been in a while to seeing some policies passed in Congress,” Strassburger said, “it’s cities and states where the majority of gun-sense policies are moving forward.”
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Opinions
DEMOCRATIC DEBATE BREAKDOWN: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BIDEN
Julia Kreutzer
Senior Staff Columnist After two nights of sheer mayhem in July, the Democratic Party kicked off the next round of primary debates on Sept. 12 in Houston, with its top 10 candidates facing off on one stage. While less chaotic than the previous debates, Thursday night did not disappoint on delivering catchy one liners, cat fights and some extremely powerful statements. Here is my breakdown of each candidate’s performance — the good, the bad and the Biden. Joe Biden: The front runner did … dare I say … well? On the issue of Medicare, he was able to actively counter attacks from Sanders and Warren and even some cheap shots from Castro. He still tripped up over his words, bizarrely rambling on about a record player with seemingly no relevance to a question about making amends for prior generations’ school segregation. But at this point, voters are probably more than used to hearing a presidential figure who has difficulty forming coherent sentences. His closing statement about the devastating losses of his wife, daughter and son reminded voters why he is the grandfatherly figure so many are drawn to and definitely helped reinforce his lovable nature. The question remains as to whether or not that warm heart is enough to outshine some of the most qualified candidates to date. Bernie Sanders: No one can deny Bernie’s passion for issues like Medicare, and his commitment to bringing American people opportunities is nothing to take lightly. While his fervor is tangible, his 13 minutes and 43 seconds were mostly spent reemphasizing ideals he has already outlined in great detail, even using the exact same language to describe his “damn” “Medicare for All” bill. It almost feels like
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MEDICARE! FOR! ALL!
Miranda Zito | staff illustrator Bernie is rerunning his 2016 campaign, which may be part of the reason Warren has more momentum. Sanders will be in this race for the long haul, there’s no doubt about it, but in order to oust Warren and convince voters his policies are the only option, he needs to find a way to revive the excitement his campaign once inspired. Elizabeth Warren: Warren, as per usual, had a standout performance, emphasizing her ability to navigate economic policy questions and showing exceptional relatability when discussing her career as a public school teacher. She is able to ride the line between showing passion and advocating for her beliefs while seeming composed and calm. If Warren is going to keep the momentum of her campaign moving, however, she must figure out a strategy to be transparent about tax hikes and other necessary points of her Medicare for All plan. I wish she got
more of a chance to go after Biden, but nevertheless, Warren persists in her fight to oust the front runner and separate herself from Bernie. Pete Buttigieg: Mayor Pete, the surprise hit of the 2020 primaries, had another calm and collected performance. He made the strongest case against Sanders’ Medicare for All bill, stating he “trusts” Americans to choose what insurance plans meets their needs best, but failed to have any other standout moments. The Afghanistan veteran opened up about serving under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in his closing statement. Hearing a major party candidate openly discuss his sexuality on a national debate stage is a huge step in the continued push for LGBTQ+ representation in politics. The rest of his performance, however, was not as revolutionary. If Pete fails to break out in the next debates, I fear he may get the Boot(igieg).
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Kamala Harris: Kamala’s side gig as a stand-up comedian took off in Houston and was met with rousing laughter from … herself. After chuckling at Andrew Yang’s opening statement, Kamala compared President Donald Trump to the Wizard of Oz, saying “when you pull back the curtain, it’s a really small dude” and proceeded to laugh at her own joke for several seconds. Beyond this, Harris didn’t make much of a splash last night. She once again failed to substantively combat her record as district attorney, where her previous stances on issues like the legalization of marijuana contradict her newly proposed criminal reform bill, and spent the majority of her time focusing on Trump. Her first debate proved she is a fierce competitor on the stage, and in order to oust Biden and make a run for the moderate vote, she will need to revive that spirit. Amy Klobuchar: Klobuchar came across very well prepared, but a decent performance is not enough to move up in the polls. She excelled in delivering catchy one liners, like “I don’t want to be the president for half of America — I want to be the president for all of America.” The Minnesota senator emphasizes her Middle American roots, but the middle ground is already packed with candidates who have garnered far more attention. Her attempts to seem calm and composed came off as uncharismatic. Klobuchar did nothing necessarily wrong, and even had a few good moments, but it seems like nothing is enough to move the needle. Julian Castro: The former secretary of Housing and Urban Development should have brought an air horn with him to the debate. Castro did not shy away from going after his opponents, going as far as to tarSee Debate on page 5
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from the editorial board
Antonio Brown should be benched Antonio Brown made his debut with the New England Patriots Sunday, but there was debate on whether or not he should be allowed on the field. The former Steelers wide receiver was accused of rape and sexual assault in a civil lawsuit filed in the Southern district of Florida on Tuesday. The lawsuit, which was filed by Brown’s former trainer, Britney Taylor, gave a detailed and brutal account of what Brown allegedly did to Taylor. The accusations led many to wonder whether or not Brown would play in his first game for the Patriots. He did — but he definitely should have been benched. Brown and Taylor, a former gymnast, met in 2010 at a Bible study group at Central Michigan University. Brown allegedly reached out to her via social media in 2013 to ask for revealing photos of Taylor and remained in contact with her over the years. He asked Taylor to help him improve his flexibil-
Debate, pg. 4 get Biden’s memory in seemingly desperate attempts to distinguish himself from the bottom of the pack. Castro’s attempts to seem impassioned appeared bizarrely aggressive and failed to demonstrate why he is still in this race. Beto O’Rourke: After the last debates, it seemed Beto’s run was near over. While he had a decent performance on Thursday, it was not enough to revive his campaign. Beto shows incredible passion for gun control, especially in the wake of the tragedy in El Paso. He put his home-field advantage to use and was able to take over the gun control question. Beyond that, he failed to make much of a dent in the debate and has really done nothing to prove he deserves to be there. While he has written off a run for the Senate, it may be his best option. Cory Booker: Forget Kamala and Yang, Cory wins Last Comic Standing for his performance on Thursday. Yet unlike his opponents, Booker managed to use humor to increase his relatability while still managing to compose sophisticated thoughts on is-
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ity in 2017. Taylor said Brown sexually assaulted her twice in June 2017 and raped her in May 2018. Brown denies the accusations. “Mr. Brown denies each and every allegation in the lawsuit,” said a statement from Brown’s attorney. “He will pursue all other legal remedies to not only clear his name but to also protect other professional athletes against false accusations.” The statement goes on to frame Taylor’s accusations as motivated by a desire for fame and money, which is a problematic way to treat accusations of sexual assault. The decision for a survivor to come forward with his or her traumatic experiences is not easily made, especially against well-known figures like Brown. To treat these serious allegations as a grab for fame is insulting to Taylor and the traumatic experiences she allegedly faced. Following an incident of domestic
violence involving Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice in 2014, the NFL adopted a stricter policy for off-thefield violence. The new policy requires an independent investigation, separate from law enforcement, in abuse cases. The league says it will do so in Brown’s case. “We take these allegations very seriously,” said a statement from the Patriots. “Under no circumstances does this organization condone sexual violence or assault. The league has informed us that they will be investigating. We will have no further comment while that investigation takes place.” However, by allowing Brown to play yesterday, the Patriots and the league are in a way making a comment on the situation. They’re sending the message that they don’t take alleged survivors of sexual assault seriously. This is especially concerning because the assault happened at Brown’s place of work
with someone else who worked for the NFL. They’re allowing an “employee” to continue working when he’s shown concerning and dangerous behavior towards fellow employees. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could place Brown on the commissioner’s exempt list, which is paid leave for players charged with crimes or who have violated the personal conduct policy. Brown hasn’t been accused of a crime officially yet, but the exempt list is a way of taking Brown out of the game and the limelight while the NFL and other groups investigate Taylor’s claims. Regardless of what the results of the investigations are, keeping Brown in the game is insensitive and suggests the NFL and the Patriots are willing to overlook cases of abuse and violence in order to keep their players on the field. It isn’t a good look for Brown, the team, the league or the game.
sues like public schooling and environmental crises. Booker was thrown some bizarre questions from moderator Jorge Ramos, who asked if everyone should subscribe to veganism as the senator does, and was able to answer with humor and grace. The New Jersey senator faces an uphill battle against moderates like Biden, Harris and Buttigieg before he can come close to the nomination. He’s still polling at roughly 1%, but don’t be surprised if his performances in both debates give him some momentum in the very near future. Andrew Yang: Remember that time last year when everyone wanted Oprah to make a presidential run? Well, our prayers were answered and now YOU get a thousand dollars, YOU get a thousand dollars and so do the eight other people who sign up for Yang’s email list. Yang’s gimmicky opening statement promised to give “freedom dividends” of $1,000 a month to 10 families for a year, chosen from his mailing list. Yang had little time to expand upon his other policies, earning the least amount of time at the mic. While he didn’t do anything to earn my vote, he was certainly memorable.
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5
Sports
FOOTBALL TAKEAWAYS: WEEKEND SPORTS RECAP:
TWYMAN AND DEFENSE PROVE POTENT PANTHERS TRUE TO HYPE, WHILE OFFENSE VOLLEYBALL ROLLS THROUGH CALIFORNIA TOURNAMENT CONTINUES TO DISAPPOINT Griffin Floyd Staff Writer
Defensive lineman Jaylen Twyman (97) posted a career-high six tackles and added 1.5 sacks, bringing his team leading total for the season to 4.5. Kaycee Orwig | senior staff photographer
Ben Bobeck Staff Writer
So close and yet so far — Pitt football was within a yard of closing its rivalry with Penn State out with a colossal upset Saturday at Beaver Stadium, but came up short in a 17-10 loss. Even with a disappointing loss, there is still plenty to take away as the Panthers close out their non-conference slate against No. 15 UCF and Delaware before heading into the home stretch of ACC conference play.
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Pitt is still a one-quarter wonder. As discussed in last week’s takeaways, Pitt has struggled to get on the scoreboard outside of the second quarter. Once again, Pitt put up 10 in the second quarter but was blanked in all others, including the much-discussed failure to come away with any points from a first-and-goal inside the 1-yard line. This is now officially a problem that needs to be addressed. The Panthers dominated the time of See Takeaways on page 7
Lund stars, streak continues Pitt volleyball had a busy road schedule in the Pepperdine ASICS Classic in Malibu, California, beginning with a match against the California Polytechnic University Mustangs this past Friday. Junior Kayla Lund again stuffed the stat sheet with 20 kills, 14 digs and three assists, even contributing an ace for good measure. Senior Layne Van Buskirk continued her strong two-way play with 18 kills and 6 blocks, and true freshman Lexis Akeo had a staggering 58 assists against the outclassed Mustangs, whom the Panthers beat handily 3-1 by scores of 25-17, 27-25 and 25-17. The next day Pitt faced No. 16 Utah in a tightly contested top-25 matchup. The largest margin of victory was the final frame, which Pitt won 25-21 to secure a three-sets-to-one victory. Lund and Van Buskirk again paced the Panthers with 19 and 15 kills, respectively, and redshirt senior Stephanie Williams played a strong game in support with 10 kills and 17 digs. In their final match of the weekend, Pepperdine would give the Panthers their toughest match of the tournament. Fatigued from the first half of their doubleheader, the Panthers fell into an early 2-1 set hole before staving off elimination in the fourth set, 25-18, and eventually closing the game out the victory with a 16-14 finish. Junior Chinaza Ndee was outstanding with 22 kills and Lund again starred with 16 kills and 21 digs. The sixth-ranked Panthers move to 11-0 on the season and will try to further their undefeated streak in a home-and-home series against rival Penn State next weekend. The
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first match will be on Friday at 8 p.m. in University Park. Sunday’s match is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center. Wake up call? Pitt men’s soccer played only one game this weekend, but it was a tall task — the Panthers welcomed No. 1 Wake Forest for their ACC home-opener on Friday night. The Panthers lost 2-0 but stayed competitive, matching the Demon Deacons with 4 shots on goal, all expertly turned aside by the redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Pannenberg. Star junior Edward Kizza had three shots, but none of them were on the net as he was run out of room by the Wake Forest defense. The Panthers now stand at 1-3-1 on the season and have one last warmup chance against Akron on Monday, Sept. 16, before picking up ACC play against Boston College on Sept. 20. Kickoff against Akron is slated for 7 p.m. from Ambrose Urbanic Field. Women’s soccer flames out in second half The women’s soccer team suffered a tough loss against the Liberty Flames on Sunday despite registering twice as many shots on goal as their opponents (6-3). After pitching a shutout in the first half, redshirt junior goalkeeper Amaia Pena was solved five minutes into the second half by Liberty senior forward Gabrielle Farrell. The Flames junior goalkeeper, Melody Jayroe, who kept them in it in the first half with four saves, was able to keep the Panthers off the board for a 1-0 victory. After losing back-to-back games the Panthers’ record sits at 3-4-1. In their next match, they begin ACC play on Thursday, Sept. 20, against Syracuse from Pittsburgh. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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Takeaways, pg. 6 possession in the second quarter with a total for the majority of the second quarter, including a long, 18-play, 85yard drive that chewed up 9:15 off the clock — but resulted only in three points off the leg of Alex Kessman. After the defense forced a quick three and out, Pitt took eight plays to drive 78 yards down the field and finally punch it in with a Vincent Davis TD run, bringing its total time of possession for the second quarter to 11:40. That’s 76% of the period. That offensive rhythm and domination of possession proved unsustainable through halftime. Pitt managed just 8 yards of total offense in 5:40 of possession in the third quarter. The fourth quarter showed a bit of improvement, but again, without scoring results. Once again, it seems as though opposing defenses are fairly competent at adjusting to OC Mark Whipple’s offense at halftime, and Whipple and the offense are unable to counteract those
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changes and continue the momentum developed in the second quarter. That’s not a recipe for success in any situation. Kenny Pickett has found his groove … but the offense still has a ways to go. By far the biggest question this season was how the transition from the run-first scheme of former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson to the new, quick passing look under Mark Whipple would go over for Pitt and junior quarterback Kenny Pickett. After a rough outing against No. 25 UVA to begin the 2019 campaign, Pickett has settled in rather well, setting a career high in completions and passing yards against Ohio before quickly setting new ones in both categories against Penn State, completing 35 of 51 passes for 372 yards. A Pitt QB successfully attempting 51 passes in a game was nearly unthinkable for the last decade, but Pickett has proven he can be comfortable with that kind of reliance on his throwing arm. But the bigger question, again,
comes with the inability to translate the positive production through the air into points. Coming into this game, Pat Narduzzi was undefeated (4-0) when his quarterback threw for more than 300 yards. In those four games (2019 Ohio, 2018 Wake Forest, 2017 Rice and 2016 Clemson) Pitt averaged nearly 35 points, hitting the lowest scoring output at the game against Ohio this season. The offensive output is there, but the efficiency and execution needed to convert that yardage gained into points is still lacking. With a matchup looming against the high powered UCF offense — ranked third in the nation in yards per game and sixth in points per game — the Panthers will need all of the points they can manage if they hope to get back to .500 before heading into ACC play. Jaylen Twyman and the Pitt defense are for real. If you were of the mindset that Jaylen Twyman’s three-sack outing against Ohio was an anomaly or a result of a matchup with slightly lesser quality opponents, please stand cor-
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rected. The redshirt sophomore defensive tackle posted a career-high six tackles and added 1.5 sacks, bringing his team leading total for the season to 4.5. Twyman and the rest of the Panthers’ defensive front made PSU QB Sean Clifford uncomfortable in the pocket all afternoon, with three total sacks, five tackles for loss and an additional three quarterback hurries. The pressure upfront played a key role in containing a Penn State offense that had scored 124 points and averaged 515 yards per game this season. The Panthers were able to hold them to just 17 points and 389 yards. Even without producing any turnovers on the season, Pitt ranks 37th nationally with 307 yards allowed per game and 42nd with 19 points per game. With dynamic impact playmakers throughout the depth chart such as Twyman, LB Kylan Johnson and SS Paris Ford, the Pitt defense will be a dominant unit as the season progresses.
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University of Pitts
burgh is looking for
• 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
Employment Other Drummer needed for a punk rock band. We play original music, no covers. Must have equipment. Seri ous inquiries only. Contact Marty at 412‑400‑5067 In‑home tutor wanted for 12th grade student studying elementary statistics. Must have strong mathematics background. Sessions once a week, with additional sessions as needed for test prep. Compensation nego‑ tiable. If interested, please call or text 412‑849‑4209 Personal, professional masseuse
needed.
Washington
County
Long term position. location. Call
724‑223‑0939 time.
any
males to participate
in a research project. Must be between 21
and 28 years old and be a social drinker.
drink alcohol. Earn
$90 for participating in 2 session study.
For more information call 412‑624‑8975 or email asrl@pitt.edu
September 16, 2019
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