9-22-2016 by The Pitt News

The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | September 22, 2016 | Volume 107 | Issue 31

Michael Brown Sr. honors son at Pitt Alyssa Bessasparis For The Pitt News

Before he said a single word about his son, Michael Brown’s father asked his audience to close their eyes. Imagine tragically losing a loved one, he said. “How you just felt,” Michael Brown Sr. said. “That is how I feel every day.” Standing before an audience of more than 400 people, Brown Sr. wore a T-shirt printed with his son’s name and birthdate. On Wednesday, his son would have been 20 years old. Just two years after losing his son to a police officer’s bullet, Brown Sr. shared his story of loss and his hope for change with Pitt students — many of whom are the age Michael Brown was when he was killed. The Pitt Program Council hosted Brown Sr., who honored his son’s legacy and encouraged people of all races to come together, against violence, to understand one another. The event drew more than 400 students, as well as John Fetterman, the mayor of Braddock. According to his father, Brown was an average teenage boy. He was interested in music, the latest phones and playing pranks on his parents. But on Aug. 9, 2014, his son would catapult from an average teenager to being the spark of a national dialogue about race and police brutality. The day of his son’s death, Brown Sr. said he left work at 11:30 a.m. after a call from Brown’s grandmother saying, “Mike is in the street, dead.” Brown Sr. said by the time he got to his

son, he was covered in a white sheet, where he remained, burning in the 98 degree heat for four-and-a-half hours. Brown Sr. said he was never given the opportunity to identify his son’s body. The story of what happened that August day is well known now. Police officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Brown outside a Ferguson, Missouri, apartment complex. He had been accused of stealing from a convenience store. He was unarmed. He was shot 12 times. He was also killed two days before he was set to start classes at Vatterott College. Then, his death sparked national outrage, with protests in Ferguson and around the United States, including on Pitt’s campus. Since Brown’s death, there have been numerous protests in relation to other killings, such as the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and Eric Garner. The killings caused media outlets like the Washington Post and The Guardian to start projects to track police shootings and other killings in the United States. Yet after all of the unrest, Brown Sr. said he does not hate police. “I hate the decisions some of them make. It is hard to see who is for you and who is not, but they’re not all bad,” he said. Brown Sr. said police officers need to get back to the days when they knew the names of, and would play with, the children jumping rope and playing basketball in the streets and their parents. Had his son been a different race, Brown Sr. imagines the police may have approached him differently. See Brown on page 3

Michael Borwn Sr. spoke at the William Pitt Union Wednesday night. Meghan Sunners SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

News

OAKWATCH MEMBERS SAY PARTYING HAS DECREASED Alexa Bakalarski and Amina Doghri The Pitt News Staff

The way it used to be, Oakland was a loud, raucous neighborhood teeming with students who seemed to do nothing but party. But now, its permanent residents say, that’s changed. Both city and Pitt police — as well as Oakland’s residents — say they have noticed college students living in the neighborhood this year are keeping the noise down compared to past classes. On Wednesday, members of Oakwatch, a coalition of Oakland residents, Pitt and Pittsburgh police, Pitt Student Government Board members and city officials, said there has been a general decrease in partying over the past few years and related citations because of increased patrolling and community

cooperation. Inside the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, community members met at noon and discussed how to continue the trend. “We’ve got the lid back on, I think, outside of the occasional boil overs,” Mark Oleniacz, the co-chair of the South Oakland Neighborhood Group, a community organization primarily focused on the South Oakland neighborhood, said. “We’re making a difference.” Although Oakwatch has noticed a quieter neighborhood in the past five to 10 years, those observations may not have the numbers to back them up. According to Pitt police logs there were more than 90 incidents this August compared to about 63 incidents in August 2015. And so far this September, Pitt police have responded to 103 incidents. This time last September, there were about 69 incidents.

Yet while police have recorded more incidents than last year, they have not generated as many complaints from residents, according to Guy Johnson, Pitt police community relations officer, who said the number of complaints has generally decreased over the past few years. The decrease, Johnson said, is due to a more proactive impact detail, which increases patrolling by four more officers during noted times of high conflict. The detail increases patrol by four more officers from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. during weekend nights. “The force is being more proactive in how to deal with [parties],” Johnson said. “[The officers] were aggressively patrolling anything that brings attention [to an area].” The impact detail, created in 2008, increased the number of officers patrolling Oakland Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, working in conjunction with city police. In 2008, The Pitt News reported city and

Pitt police created the detail to crack down on minor incidents in the hopes of reducing more serious crimes. City police officer Shannon Leshan added that in addition to the detail’s proactivism, police have been calling property owners when a warning or citation is delivered to leaseholders so that ordinances can be addressed as soon as possible to avoid any future problems. She said public awareness from the residents of the area and their self-reporting have also aided the police in responding quicker to situations before they get out of hand, which has helped contribute to the decrease in citations. “With any college [they will] have that lifestyle, but yes, the number of complaints has gone down,” Leshan said.

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PITT SENATE COUNCIL FORMS DIVERSITY COMMITTEE Leo Dornan Staff Writer

For Pitt’s Year of Diversity and Inclusion, the University Senate Council has said it will form a new committee to focus on the issues. The senate said at its first meeting of the semester Wednesday afternoon it plans to create a Senate Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, which Frank Wilson, Senate Council president, said he is in the process of staffing. The committee will be permanent, and will address issues on diversity, particularly as they come up for students. “We will work this year on developing an institutional statement of core values,” Wilson said. At a February 2016 meeting, the council’s Community Relations Committee voted unanimously in support of the theme after Pamela Toto, the committee’s co-chair proposed the idea.

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Following the Year of Humanities, Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher confirmed this academic year will be the Year of Diversity at a June 24 Pitt Board of Trustees meeting. On the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s website, there is a form for student groups, faculty and staff to submit proposals for Year of Diversity, which will be reviewed by the Year of Diversity committee. The Office of the Provost also said it will provide up to $5,000 in matching funds to support events related to diversity and inclusion. Wilson anticipates lots of debate over the course of the year with many issues dealing with controversial topics, like Pitt’s policy forbidding consensual relationships between students and faculty who are supervising or evaluating the student.

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Chancellor Gallagher and Frank Wilson discuss plans for the University Senate this year. Wenhao Wu SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

September 22, 2016

Brown, pg. 1 “[Black people] are being targeted,” Brown Sr. said. “We are under attack, and it seems our rights are out the window.” In July, Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay spoke at the Democratic National Convention about his local and national efforts to reduce police violence and improve the relationship between police officers and residents, particularly members of the Black Lives Matter movement. Brown Sr. spoke on behalf of his foundation, Michael Brown Chosen For Change, which supports the fathers of young people slain in the face of police brutality, such as he and Oscar Grant’s father. Oscar Grant was fatally shot by Bay Area Rapid Transit Police in Oakland, California, on Dec. 31, 2009. “When tragedy happens, mothers are more often catered to,” Brown Sr. said. “Fathers have a voice too.” Mamadou Ndiaye, a member of Pitt’s Black Action Society and a first-year graduate student in international development, said it is hard to fathom the impact of Brown’s death on his community and

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his family. “The family perspective is missed a lot,” Ndiaye said. “What we hear in the news, social media and word of mouth is demoralizing. Another death from police brutality often becomes just another hashtag.”

speakers come. “From 2014 to now, if you ask people what has changed in terms of the country’s racial climate, most will say nothing is different,” Kamara said. “It just seems that there are more victims of police brutality.” In the days following his son’s death,

My son will always be remembered as a soldier to me.

-Michael Brown Sr.

Aminata Kamara, the president of BAS, said it was refreshing to have someone with first-hand knowledge of police brutality come to campus and give insight on what the families go through, rather than only having funny, happy and entertaining

Brown Sr. said he found himself waking up angry, but did not want to disrespect his son with his frustration. Rather, he wanted to honor his son by serving his community. “I try to keep my mind in a safe place,”

September 22, 2016

Brown Sr. said. “I try to show love to black, white, Latino, Chinese –– all of them. I want to open the eyes of the world from my pain. Ignorance and hate doesn’t have a color on it. Color don’t tell me what your heart is saying.” For others trying to make positive changes in their communities, Brown Sr. said individuals must try to surround themselves with people who are trying to move forward and make changes, while being wary of those that may have their own agendas. “We’re going to ride his legacy to the end,” Brown Sr. said. “Til my casket drops. One little spark of negativity can hurt people if they are hurting deep down inside. That’s why you gotta watch the company you keep.” Since his son’s death, Brown Sr. said the Ferguson community has been destroyed. It has become a tourist city where Brown’s life ended and nothing else. Even while living in a broken community, Brown Sr. strives to find hope in his son’s misfortune. “Even if Mike Brown don’t get justice, he’s helping other families get justice,” Brown Sr. said. “My son will always be remembered as a soldier to me.”

Opinions column

from the editorial board

PA must remember students when relieving hunger Pennsylvania health officials are dedicating themselves to take a bite out of hunger — or so they say. On Wednesday, the state’s secretaries of Human Services, Agriculture and Aging announced a plan at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank to expand public hunger relief programs. Included in the strategy is an increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, participation from 90 percent of eligible recipients to 98 percent and improved access to the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. While these efforts are a beneficial step toward improving food insecurity, which, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, affects more than 1.7 million people, some people will still be left behind: students. Part-time students deserve to eat too, and government aid programs should take care to include them. According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 75 percent of the 8.6 million students who received the Pell Grant reported having no savings or cash on hand when entering college, and, according to the Food Research and Action Center, food-insecure students had lower GPAs and higher rates of poor health than their food-secure counterparts. They were also twice as likely to work a job on top of their course loads. Despite those statistics, most students are ineligible to collect food stamps. If someone is enrolled in an institution of higher education at

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least half time, they don’t qualify for SNAP benefits. Even those who are otherwise eligible have to fulfill requirements including participation in work study jobs and taking care of children under the age of 6. Such requirements prevent people from taking advantage of public benefits, but they also make it difficult for those returning to school for work certifications or maintaining limited course schedules at community colleges to qualify. On Pitt’s campus, student groups like the Food Recovery Heroes are doing their small part to fight hunger by collecting unsold food at eateries around campus and giving it to food banks like Pressley Street High Rise, Jubilee Soup Kitchen, Finello Pavilion, Community Human Services, Pitt Pantry, Focus Pittsburgh and School 2 Career. By collecting food from the Oakland Bakery and Market, Market To-Go, Market Kosher, Einstein’s Posvar, Einstein’s Benedum and the FeelGood Deli, the group has been able to donate up to 4,000 pounds of food per year to food banks. But like food stamps, food banks weren’t designed for people attending college, they were built for those often too poor to imagine doing so. That doesn’t mean, though, that people attempting to improve their lives and leave those circumstances through education don’t require relief. They shouldn’t have to choose between education and food, and it’s worth our state’s time to address the overlooked needs of hungry students.

TAKE TIME OUT FOR PERIODS Amber Montgomery Columnist

You know it’s coming. Most of you never want it to be late, but a few days early can be a nasty surprise. If you hadn’t guessed it, I’m talking about the “special friends” that greet women in tampon commercials while real women are doubled over in pain. In other words, periods. Hopefully that doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable. It shouldn’t. Inevitably, Mother Nature has an uncanny ability to strike women at the worst possible time. You’ve got six hours of class today, two midterms this week and you’re not stocked up on nearly enough tampons, Midol or mint chocolate chip ice cream but she’s here — prompt and unflinching, ready to make your life even more unnecessarily complicated than usual. One day, while lying in my bed, clutching Advil and chamomile tea instead of the U.S. history notes I was supposed to be studying, I searched Google to see if I could miss class because of my period. Ignoring the few reddit and Yahoo Answers threads that came up, there were a few serious articles addressing something called menstrual leave. Menstrual leave is exactly what it sounds like: the idea of giving premenopausal women an extra day or two of sick leave per month for their periods. In a society that already suffers from deeply ingrained gender issues, giving women extra time off won’t make the fights to eliminate the wage gap or value working women any easier. But putting period leave on the back burner until we’ve figured out our other societal issues about gender doesn’t do women any favors either. Highlighting the other problems with gender equality, like the wage gap, is not an excuse to discount new ideas, like menstrual leave, that could positively impact gender in the workplace. Menstrual leave isn’t new — there has been some level of menstrual leave policy in many Asian countries for years. Japan was the first country to offer period leave, starting just after World War II when women first began entering the Japanese labor force in high numbers. According to the Japa-

September 22, 2016

nese Labor Standards Act of 1947, a menstruating woman may take time off work for physiological leave, though pay is not guaranteed. There are similar policies in Indonesia, Taiwan, China and South Korea, and the British company Coexist instituted its official period policy in March with the goal of synchronizing work and the body’s natural cycle. Its policy allows women to shuffle their schedules based on individual need. The pro side of menstruation leave is lengthy. Every woman’s period is different, we all vary on how much and how long we experience pain. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, more than half of women experience at least one to two days of pain while menstruating. And 20 percent of American women may experience pain severe enough to interfere with daily activities, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. One Italian study even found that one in four women have periods requiring “a need for medication and absenteeism from study or social activities.” Bex Baxter, a director at Coexist, believes the extra days off can improve productivity among women and create a happier and healthy work environment, which makes a lot of sense. Giving people time off to decompress is only fair and helps increase both morale and efficiency, especially when employees are in physical pain otherwise. And it’s not a secret that, as a society, we are pretty terrible at acknowledging the truth about periods. Although many a tampon ad would like you to believe that women are bright and energetic when they’re menstruating, it doesn’t represent the reality. This false branding of periods leaves anyone who doesn’t have to deal with one pretty clueless about how they work and just how much they can interfere with everyday life. Workplace and classroom policies that bother to acknowledge, accommodate and embrace periods would inevitably have positive implications for how our culture currently perceives them.

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September 22, 2016

CultureCLUB BRINGS RELIEF TO FOOD-INSECURE Unsung Heroes: Noah Coco Staff Writer

As the doors were about to lock at closing time Friday afternoon, the Oakland Bakery and Market permitted a few last students to enter. But the group wasn’t there to buy last-minute coffee and pastries for the weekend. They were there to collect all of the shop’s unpurchased food, which they would donate to food banks through the campus student organization Food Recovery Heroes. Food Recovery Heroes is Pitt’s chapter of the national Food Recovery Network, which is a coalition of 191 college student organizations committed to reducing food waste on campuses by donating goods to the food-insecure. According to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 14.2 percent of people living in Allegheny County are food-insecure. The efforts of such organizations as the Food Recovery Heroes attempt to provide relief to this burdened

portion of the population and contribute to more sustainable food practices at the local and national level. And recently, Food Recovery Heroes has expanded its efforts to form a collaborative campus initiative that spans from student organizations to Pitt’s staff and administration. Beginning Monday, they expanded to daily food pick-ups from Market Central, a new initiative the group hopes will dramatically increase the amount of food recovered this year. At the end of the day they will be recovering all trays of prepared surplus food that does not get served to students. These efforts haven’t gone unrecognized — Pitt is the ACC’s first school to be designated as “Food Recovery Certified,” a label Food Recovery Network designates to universities in recognition of their commitment to food recovery efforts. Jessie Cohen, a senior social work and communication major, co-founded Food Recovery Heroes three years ago with then-senior co-

founders Jonae Lloyd and Sam Ministero. Coen said they started the club after they found a solution to salvage all the unused food they saw at campus eateries. “We realized that there was something we could do on campus that makes it a lot more sustainable, and we could really feed our neighbors so easily by repurposing food that would otherwise be wasted,” Cohen said. The club’s recent visit to the Oakland Bakery was one of four coordinated that week, which collected any unsold salads, sandwiches, donuts, cookies and pastries that would have been wasted if not gathered and donated to local organizations and food banks like Pressley Street High Rise, Jubilee Soup Kitchen, Finello Pavilion, Community Human Services, Pitt Pantry, Focus Pittsburgh and School 2 Career. Food Recovery Heroes also collects from Market To-Go, Market Kosher, Einstein’s Posvar, Einstein’s Benedum and the FeelGood Deli.

Although the group has about 30 active members, the amount of work required to recover that much food a day sometimes exceeds their capabilities, so Food Recovery Heroes works with other campus organizations, including the Arnold Air Society, Pitt Green Team, Free the Planet and the Student Civic Engagement Council. During its time at Pitt, Food Recovery Heroes has recovered an estimated 4,000 pounds of food annually, but this year it hopes to double that amount to 8,000 pounds. “The extra 4,000 pounds are going to come from all the food that is made in Market Central and the Perch that students don’t get to,” said Cohen. The expansion to Market Central and the Perch offers Food Recovery Heroes a significant opportunity to increase their collection numbers because of the substantial amount of food produced in a day. See Food on page 7

LATE NIGHT AND TRUMP: IT’S COMPLICATED Matt Maielli

Senior Staff Writer

Terry Tan illustrator

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If you were the host of America’s mostviewed late-night show and you had a guest that was a presidential candidate known for hateful rhetoric against minorities and immigrants, what would you do with him? Did you say ruffle his hair? Because that’s what Jimmy Fallon and NBC thought was the right answer. “The next time I see you, you could be the president of the United States,” Fallon said to Donald Trump during his broadcast last Thursday, the Republican candidate for president. “I just wanted to know if there was something we could do that’s not presidential really, something that we could do now that we’re both just civilians.” Fallon took his last chance to have Trump on his show as a presidential candidate and used it to mess up his hair. If you’re into that, fine — the video currently

September 22, 2016

has 7.4 million views on YouTube. But it raises the question — why would Fallon effectively repackage Trump’s notorious and “politically incorrect” campaign for a late-night audience? To clarify, this isn’t about how latenight shows treat presidential candidates, this is about how late-night shows treat Trump, who is unlike any other presidential candidate of the past 50 years. It’s about how shows like Fallon’s and networks like NBC have put ratings at a higher priority than the people who have and would be affected by Trump’s rhetoric and policies. Let’s not forget that Trump now has a more-than-cordial relationship with white supremacists. Fallon’s show is in stark contrast to how legendary late-night host David Letterman easily dealt with Trump so many years ago. Over the course of several interviews, Letterman called out Trump for his attacks See Column on page 8

Food, pg. 6 Market Central chefs produce food to provide 35,000 to 40,000 meals per week and 5,000 to 6,000 per day, “but every day is different — I can’t know how many people are going to come in each day,” said Executive Chef Chris Cox from Market Central. “We adjust our production amounts to meet what we expect our demand is going to be,” he added, “but whatever we make that exceeds that in the end of the night, that gets donated to Food Recovery Heroes.” The group’s expansion to daily pick-ups at Market Central requires the entire staff ’s involvement, so Pitt Dining Sustainability Coordinator Nick Goodfellow, who has been coordinating with Food Recovery Heroes to implement their initiatives at campus dining facilities, introduced them to these new efforts at their orientations in August. “Everybody really gets it. Market Central staff has seen the food waste, they are familiar with it, so they are really excited that something like this is happening where all this food waste is getting recovered and donated,” Goodfellow said. The Market Central staff was informed to move any trays of prepared but unserved food, that previously would have been thrown away, to the kitchen’s freezer, where Food Recovery Heroes will recover it from.

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After the food is recovered, it’s donated to several organizations across Pittsburgh, reducing food insecurity in a region known for its food deserts — areas where it’s difficult to access affordable and high-quality foods. “If people in the community don’t have access to food, it is so disappointing when we are on a campus where you see all this food being thrown away,” Cohen said. Food Recovery Heroes’ work has yielded positive results for the community, according to Hana Uman, the program manager of 412 Food Rescue, which connects volunteers like the Food Recovery Heroes with community organizations in need of fresh food. “I think it’s super important to have the Food Recovery Heroes here at Pitt, you know, Sodexo is really working toward a zero-waste school,” Uman said. “They want this to be a student-led project, and I think that having the Food Recovery Heroes [is good for this goal].” Solving food insecurity issues is a passion for Cohen, and through Food Recovery Heroes she has been able to make local and national connections that serve to alleviate the burdens of food insecurity. “Shelter and food are the most basic human need that everyone deserves to have, and if there is something like this that is so simple to coordinate to help out with that, it really does strengthen the whole community,” said Cohen.

September 22, 2016

Pitt Food Recovery Heroes members Jessie Cohen (left) and Shutian Shen (right) prepare food at the Ronald McDonald house Courtesy of Jessie Cohen

Column, pg. 6 against China by revealing that Trump’s ties are actually made in China, asked him to shut down his factories in China and outside the United States and called him a racist for his defamatory statements about President Barack Obama’s birth. Letterman later apologized to Trump for the last bit, saying that “maybe he’s just a guy that periodically says stupid things to get people’s attention.” The more political late-night shows such as “The Daily Show with Trevor

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Noah,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” have frequently acted as watchdogs for both Trump and Hillary Clinton. Bee also called out NBC’s, let’s say, complicated relationship with Trump. Trump went from hosting his show “The Celebrity Apprentice” on NBC, to NBC dropping him from the reality show after his remarks about Mexicans, to then hosting “Saturday Night Live” and gueststarring on “The Tonight Show” several times. “Aw, Trump can be a total sweetheart

with someone who has no reason to be terrified of him,” Bee said of Fallon’s interview. She went on to chide network executives at NBC for putting ratings above minorities affected by Trump’s rhetoric. “They’re not racists — they just don’t mind if other people are, which is just as bad,” Bee said. The first two shows to reveal that the guy stirring racial tensions in the country also had a funny side were “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “Saturday Night Live.” These are two programs

September 22, 2016

in the top-tier of late-night comedy — this is where examples are set. On his show on Sept. 22, 2015, Colbert opened the interview by apologizing to Trump for making fun of him as his conservative character on “The Colbert Report.” Colbert gave Trump room to apologize in turn — to anyone for anything — which he declined and even gave him a chance to admit that Obama was born in the United States.

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Sports

see online

Saturday for full Pitt-UNC game coverage

Ryan Switzer (3) is one of the deadliest return threats in the country. Courtesy of Jeffrey A. Camarti, UNC Athletic Communications

off-field friends

Pitt running back James Conner and UNC wide receiver Ryan Switzer are stars and rivals on the field. Off the field, they use their friendship as motivation to outperform the other. | Stephen Caruso | Senior Staff Writer Ryan Switzer’s North Carolina Tar Heels had just wrapped up a perfect 8-0 season in conference play and were 24 hours away from taking on the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship game on Dec. 5, 2015. But Switzer was in no mood to celebrate. Earlier that day, he opened his Twitter feed to find out his good friend and ACC rival, Pitt running back James Conner, had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He immediately he reached for his phone. “I had to let him know I was thinking about it,” Switzer said. That little message shows the bond between the two gridiron warriors — bitter rivals on the field, but thoughtful friends off. “[Switzer is] a phenomenal person,” Conner said. “He’s [become] like a brother to me.” Switzer has been a key part of the only Coastal Division team Pitt has yet to beat since joining the ACC in 2013 — North Carolina — and his blazing deep routes and winding punt returns might be the biggest reason why. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound slot receiver has burned the Panthers for four touchdowns of 60 yards or more over the span

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of three straight victories by the Tar Heels. “The first thing you look at is Ryan Switzer, who can take a game over by himself,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said about game planning for UNC at his weekly media teleconference. The two first met in their senior year of high school at a Rivals/VTO Camp in Pittsburgh. Conner was a defensive end out McDowell High School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Switzer was a multi-sport star from West Virginia. When Conner first saw him play at this camp, he immediately recognized Switzer’s ability. “[Switzer] was killing people, he was juicing them all over the field,” Conner said. The two players briefly chatted, but nothing approaching a friendship occurred until Nov. 16, 2013 — when Pitt played North Carolina, the first time the two played each other. Both true freshmen excelled in the contest at Heinz Field. Conner pounded the goal line for a two-yard touchdown run, one of 19 carries for 102 yards. And Switzer, in the end, stole the show. UNC’s shifty first-year receiver had a breakout performance at Heinz Field, gash-

i n g P i t t’s spec i a l James Conner (24) has back-to-back games with 100 yards rushing t e a m s entering Saturday’s game at UNC. Jeff Ahearn SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER u n i t meet up over spring break in Florida last for a pair of punt return touchdowns of year, but both ended up being too busy. 65 and 61 yards, respectively. His second As Switzer and Conner’s friendship touchdown proved to be the game-winning grew, their careers grew as well. score when the Tar Heels won, 34-27. After tying an NCAA record with five After the game, as Switzer was leaving punt return touchdowns in his first year, the field, he saw Conner being interviewed Switzer started to improve as a receiver and by the media and recognized his face. He become a more complete player in 2014. stopped to chat after the reporters left, No longer just a dangerous returner, he and, despite their competitive nature, the made 61 receptions for 757 yards and four two caught up and bonded over a common touchdowns. dream: making it to the NFL. Meanwhile, 2014 was Conner’s best year “Our relationship really got going [after to date. He rushed for 1,765 yards as a true that game],” Switzer said. “Our passion for sophomore, and his 26 touchdowns set Pitt [football] and our pursuit of the same goal and ACC records. [brought us together].” Conner took his game to another level The two exchanged numbers, connected against Switzer and the Tar Heels in 2014, on social media and kept in touch over the rumbling for 220 yards and four touchintervening years. downs. But Switzer caught a 63-yard touch“We talk [on] social media, text message down pass and UNC won again, 40-35. all the time,” Conner said. Even in this combative environment, While the rigors of a Division I football both still see each other as friends. schedule make it difficult for face-to-face See Friends on page 10 interactions, Switzer said the two tried to

September 22, 2016

Friends, pg. 9 “It’s a friendly competition,” Switzer said. Conner wanted to even the competition in 2015, but a torn MCL in Pitt’s opening game against Youngstown State ended his season. While Conner rehabbed his knee and prepared to make a comeback, Switzer continued to strike fear into opposing defenses and special teams units. He totaled 693 yards receiving and six touchdowns, adding two more scores on punt returns. Fast-forward to the day before the ACC championship game –– the day of Conner’s diagnosis. Switzer felt he had to do something to show his support, so he wrote #ConnerStrong on the sides of his cleats for the game. The overwhelming support Conner received from peers and opponents like Switzer helped drive him back to the field. Out of appreciation, Conner sent Switzer some wristbands with the words “Fear is a Choice” and the hashtag #ConnerStrong. The Tar Heels star wears the wristbands every day, and he’ll keep it that way when the teams square off this Saturday.

“I’ll wear [the wristband] with me until it breaks, and then I put another one on,” Switzer said in a video posted on Twitter by ESPN reporter Andrea Adelson detailing his friendship with Conner. Switzer sees Conner’s recovery as an example for anyone facing adversity to follow. “The way he handled that situation, he seemed so strong, so positive with everything that was happening,” Switzer said in the video. “I kept thinking about what James was doing and how hard he was fighting, not just to be the best player he was but to continue to live.” Despite rooting on Conner and the Panthers against Penn State, and planning to in every other game, their friendship will have to be put on hold this Saturday. “I want to see him do well in every game but ours,” Switzer said. And while Conner appreciates the continued support, he hasn’t lost sight of this game’s importance for both teams’ chances at a division title. “I’ve never beaten North Carolina [in] my whole career here,” Conner said. “[Switzer is a] great person, great friend, but I want to win. We’re all coming for him.”

“I’ll wear [the wristband] with me until it breaks, and then I put another one on. -Ryan Switzer

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The Pitt News SuDoku 9/22/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

September 22, 2016

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• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER

Studio efficiency, available immediately. $625/mo. All utilities included. On site laundry. Near West Penn Hospital and bus line. Call 412-292-7156.

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Radiology is seeking men and women 18-45 years of age who currently have a problem with cocaine for brain imaging research studies. Participants must be medicationfree (birth control acceptable) and willing to not use cocaine for several weeks. The study involves questionnaires, interviews and brain scanning at UPMC Presbyterian University Hospital. The study will be conducted over a four month period. Subjects will be compensated up to $1747 upon completion. For details, call 412-586-9633 or email PMIPstudy @gmail.com

Sacred Heart Elementary School, located in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, is seeking volunteer basketball coaches for the upcoming 2016-2017 basketball season. Coaches are needed at both the varsity (7th & 8th grades) and junior varsity (5th & 6th grade) levels. For more information or if interested, please contact Amy Volpe at jaisvolpe@gmail.com. Cashier, part-time/full-time. Must be professional, customer oriented and available days/and or nights and weekends. Ask for Gina 412-521-3530. Christian Home Health Care is hiring home health aids in the immediate area. Supplement your income around your busy class schedule. Nursing students are encouraged to apply. Call 412-323-0203, X 6132 or X 6141. HELP WANTED Painting, yardwork, miscellaneous. Student preferred. Shadyside, Fox Chapel. $12/hour. 412-963-9889. georgebsg@ cs.com.

College or graduate school students needed to work with elementary school children in a fun, structured after school program in the South Hills. $11.50-$13.50 per hour, flexible hours, must have own transportation. Email resume or letter of interest to jhroberts66@comcast.net Direct Service Professional for Residential Program for adults with intellectual disabilities in South Hills. Flexible hours, PT, FT, benefits. No experience neededwe train. 18+ and PA driver’s license needed. EOE. Email questions/resume to loril@southwindsinc.org HELP WANTED: Courthouse Clerk. Downtown law firm seeks courthouse/office clerk. Set own schedule! Good experience for underclassmen if interested in law school. Applicant needs to be organized, reponsible, detail-oriented; ablility to follow directions. 15-20 hours/wk. Fax resume to 412-281-6302, e-mail to assist@gislaw. com or send to Gismondi & Associates, Suite 700, The Grant Building, 310 Grant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

16-30 Words

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline: Two business days prior by 3pm

Host/hostess wanted for Church Brew Works. Must be friendly and people person. Apply in person at 3525 Liberty Ave. Looking for retail experience? Now hiring part-time salesperson.Come work at one of Pittsburgh’s premier shoe stores. Must be professional, fun, outgoing. Ask for Justin or stop in. 412-521-3530. MARKETING/NETWORKING: Gaming company seeking up to 10 motivated students to sign 3,000 players up for early testing on the world’s FIRST EVER INTERACTIVE SPORTS APP. Marketing materials provided. Earn up to $25/hr. plus bonus opportunities. This is a great and an easy opportunity for leaders of fraternities, groups, and teams. Email requests to rchristoff010@gmail.com. Mercurio’s in Shadyside is now hiring for full-time and parttime positions. Pizza makers, servers, gelato servers, hosts, cooks, and dishwashers. Apply online: www.mercuriosgelatopizza.com or call 412-621-6220.

September 22, 2016

Part-time administrative position available at Schachner Associates, P.C.; Comprehensive Psychological Services. Responsibilities in-

Additional

$27.00

$30.20

$5.00

$29.10

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$5.40

Email: advertising@pittnews.com

clude: assistance with client services, including greeting, scheduling, and insurance payments; general communication management and client insurance eligibility and benefit confirmation; and basic filing, bookkeeping, and assistance with office projects. Excellent interpersonal skills, multitasking, and computer and typing skills are required. College students and recent graduates are welcome. Please send a resume to admin@schachnerassociates.com. Uncle Sam's Submarines, Pittsburgh's best little sandwich joint is looking for fun-loving and hard-working people to work at our Oakland location. Applications for full or part-time positions are now being accepted at 210 Oakland Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15213.

Phone: 412.648.7978

Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall at the Priory located on the North Shore offers a breathtaking space for weddings and corporate events. Our venue has been honored with winner of Best Banquet Facility with Pittsburgh Magazine & winner of Best Weddings with The Knot. We are currently seeking part time banquet servers to work evening and weekend events. Qualified candidates should have experience in the food and beverage industry, present a polished appearance, and have a great personality. Compensation for this position will start at $10 per hour plus gratuity based on experience. Interested candidates should submit their resumes to Courtney Burns at courtney @thepriory.com. Please no phone calls.

ADOPT: Happily married well educated couple unable to have baby desires to adopt newborn. Call Marisol & Steve 800-272-0519. Expenses paid.

pittnews.com

September 22, 2016