The Pitt News 9-23-14

Vol. 105 Issue 35

@thepittnews HEALTH

Tuesday,September 23, 2014

Keep the pizza coming: freshman 15 is a myth Hunter Bergman For The Pitt News

What do unicorns, Sasquatch and the “freshman 15” have in common?

Studies show all three are myths.

A 2010 University of Michigan study found that first-year students typically gain between 2.5 and six pounds — much less than the storied 15.

Meg Mayer-Costa, a registered dietician for the University, said the freshman 15 has been around for two decades.

The first article that mentioned the “freshman 15” was published in Seventeen magazine in 1989. The story didn’t refer to scientific evidence, but the phrase still survives today.

Taylor Salamone, a freshman marketing major, said she feels worried to look at a scale.

“I am a little scared of the freshman 15 and really hope I don’t gain it,” Salamone said.

“I’d much rather lose the freshman 15.”

A 2010 Carleton University research study said several factors contribute to the weight gain that

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ACTIVISM

freshmen often see. The “majority of students’ diets do not meet nutritional guidelines, particularly in terms of recommended fruit and vegetable intake” the study said, and 70 percent of students studied did not meet physical exercise requirements.

With on-site dining facilities in both Litchfield Towers and Sutherland, staying away from the easy access all-you-can-eat food can be a challenge for Pitt students.

Furthermore, when dining halls offer a significantly wider array of foods, University of Michigan researchers found that students will eat more because they’re usually trying to get a taste of everything.

“Freshmen assigned to dormitories with on-site dining halls gained more weight than those who had to venture outside of their dorms for food,” the Michigan study said.

Dale Shoemaker But with Pitt being the 12th Staff Writer healthiest college campus according to Greatist.com, the likelihood of putting on the 15 is very low, “I don’t know but I’ve been told!” the crowd called. and the possibility of losing or “We don’t need no gas and coal!”

A crowd of nearly 400,000 people, including Freshman 15 3 55 Pitt students, shouted and held signs in New

Dale Shoemaker | Staff Writer

Pitt students march to free the planet York City Sunday for the People’s Climate March, the largest environmental rally in history, according to its website.

“Fund Solutions, not Pollution,” one sign read.

Nick Goodfellow, one of the student leaders from

People’s March

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2 FROM PAGE 1

PEOPLE’S MARCH Pitt and the environmental group Free the Planet, led the students toward the student assembly area by 61st Street.

The Pitt students arrived in the early morning on Monday. The students paid their own way for the trip.

Assisting Goodfellow, a senior communications and urban studies major, were students Sage Lincoln, another lead organizer, and Claire Matway, a junior majoring in urban studies.

Before the group could get close to the student assembly area, word came through the crowd that the police had blocked off 66th Street because an hour before the march, too many people had already crowded the area. Instead, they turned down 72nd Street and started walking down the sidewalk, but the sidewalk and street there were clogged with people, too.

No one could move. Then, the chanting started.

“No justice, no peace! No justice, no peace!” several people started shouting. Some Pitt students joined them, bellowing: “What do we want? Climate Justice!

When do we want it? Now!” Patrick Flood, a member of 350.org, an environmental activist organization, held a sign that read, “Let’s stop climate change.”

“We have a huge problem on our hands,” Flood said. “People don’t understand what climate change is. People don’t understand the science behind it.

The goal is to show America this is a huge problem. You get a couple 100,000 people in New York, people start paying attention.”

Besides signs like Flood’s that directly called for action, others raised more radical notions. “No planet, no economy,” one read “There is no planet B,” read another.

More people packed into the sidewalk under the scaffolding, and it became difficult to move more than a few inches.

“Pitt, move up!” Goodfellow shouted then. Several others repeated his cry, and they slowly pushed their way forward. They made it around the end of

September 23, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com the railing and into 72nd.

Pitt’s group turned onto Central Park West more than an hour after the march began. It was also five minutes before the planned two-minute silence, between 12:58 to 1 p.m., for all of those fighting at the forefront of the climate battle line, according to the march’s website.

Bailey Rehnberg, an activist from New Jersey for the Environmental Protection Agency, passed out cards and asked for public comments for the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.

“The goal is to reduce emissions from the power plants by 2030,” she said.

Behind her, a group danced, chanted and carried a banner for “Treaties protecting mother earth.”

The people and groups represented at the march were diverse.

“I believe! I believe that we can win!” the crowd called. When that chant petered out, they started another. “The people! United! Will never be defeated!

The people! United! Will never be defeated!”

“This is what democracy looks like!” the crowd shouted.

This call unified the crowd. Some people called for an end to fracking, while others, like Flood and Rehnberg, wanted to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Some relentlessly touted veganism. But they all agreed that the march represented democracy.

Then, in front of the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Central Park West, amidst cries of “Trump is a front,” two women with dreadlocked hair and acoustic guitars sang a version of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” “Oh when the justice fills the air,” they sang, “Oh when the justice fills the air. Lord, I want to be in that number, when the justice fills the air.”

Like the women, the march was peaceful. There were no signs of police intervention or drug use, and several hours in, the excitement was still feverish.

“The people! United! Will never be

People’s March

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September 23, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 1

FRESHMAN 15 maintaining weight is more realistic.

According to the Michigan study, a students’ school environment also plays a significant role.

The University offers programs such as PantherWELL, a peer education program designed to help students promote health and wellness, residence hall gyms open 24/7 and registered dieticians who are available

to students under the University’s health fee with tuition. The cost per semester for the student health fee is $105.

According to Mayer-Costa, students normally only gain a few pounds during their first year, but with her experience, there often tends to be a “creepage” of weight from year to year.

These small weights can be unnoticeable, but over time can lead to a much larger weight gain.

Eating healthy tends to fall behind the stress of classes, juggling extracurriculars and

exams for some students. The Carleton University study found that the stress of examinations often leads to a decrease in physical activity and an increase in food consumption.

Christopher Feghali and Lia Farrell provided some small tips to avoid the freshman 15.

Pitt’s primary fitness facility in the Petersen Events Center is just 0.4 miles or a 10-minute walk from Litchfield Towers, a central location of lower campus. Students can find another fitness facility at Bellefield Hall, an 11-minute, 0.5 mile walk from Towers.

“When you have to walk somewhere, walk

3 fast,” Feghali, a senior psychology major, said.

“And make use of the gym services that your tuition pays for.”

Farrel, a junior psychology major, warned against liquid calories.

“Alcohol has more calories than you think, [and] late night snacks are a bad idea,” Farrell said. “I always carry healthy snacks with me.”

Not only do poor eating habits contribute, but a lack of sleep can lead to a weight gain.

“When you’re up studying late at night, you don’t ever crave carrot sticks,” MayerCosta said.

FROM PAGE 2

PEOPLE’S MARCH defeated!”

A few blocks past Times Square, the march disassembled peacefully.

“It was a beautiful thing to see something so diverse,” Matway said back on the Pitt bus.

Lincoln, a junior environmental geology, urban studies and ecology major, wondered if the march would be enough to prompt legislative changes.

“Is this what it’s going to take? If this doesn’t work, something else will,” Lincoln said.

Naomi Anderson, a Pitt co-op student, also had mixed feelings. Many of the marchers hoped to influence the United Nations Climate Change Summit taking place today in New York City.

“The [UN doesn’t] have to listen,” Anderson said. “But they should. It’s the right thing to do, to listen to what the people have to say.

“It’s really easy to get depressed about climate change when you hear about all the statistics,” Anderson continued. “It’s almost easier to accept that we’re doomed, but coming to things like this gives you hope. Maybe we’re not doomed.”

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September 23, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS

Are schools too reliant on technology?

Education is not what it used to be. Modern technology has taken a prevalent role in today’s classrooms. But is our regional education system relying too heavily on advancement promised by iPads and laptops?

Perhaps.

According to the Pittsburgh TribuneReview, school districts in Upper St. Clair, Shaler Area, Hampton and Bethel Park have implemented or plan to implement one-to-one programs. These programs distribute iPads, Chromebooks or laptops to individual students.

Students and teachers must adapt to the heavy presence of technology in classrooms.

Now, there is little doubt that technological innovation can benefit students.

Simply using YouTube allows teachers to show clips and footage previously inaccessible to learners. Google Drive can

streamline and organize the sharing and editing of group documents. Other social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, make public opinions on current events readily accessible.

Additionally, learning how to efficiently use practical programs such as Microsoft Office can prepare students at an early age for the professional workforce ahead.

Although using some technology in proper settings is auspicious to student success, excessive reliance on the devices can be detrimental.

We’ve all experienced it in college. We often sit in class while others type away, thunderously pounding keys as they check Facebook messages or complete online purchases. Regardless of how effective certain digital educational initiatives are, many students will use their technology for non-educational purposes.

If one student opts to not pay attention or take classes seriously, that is his or her choice. But it is not fair to distract others who are trying to comprehend the material and discussion presented in class.

It is naive to think that such practices would not manifest at the high school level, too. Giving students too much technological leeway will only lead to more distractions, not learning.

In fact, in 2010, University of Colorado professor Diane Sieber conducted a study that found students who used laptops in class averaged 11 percent worse on tests than students who took notes the “oldfashioned” way.

As the gubernatorial election draws near, and education funding remains a central issue, we should ask ourselves — is funding classroom distraction really the best use of resources? Are Harrisburg’s or

CRAIG

CARTOON

Stop the war on drugs: It’s a waste Jess Craig Columnist

Our country’s obsession with drugs is a waste of time and money. Here are five reasons why what we’re doing now to fight against drugs isn’t working and why all drugs should be legalized in the United States.

1. The argument that illicit drugs cause more deaths is invalid.

A common counterpoint made in opposition to legalizing all drugs is that illegal drugs are more deadly than legal drugs — alcohol and tobacco. However, according to the CDC, smoking alone causes more deaths than those from illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle accidents, firearm-related incidents and HIV combined. Mortality rates only argue for the legalization of currently illegal drugs and the illegalization of one of the most popularly-used drugs — tobacco.

2. It could lift the United States out of our spiraling debt.

Perhaps the U.S. government OK’d tobacco use because of the amazing tax revenue it brings in each year — an estimated 24 billion dollars, which makes the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, according to its website, the “third largest tax collection agency in the federal government.”

As heroin, cocaine, meth and other illegal drugs are just that — illegal — federal and state governments do not benefit from the production or sale of these products. Instead, drug cartels and dealers retain all the profit and have become extremely wealthy in doing so.

3. The war on drugs is failing miserably.

Over the past decade, federal funding for the war on drugs has increased from $9 billion to almost $15 billion. From 2013 to 2014 alone, Obama requested a $900 million increase in the budget to counter international drug trafficking, prevent addiction, treat substance abusers and improve the effectiveness of drug-related law

local districts’ decisions hurting education in the commonwealth?

If a district has the means to obtain such technology and deems it necessary for students’ progress, it’s not the state’s role to say otherwise. But individual districts should take into consideration other areas that could benefit from the funds currently pumped into take-home iPads and laptops. Other potential sources of funding could include hiring more teachers to secure lower class sizes, increasing funding for arts education and providing a diverse selection of extracurricular activities.

Technology is important, but it isn’t everything. Students must grasp how to learn, communicate and excel without an iPad or laptop always at the ready. Wellrounded individuals can do this. Let’s ensure that can continue.

enforcement.

Despite the ever-expanding drug task forces and increase in funding, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported an increased use of marijuana, heroin and illicit drugs as of January 2014 and no change in the use of methamphetamines, cocaine, hallucinogens or psychotherapeutics. Furthermore, the legalization of tobacco products seems to discourage American consumption, as the same study found a decreased use of tobacco products. Perhaps this is due to the steep tobacco tax or the millions of dollars poured into educating the public of tobacco’s harm (you know those horrific and gory commercials?).

Legalizing other types of drugs would not only allow the federal and state governments to collect tax revenue, but it would alleviate the overcrowding issue in the American prison system.

Cartoon by Dylan Fisher

Craig

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September 23, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 4

CRAIG 4. Focus should be on treatment rather than punishment.

Jail time and other legal punishments have proven incapable of reforming inmates convicted of drug charges because, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, anywhere from 50 to 75 percent of inmates become repeat offenders. It’s a startlingly

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T P N S U D O K U

high number, and solidifies that the country’s current method of dealing with drug abuse is unsuccessful and unacceptable. The U.S. prison system is not equipped to provide treatment and therapy — which can take decades to work — for drug abusers. However, drug addiction treatment has proven quite successful and focuses on not only stopping the drug habit but improving function in all aspects of life, including family and work.

Revenue collected from drug tax could be used to support drug addiction treatment and therapy, since treatment is a more effective

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way of stopping drug abuse than punishment.

5. Previous drug legalizations have been successful.

In July 2001, Portugal eliminated criminal charges for drug users — drug possession and use is considered a misdemeanor holding the same legal recourse as a parking violation — and rerouted efforts from arrest to treatment.

Although the original motive behind this policy change was to combat the spread of HIV, the decriminalization of drugs from marijuana to heroin brought numerous ad-

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Today’s difficulty level: Medium Puzzles by Dailysodoku.com

5 ditional changes. HIV infection rates decreased by 17 percent, drug-related deaths decreased by almost 60 percent and drug use is at an all-time low. Portugal reports the smallest number of drug users of all European countries.

The current tactics being applied to combat American drug use are not working.

Rather than continue to stew in our failure, we may as well try something new. Why not the extreme opposite?

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September 23, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT

FEATURE

Biker performs a tailwhip on one of The Wheel Mill’s large half-pipes. Photo courtesy of The Wheel Mill

The Wheel Mill: Pittsburgh’s weatherproof biking facility Stephanie Roman Staff Writer

There are 17 bike parks in the Pittsburgh area, but only one of them is weatherproof. When the snow falls or the July humidity becomes unbearable, bikers pedal to the Wheel Mill on Hamilton Avenue to shred inside the massive structure.

The Wheel Mill opened in April 2013 from a conglomeration of seven previously detached buildings — some of which had past lives as an aluminum ladder manufacturing plant, a state police impound and a Global Links warehouse, which processed hospital surplus before it was sent to developing countries. The facility was opened up, reroofed and had corridors installed to formulate the skeleton of the current park before owner and handyman Harry Geyer purchased the building.

The Wheel Mill offers separate rates for the summer and winter seasons, which transition on Oct. 14. A winter day pass ranges from $19.99 to $25.99, with a season pass available for $299. When the weather’s nice, the Wheel Mill’s rates are discounted to $12 to $20 for day passes and $240 for the season pass.

If needed, the park has helmets, pads, bikes and unicycles available for rent. Riders must sign waivers before they can ride, and Wheel Mill policy mandates the use of helmets. Riders can bring their own bike into the park and — though all of the facilities are sized to bike standards — skateboarders are welcome, too. The Wheel Mill makes a point to invite all bike subdivisions to the park, so it contains fixtures designed for bicycle motocross (BMX) and mountain biking (MTB), and some aspects serve both purposes.

With some help from outside contractors,

Geyer designed most of the MTB courses, while Geyer’s close friends, Mike Potoczny and his brother Mark, designed and assembled the BMX jumps and ramps.

“I’ve been building since I was 12. You kind of have to build stuff if you want to ride. I built for myself and my neighbors in my backyard,” said Potoczny.

One of the featured attractions is the Potoczny brothers’ Woods Jump Room, which consists of six jumps and steeply banked corners. Pros can cycle around — pulling off 180s, 360s and tail whips — but that kind of skill level isn’t required. It only takes a little commitment, competence and training.

Several rooms in the park dedicate terrain to MTB riders. Trails span through artificial hills, valleys and logs altered to form hazards, and three separate courses marked like ski trails — green circle meaning beginner, blue

square intermediate, and black diamond expert — help facilitate understanding across disciplines.

On the black diamond trail, severe drops and extremely narrow paths require advanced skills to navigate. The courses overlap and can be mixed and matched to suit rider level. One of the areas currently in development will be expanded to make the trails longer, and in it, jumps geared toward novices will be implemented.

Another room sports a large foam pit where riders practice getting a feel for jumps — Geyer said a lot of beginners try to throw their bikes away at first.

“The point is to stay on [the] bike,” he joked.

The ramp’s drop is steep enough to gain

Wheel Mill

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September 23, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

REVIEW

7

Mr Twin Sister returns with astounding, beautiful new album

Mr Twin Sister Mr Twin Sister Grade: A For Long Island chintzy pop quintet Mr Twin Sister, formerly sans-Mr, style and genre are entirely porous. Attempts to pin down the band’s influences result in absurd musings about “J-Pop Christmas carols with heavily flanged P-Funk bridges” and “Saint-Etiennemeets-Marvin-Gaye dance floor transcendence.”

Luckily, the band’s sense of feeling is completely inextricable from its sense of style.

It coaxes oneiric beauty out of a pantheon of tackiness, engaging sincerely with quiet storm, acid house and new age to create something that divorces itself from genre and relies almost entirely on its own beauty.

The modest debut In Heaven hinted at this direction, but Mr Twin Sister carries it to its logical drag-show extreme.

But beyond this balancing act of taste, the album’s greatest achievement is its sense of economy. Mr Twin Sister has a filter for what it releases. We’ve waited three years since its debut, an album that the band has since disowned as a half-baked and unsubstantial collection of studio experiments. And our patience is rewarded with an equally lean album — seven tracks plus one interlude, in total clocking in at less than 40 minutes.

But with its elegant two-sided structure — lyrical focus on identity and widely varied song length — this album feels much more deliberate than In Heaven and so much more worth the wait.

Mr Twin Sister’s relentlessly smooth side A ends on the reverb-drenched, back-alley ballad “Blush.” From there, it pivots into its deliciously nocturnal side B, launching itself into the darkness with a total left hook, counter-intuitively titled “Out of the Dark.”

It’s built around a nocturnal phuture-phunk groove so slinky and sinister it could seduce Matthew Dear, but it still can’t prepare firsttime listeners for the next two tracks.

First comes a deeply unsettling techno

jam called “Twelve Angels,” which sounds its gnashing death-chime on a tape loop for six straight minutes. And then we have an eerie saxophone interlude named for one of Long Island’s least savory neighborhoods, “Medford.” But kind enough to not leave that taste in our mouths, the band ends the album on its most ravishing tune yet, “Crime Scene.” With vocal harmonies courtesy of Ava Luna’s Becca Kauffman and Felicia Douglass, this is the airiest yet the most direct song on the album. It’s a dawn totally concomitant with the dusk of “Blush,” and it’s ex- Mr Twin Sister makes tackiness sound gorgeous pansive enough to make up for the on their self-titled LP. Photo via the band’s Facebook album’s limited scope. The album than Oneohtrix Point Never (though just as goes so many places in so few songs, but ends experimental). And this new album is asup just as clear-eyed and sweet as it began. tounding because it trusts its own tendencies, Mr Twin Sister is an intelligent band. But treating genres as useful objects instead of unlike other intellectuals of kitsch, it feels constraints. The band has taken time to find more substantial than Destroyer (though just its voice, and it’s a sincere dulcet tone that as vaporous), more genuine than Twin Shad- carries through, even in the most alienating ow (though just as catchy) and more grounded circumstances.

The Pitt News Crossword, XX/XX/XX

Dan Willis Staff Writer

ACROSS 1 18th Greek letter 6 Instagram account creator 10 Gunpowder container 13 Contest submission 14 Campus sports gp.

15 Call, retro-style 16 Symbol of a good try 18 To be, to Cato 19 Just okay 20 Place to apply gloss 21 Use unwisely, as time 22 Movie for all 26 Organ near the stomach 29 Playground threat 32 Rips 33 Clash of clans 34 Ornamental pond fish 35 JFK postings 36 Straight-A student’s bane 38 Show sleepiness 39 Christmas tree 40 Follow one’s new job, in Realtorspeak 41 Private student 42 Go up alone 44 Persian Gulf ships 45 “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” author 48 Gaze intently 50 Before, to Frost 51 Like skyscrapers 55 Bee flat?

56 Noted O.J. Simpson attorney 59 Bone-dry 60 Bartlett cousin 61 Like the man of one’s dreams 62 Marry 63 ‘’Yeah, sure!’’

64 Tractor maker DOWN 1 Goes out with 2 Data 3 Classic Pontiacs 4 “Won’t you be my neighbor?” TV host 5 Nautical consent 6 Not up to the job

10/7/14

By Ron Toth and C.C. Burnikel

7 Check (out) 8 Musical skill 9 Singer in an interrogation room?

10 Musical inspired by “The Taming of the Shrew” 11 Fort Worth-toDallas direction 12 Merriment 15 Passed out cards 17 Caramel-topped custard dessert 21 Like some very bad pitches 23 Legal matter 24 God, in Grenoble 25 Reasons for school absences 26 Sheet music quintet, and with 31-Down, what the first letters of 16-, 22-, 36-, 45and 56-Across represent 27 Danger 28 “Seinfeld” cocreator 30 Farther down 31 See 26-Down 33 Progressive Insurance spokeswoman

Monday’s Puzzle Solved

©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

36 “Dracula” star Lugosi 37 Furrow the fields 38 Christmas season 40 Part on stage 41 Muscle spasm 43 Destroy, as files 44 Premium plane seat, usually 46 Pee Wee in Brooklyn

10/7/14

47 Upright 48 “Pygmalion” playwright 49 Radial __ 52 Out of the wind 53 Goneril’s father 54 Country singer Lovett 56 Source of DVD warnings 57 Easy throw 58 Help out

8 FROM PAGE 7

WHEEL MILL enough speed with only half a pedal, so gaining momentum isn’t an issue. Because of this setup, the foam pit room even offers access to extreme wheelchair athletes.

Notoriously, the foam pit damages bikes, so the Wheel Mill sells the most commonly broken or bent parts, including handlebars, brake levers, pedals, tires and bearings, but it does not service bikes, because service shops, like Iron City Bikes, abound in the area.

To utilize most of the park’s elements, the Wheel Mill encourages newcomers and beginners to sign up for lessons under the tutelage of seasoned bike riders. The park seasonally offers certain specialty lessons, including women’s bike nights and commuter skills clinics, which, in conjunction with Bike Pittsburgh, focus on teaching safety in traffic.

Nearly every weekend, the park hosts one or two birthday parties. Parties come with mandatory lessons, as children need a little guidance before they’re acclimated to the varying terrain and obstacles. The Wheel Mill also sponsors larger events with friendly competitions, family fun and small cash prizes.

One such event was the Wooden Welcome Jam that occurred on Sept. 19. It invited about 50 riders of all ages and skill levels to take part in activities and challenges. Sometimes the park showcases “Best Trick” competitions, but the main attraction at the Wooden Welcome Jam was the “Lap Challenge” — an endurance test that requires all riders to circuit around the Woods Jump Room without pedaling or manualing, and among other rules, it permits contact and boxing out other riders in the corners. The winner, a 15-yearold named Justin, walked out with $30 in prize money, as the Wheel Mill pays a purse of $2 per lap.

Some of the attendees were locals, but many traveled from the greater U.S., and about 10 flew in from Europe. The Wooden Welcome Jam was merely the precursor to the Wheel Mill’s real Welcome Jam, held in Aliquippa on Sept. 20, which featured live music and numerous contests.

Marisa Oravetz, who was there to watch her husband Steve ride, said they drove in from Ohio to participate.

“It’s cool, because the people who founded [The Wheel Mill] run camps and the Welcome Jams. And because it’s indoors, it keeps [bikers] riding in the wintertime,” Oravetz said.

September 23, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com The BMX sphere notes a sense of community among families and pets. Many of BMX’s first-wave riders have kids who followed them into the sport, and just as many children participated in the Wooden Welcome Jam as adults. Similarly, the presence of dogs punctuated the atmosphere, including Oravetz’s brindled Great Dane, Daisy.

“It’s great — [the bikers] make up fun nicknames for each other. My husband, he’s known as the ‘no-shirt kid,’” Oravetz said.

Daisy hopped up on the railing to watch

the shirtless Steve Oravetz take his turn around the Woods Jump Room, while receiving plenty of pets and affection from everyone who passed by.

Undoubtedly, the necessary skill development and excitement won’t suit everyone. For parents and other spectators, the park has a lounge and a snack bar to use while waiting.

If a child’s over the age of eight, he can be left in the care of the staff until a parent comes to pick him up.

With the advent of autumn, The Wheel

Mill is just getting started with its busy season. Lots of out-of-town professionals will migrate in, but Geyer’s not concerned with competitiveness. The park is the place where family and professional communities merge, but most importantly, where people learn how to bike.

“Anyone can learn anything. You can go from never being able to jump to being able to jump everything in the [Woods Jump] Room in three months. It’s totally doable,” said Geyer.

September 23, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

FOOTBALL

9

SPORTS

Notebook: Conner continues run into national prominence Ryan Bertonaschi Senior Staff Writer

Led by running back James Conner, Pitt succeeded in its first three games of the 2014 season because of a powerful ground attack.

During Saturday’s 24-20 loss to Iowa, the Panthers suffered because of the predictability of their reliance on that aspect of the offense.

They went to Conner a lot in the first half — 17 times for 100 yards, to be exact. But Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and his staff, with their team trailing 17-7 at halftime, made defensive adjustments. The Hawkeyes only yielded 57 second-half yards to Conner, who said Monday that he could’ve helped Pitt’s offense move the ball with more fluidity in the second half if he had run vertically more instead of trying to break several runs to the outside.

Pitt’s coaching staff has called running plays on roughly 70 percent of offensive downs this season, while the ball is thrown on just 30 percent of plays. Pitt head coach Paul Chryst is

SOCCER

aware of these numbers, and at Pitt’s South Side practice facility Monday, he said that ratio isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

“I’d rather be 70-30 run-pass than 30-70 (pass-run) right now,” Chryst said.

Pitt quarterback Chad Voytik threw 19 passes for 29 yards against the Hawkeyes, including a two of seven streak to close the game.

He threw 10 complete passes to Tyler Boyd, another five that fell incomplete to Boyd and one intended for him that was intercepted.

“I thought there were a couple [passes to Boyd] where the ball could have gone to someone else, but it also gave him a chance,” Chryst said. “[Voytik] would probably be the first to admit that he’s not where he wants to be, but he is making some progress, I think.”

Conner still at the top It may be overkill, but Conner is making an individual push for national recognition as Pitt’s week five game against Akron approaches.

The sophomore from Erie, Pa., leads the nation in total rushing yards (699) and is tied

for the national lead in rushing touchdowns (nine). He is also ranked fourth nationally in scoring, averaging 13.5 points per contest.

“If I’m leading the nation at the end of the season, that’s when I’ll be satisfied,” Conner said. “I haven’t gained any rushing yards against Akron yet, so that’s what I’m focused on.”

Conner’s 699 rushing yards are the most by a single player in the opening four games of a Pitt season. Tony Dorsett held the previous record, racking up 564 yards through his first four games in 1973.

In 1976, when Dorsett won the Heisman Trophy and led Pitt to national championship, he only needed seven games to collect 1,000 yards. Conner is on pace to reach that milestone through six games.

At the beginning of the season, Chryst said Conner would also play third downs at defensive end. It’s yet to happen, partly because Conner doesn’t have the lung capacity. He has received a Division I-leading 110 carries on the season. The next-closest running back has

netted 98 carries.

“It’s hard, but when I’m getting a lot of carries, I do need to get my breath back. But I stay fresh, and when my number is called to go on defense, I’ll be ready for that,” Conner said.

Durham’s status Redshirt senior defensive end David Durham is slowly working his way back into regularly practicing after sustaining a shoulder injury before Pitt played at Florida International.

Durham, who began the season as a starter, entered the game Saturday on a handful of third downs as a reserve. He did not record a tackle.

“Tuesday and Wednesday [at practice], we’ll get an idea of what he can handle,” Chryst said.

Did you know?

Jerome Lane, who played basketball at Pitt in the 1980s, has a son, also named Jerome, who plays for Akron’s football team.

Lane’s son, a redshirt freshman linebacker, has played in all three of the Zips’ games this season, so be on the lookout for No. 14.

After important tie, Panthers aim to avoid letdown

Jack DeMarco Staff Writer

There was a glaring trend in the stat book for the Pitt men’s soccer team up until its last game.

For five straight matches, the Panthers either delivered a shutout or suffered one.

Even though its 1-1 tie against North Carolina State on Saturday broke the streak, building momentum is the biggest concern for Pitt (2-2-2) as it approaches the midway point of the regular season. The team will play a non-conference matchup against Niagara University at the Petersen Sports Complex tonight.

With pressure rising to put together solid consecutive performances to end this current homestand, momentary relief echoed in the Pitt locker room after tying the Wolfpack. The draw gave the Panthers their first ACC points of the fall and was what many players say was their “best outing” into tonight’s game.

“Getting a point in the ACC this early in the season is huge to get the monkey off our

back,” said junior goalie Dan Lynd. “But we can’t overlook Niagara. They are a solid team.”

Niagara (3-4) will travel to Pittsburgh for a second time this season after appearing in the Duquesne Invitational earlier this month.

The Purple Eagles weren’t triumphant then, by losing both of their scheduled games. More recently, Niagara endured a disappointing 1-0 home loss to Detroit Sunday, urging the players to quickly forget that loss since tonight’s game will come after one day of rest.

Leading the way for Purple Eagles are senior forward Callum Willmott and junior midfielder Andrew Ferguson, who have registered two goals and two assists, respectively. On the contrary, a notable imbalance that clari- Pitt has displayed a balanced offensive attack so far. Jeff Ahearn | Staff Photographer fies Niagara’s sub-0.500 record comes from the netminders. Throughout seven games, heading to No. 9 Louisville Friday, which tops opponents late in games can be directly atfreshmen goalkeepers Steve Casey and Joel the ACC standings, according to head coach tributed to the second-half struggles they’ve Gerberich have split time ineffectively. As a Joe Luxbacher. faced through six games — Pitt has a (-2) pair, their average save percentage is 63.6 per“We have to get better,” Luxbacher said. scoring margin for goals scored in the final cent, and their goals-allowed average is 1.68. “We have a young team, and improving as a half of play. Also, Pitt has lost or tied in every Pitt enters the matchup with worries of unit will be key down the stretch.” game its trailed thus far. its own. The Panthers haven’t won in three The inability for the Panthers to shut down Read the rest online at Pittnews.com. games and need a confidence booster before

10 BASEBALL

September 23, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Depth put on display in first scrimmage of fall season Jeremy Tepper Staff Writer

Early offense allowed Pitt baseball to cruise to a 14-6 victory in a 12-inning exhibition contest over the Ontario Blue Jays.

Most of the Panthers’ runs came in three spurts — four each in the first, fifth and 11th inning. In all, they totaled 17 hits, while the Blue Jays — an 18-and-under

team from Toronto that competes in the Premier Baseball League — collected 12 hits. Their six errors to the Panthers’ zero, though, dictated the outcome of the game.

“This was our first time out facing live pitching,” senior outfielder Boo Vazquez said. “I thought we swung the bats well, our pitchers pitched well, we had no errors. I don’t know what more you could ask for in your first time out.”

Senior outfielder Boo Vazquez is a key returner. Bobby Mizia | Visual Editor

The bottom of the first inning started with Dylan Wolsonovich reaching first and advancing to second on a throwing error by Blue Jays third baseman Cooper Lamb. Vazquez brought him home with a single, one of Pitt’s two hits in the inning.

After Pitt players Nick Yarnall walked and Charles LeBlanc flied out, Aaron Schnurbusch singled to right and advanced to third on throwing error by Jordan Balazovic, the Blue Jays’ starting pitcher. Right after, Manny Pazos reached on a fielding error by Lamb, scoring Schnurbusch. Panthers led 4-1 at the end of the first inning.

It was a standout effort from the Panthers’ offense. Five players — Vazquez, Schnurbusch, Matt Johnson, Eric Hess and Jordan Frabasilio — had multi-hit games.

Hess, Frabasilio and Johnson were particularly effective, each generating three hits.

Vazquez and Hess said they were happy just to get on the field and play the first live game of the school year.

“It’s one thing to be out there practicing and stuff and doing you’re drills. But just to get out and compete against somebody

that’s not your own teammate, it was a lot of fun,” Vazquez said.

Senior Hobie Harris got the start for Pitt, pitching one inning, striking out one and allowing one earned run on one hit.

The run came after Josh Naylor grounded to second, scoring Nick Howie, who had reached on a double down the left field line. Eleven other pitchers took the mound for Pitt, pitching one inning each. Eight of them allowed no runs, while three — T.J. Zeuch, Zachary Gakeler and Rich Condeelis — didn’t.

“We have to improve a little bit from a pitching perspective, in terms of consistency,” Pitt head coach Joe Jordano said.

Pitt played the Blue Jays last year and defeated them 5-1. It was a game that was brought about through mutual interest.

“They wanted to definitely play here and we wanted to make it happen,” Jordano said. “Last year the schedule worked out perfectly, and this year it worked out great as well.”

Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.