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 23, 2019 | Volume 110 | Issue 28
HUNDREDS OF PITTSBURGHERS JOIN GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKE STUDENTS PARK
THEIR CREATIVITY OUTSIDE HILLMAN Rebecca Johnson For The Pitt News
On Friday afternoon, students gathered at the City-County Building downtown to participate in the global Youth Climate Strike. Following speeches encouraging a sustainable future, the crowd marched to Market Square and back with various chants. Bader Abdulmajeed | senior staff photographer
Benjamin Nigrosh Staff Writer
No one knows exactly how many people participated in Friday’s worldwide climate strike, but it’s clear the number is in the millions. In Pittsburgh, the youth-led protest brought hundreds Downtown to protest what they see as insufficient world action on climate change. Pitt senior Sarah Hart, an environmental studies major, helped organize the strike. “Silence is being complicit. I feel like this is the
tipping point,” Hart said. “I’m hoping that this is the one that’s going to make history.” Grant Street was blocked off between Forbes and Fourth avenues for the afternoon to make room for the crowds of people chanting, shouting and playing bongos. The crowd gathered at the Pittsburgh City-County Building on Friday from noon to 4 p.m., holding signs with phrases like “There is no planet B” and “Learn to change or learn to swim.” The global climate strike was inspired by
16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who sparked a worldwide movement when she started striking each Friday in Stockholm last year. Hart was joined by Leandra Mira, an 18-yearold Upper St. Clair native who has been striking for climate change on the steps of the City-County Building for the last 17 weeks. Unlike the first few weeks she spent striking this summer, Mira was far from alone on Friday. The group of roughly 300 could be heard singing through the streets before See Climate on page 2
The cars were cleared out of Hillman Library’s parking spaces last Friday. in their place were students painting neurotransmitters on Christmas cards, presenting research opportunities in chalk drawings, scavenging for rare artifacts and forming melodic lines of prose on cardboard boxes. Pitt’s Center for Creativity and Department of Parking, Transportation and Services cosponsored PARK(ing) Day last Friday, an event where 19 student groups and University offices transformed the parking spaces outside Hillman Library into temporary exhibits. The event was the kickoff for the so-called “Year of Creativity,” the sixth incarnation of Pitt’s “Year of” series of themed academic years. Each parking space was empty when the groups arrived, meaning the limits of the displays were up to the imagination of their creators. One of these displays, constructed by Pitt’s Makerspace, an engineering club, featured multiple weight-bearing chairs, tables and even a prototype television, all made completely of recycled cardboard. Audrey Chester, a senior mechanical engineering major, said the Makerspace’s display was a combination of creativity and sustainability. “Creativity and the Makerspace mission is where the theoretical class content meets the realSee Park on page 2
News Park, pg. 1
life fun part of engineering,” Chester said. “What inspired our exhibit was the theme of PARK(ing) Day, which is sustainability and what can you do with urban spaces. We tried to marry that with what we do in the makerspace with recycling.” Maya Roman, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, who was part of the Makerspace display, said she was pleased with the idea of the Year of Creativity. “It’s a really fun topic that’s easy for everyone to take a part of,” Roman said. “Sometimes I think more technical majors, like engineering, forget about the value of creativity, so this is a good reminder.” Provost Ann Cudd said an important part of creativity is that it crosses all disciplines. “Creativity is a force that unites the University’s intellectual and artistic endeavors,” Cudd said. “From neuroscience to sculpture. From legal scholarship to computer science. From music to pharmacogenomics.” The Office of University Communications’
Climate, pg. 1 the event. “I woke up this morning with my mind set on striking,” the crowd sang. “I woke up this morning with my mind set on justice.” Mira, the first speaker at the event, told the crowd she’s ashamed by Pennsylvania’s environmental policy, saying it’s failed the state’s residents when it comes to issues like air quality. “I’ve lived here for 10 years, but it wasn’t until last May that I found out that the air in Allegheny County is toxic,” Mira said. “It’s so toxic, that just living here I’m more likely to get cancer than people living in other parts of the U.S.” Instead of addressing the public health crisis, Mira said, current environmental policy in western Pennsylvania will only serve to turn the region into a hub for plastic production. Many local environmental groups have spoken out about the ethane cracker plant under construction in Beaver County, which President Donald Trump visited last month. “I strike because communities in western PA are screaming and shouting for help, but are being ignored,” Mira said. “I strike because those communities aren’t white enough or rich enough for
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Blog: The Pitt Prescription: The sick truth about the flu pittnews.com parking space was a more traditional showcase of creativity — whiteboards with lines of lyrical prose, magnets with individual words arranged into comforting haikus and a soapbox, in case anyone felt the need to release their inner poet. Susan Wiedel, the associate editor of Pitt Magazine, said this space was created to allow for passersby to express themselves. “We wanted to represent and give people a chance to represent themselves,” Wiedel said. “Poetry can be a succinct yet very meaningful way of doing that.” A few spaces away was a bit more nontraditional way of demonstrating creativity — Plant to Plate, a club that grows produce on Oakland Avenue for community members and the Pitt Pantry. The club’s space allowed participants to make parcels of seeds that would bloom into flowers in spring. Nolan Naik, a senior mathematics major, said gardening and food sustainability are important forms of creativity. “I think it’s really important to try to make — not just Pitt, but every part of your life — a little
more sustainable, and there are creative ways to do that,” Naik said. “With gardening, there’s a lot of freedom in what you plant and how you organize the plots.” At the exhibit from the Center for Biologic Imaging, students were encouraged to draw parts of science that spark their creativity the most on mini flags, whether it’s an atom, neurotransmitter or cell. Donna Stolz, an associate professor of cell biology, said the misconception that science doesn’t involve creativity is false. “Science is all about creativity,” Stolz said. “You have to make up your own hypothesis and determine how you’re going to do it.” As PARK(ing) Day drew to a close, Cudd spoke about her excitement for this year’s theme and how the Friday event fit into the year. “A little inspiration, many doses of imagination and people joining together have the power to reinvent the humble parking spaces into something that becomes a gathering point for social and artistic interaction,” Cudd said. “This is the perfect time to kick off the Year of Creativity.”
Up until last year, Pitt’s Center for Creativity and Department of Parking, Transportation and Services held PARK(ing) Day in Schenley Quad. image via calendar.pitt.edu
our politicians to care about them.” Striking has shown her that protest is the only way that citizens can make their voices heard, Mira said, and she has no plans of stopping. Mira said that she is going to continue striking until she sees a change in environmental policy that prioritizes human life. “I have been striking for 17 weeks,” Mira said. “I’m going to strike for 17 weeks after that and 17 weeks after that.” The event highlighted young voices, with seven out of the nine speakers aged 18 or younger. The youngest speaker was 5-year-old Crafton native Malachi Brown, who said he was fed up with the ways Americans recycle — or more specifically, the ways we don’t recycle. “I want clean air and clean water,” Brown said. “I want the turtles and birds and fish to live!” Brown said the country’s lack of compassion for the environment is not only destroying natural ecosystems, but it is killing and displacing humans as well. Maria Isabel Villegas, a Pitt first-year student and another speaker, said she’s felt this firsthand. A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Villegas’ home was hit hard by the hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
“These storms took everything,” Villegas said. “They killed thousands, took families, they tore us down to our very bones. We lived for months without knowing when our basic human needs would be met. We didn’t have access to clean water and food. There were times where I genuinely questioned whether I was going to make it.” According to Villegas, the solution to climate change will not come from waiting for politicians. The solution to climate change comes from every person that protests, she said. “People tend to think of climate change as a catastrophic event occurring ages from now,” Villegas said. “I am standing here today, a survivor of the climate crisis, telling you that I have seen the apocalypse with my own two eyes and it is happening as we speak.” Benjamin Gutschow, a 17-year-old Squirrel Hill native, echoed Villegas’ call to action to remedy the inaction of politicians. “We put dollars above dignity, greed above need, we annihilate nature’s necessity as though it’s money from a credit card, accumulating debt after debt not paid in money but in the extinction of our children and grandchildren, life as we know it,” Gutschow said. Several local politicians attended the strike,
including State Rep. Sara Innamorato, D-21, and, briefly, Mayor Bill Peduto — who claimed earlier this week that he would sign permission slips for students missing school for the strike, but later backed down. “We need to have students that organized locally and organized globally,” Mayor Peduto said. “The pressure needs to be on a constant basis from the bottom up. In every election from school board to president, the question of what you are going to do to help climate change must be asked.” Once every speaker was given the opportunity to make their voice heard, Mira and Hart led the crowd in a march around downtown Pittsburgh before returning to the City-County Building and the steps where Mira has sat every Friday since May. It has been a long journey from where she started, Mira said, but change is the only thing that could make her stop striking. “I’m going to strike until Pennsylvania declares a climate emergency. I’m going to strike until Pennsylvania makes a plan to reduce fossil fuel emissions and makes a plan to run on 100% renewables by 2030,” Mira said. “And I’m going to strike until I live in a Pittsburgh where families don’t have to worry about lead in their water and carcinogens in their air.”
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Opinions
SANDY HOOK VIDEO DISTURBING BUT NECESSARY
Remy Samuels Staff Columnist
The back-to-school essentials ad recently released by the nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise hits a little differently than most back-to-school ads. The video, posted on Sept. 11 by the organization, shows different students showing off their new school supplies. At first, it seems like a typical back-to-school commercial, but it takes a disturbing turn when it shows a girl using her new socks to wrap another student’s bleeding gunshot wound. In another scene, a boy uses his new skateboard to bust open a school window to escape a shooter. This video is twisted and unsettling to watch, and has become nearly impossible to avoid on social media since its release. Critics of the video have expressed concern that the video is too violent and is capitalizing on shock value to further a fear-based political agenda. However, this sickening feeling is likely exactly what Sandy Hook Promise — which was founded by the family members of students killed at the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting — wants people to feel. It is not merely a back-to-school commercial, but a harsh reality that many children face today. Based out of Newtown, Connecticut, the organization’s mission is to “honor all victims of gun violence by turning [their] tragedy into a moment of transformation by providing programs and practices that protect children from gun violence.” So although the video it posted is quite graphic, it is an effective way of promoting its message of transforming something deeply upsetting into something that will make people more aware of the urgency of this issue. The video highlights the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012 where 26 people — including 20 small children — were murdered. But it also broadens the picture, referring to the
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hundreds of school shootings that have occurred since then. According to a Vox article, there have been 2,229 mass shootings since the Sandy Hook shooting with at least 2,518 killed and 9,315 wounded. This video is extremely upsetting to watch, but it is not nearly as upsetting as these numbers that are continuing to grow. It is possible that the video could come off as disrespectful to survivors of school shootings, but there is a PSA warning in the bio of the video that says the video displays graphic content related to school shootings. If someone knows this sort of content is triggering to them, they will be able to
Nicole Hockley, whose 6-year-old son Dylan was killed in the shooting in 2012, spoke about the video to NBC’s “Today” show. She stressed that the intent of this video was not terrify people, but to show that these shootings are preventable and it is crucial to educate people on it. “We don’t want people to turn away from it, so pretending it doesn’t exist is not helping to solve it,” she said. While the ad is certainly controversial, it raises awareness about the school shooting crisis in America in a respectful way. Recently, at New York Fashion Month in Manhattan, a fashion brand called Bstroy
A scene from “Back-To-School Essentials.” Sandy Hook Promise | tns avoid watching it. The video was also created by an organization that provides resources to educate people about gun violence and advocate for more gun safety regulations and is not simply capitalizing on the issue for attention or to instill panic. Some are concerned it presents a scary message to parents and children that are going back to school. But the Sandy Hook Promise, which suggests ways for parents, teachers and students to learn the signs that can lead to violence in order to prevent these mass shootings from happening, understands that children cannot be shielded from the reality of school shootings.
did the opposite. The brand is facing backlash for modeling school-shooting themed sweatshirts featuring names of different schools that have experienced mass shootings, such as Columbine, Sandy Hook and Stoneman Douglas, with what appear to be bullet-shaped holes. The clothing line especially received criticism from the victims of school shootings and their relatives. Responding to an Instagram photo of a Stoneman Douglas sweatshirt, a survivor from the Parkland shooting commented, “My dead classmates dying should not be a f****ing fashion statement.” Even though the clothing line was made specifically for fashion week,
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Bstroy is considering selling them. Unlike the Sandy Hook ad, this clothing line is an explicit display of disrespect to the victims of mass shootings. Bstroy said it was trying to bring more attention to the issue of gun violence, but turning these horrible tragedies into a fashion statement is an extremely insensitive thing to do. Because Bstroy is also interested in capitalizing off the brand, these sweatshirts are in no way benefiting the victims of school shootings. This contrasts with the Sandy Hook Promise’s video, which directs people to learn more about how to actually prevent school shootings from happening. The Sandy Hook Promise video was also released at a time where there has been a lot of political talk around gun legislation. There have been discussions around a Justice Department document that outlines potential gun legislation, including expanded background checks to all advertised commercial sales. President Donald Trump, however, shut down the notion that the administration is moving forward on gun legislation and said to Fox News that they are purposely “moving very slowly” on talks because they “want to make sure it’s right.” He also said that although he doesn’t want “crazy people” to have access to guns, he will still protect the Second Amendment. At a time where the Trump administration is delaying any sort of gun legislation, this video is all the more necessary. Clearly, very little progress has been made since the Sandy Hook shooting and this video reminds people that this is an issue they should still care about. Children should not have to use their brand new scissors for art class to protect themselves from a gunman or use their new sneakers to quickly run down the hallway to avoid getting shot. This is not the world that children deserve to be living in, and this video exemplifies just that. You should feel uncomfortable and disturbed by this because sadly, it is reality.
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from the editorial board
NLRB unionization proposal is a step backwards The National Labor and Relations Board hasn’t exactly been consistent with graduate student union rulings over the last two decades. The focus of the unionization argument is whether or not graduate students — who teach and conduct research — are training for their education or are employees of the university. The NLRB proposed a rule yesterday stating that graduate students should not be recognized as university employees. Though the NLRB can dictate only the labor and unionization rules of private universities, this proposal serves as a bleak reminder of the current unionization process. Even students at public universities — where it is traditionally much easier to
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unionize — face similar roadblocks. And it isn’t just graduate students that are burdened. It’s undergraduate students taught by the graduate students and faculty members who are affected too. Without the backing of the NLRB, graduate student unionization becomes even more difficult. The NLRB ruled that New York University graduate students had the right to unionize in 2000, but in 2004, it ruled that graduate students at Brown University did not have the right to unionize. Then in 2016, the NLRB ruled that Columbia University students had the right to unionize. Since the NLRB members are appointed by the current presidential administration, Republican presidents often rule against union-
ization — as Bush did with Brown — while Democratic presidents typically rule in favor of it — as Clinton and Obama did respectively. The Trump administration seeks to follow this pattern. Whether or not a graduate student union is recognized is ultimately left up to the specific university. Some graduate students at private universities — like the University of Chicago — struggle to have their unionization efforts recognized by the university, despite the NLRB categorizing them as employees. Graduate student unionization is vital, and it’s something that students and other employees alike have spent years fighting for. Unionization provides a front which protects students
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from rights violations and and also provides legal assistance if said rights are violated. It provides means of a living wage and access to health care. If the NLRB stops recognizing graduate students as employees, unionizers are left with little support to back their fight. Some private universities, like Harvard, have taken major steps forward in the past few years in regards to unionization. The university voted in favor of graduate student unionization in 2018, a victory that experts called “a step forward for the labor movement.” But this new proposal is a bleak reminder of just how difficult unionization really is, and just how far we still have to go.
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Sports
Video: Pitt vs. Penn State volleyball highlights pittnews.com
WEEKEND SPORTS RECAP: SOCCER TEAMS CONTINUE CONFERENCE GRIND Elliot Borawski Staff Writer
This weekend in Pitt athletics was highlighted by historic games featuring the football and volleyball teams, but both the mens and womens soccer teams faced key ACC rivals in some under-the-radar matchups. Men’s soccer The Pittsburgh Panthers traveled to Newtown, Massachusetts Friday evening to take on ACC rival Boston College. The Panthers, coming off a win against Akron, started what could be described as a “winning streak” by beating the Golden Eagles by a score of 2-0. Pitt got back to .500 in conference play while Boston College fell to 0-2. Pitt controlled the pace, besting the Eagles in shots 14 to nine. The Panthers placed six of those shots on goal while only four from Boston College reached the goalkeeper. The Eagles saved three of Pitt’s four shots on goal, but the Panthers found their stride in the 38th minute with a free-kick goal from first-year midfielder Veljko Petkovic, his second of the season. In the second half, Boston College was still unable to attack, firing three shots on goal that couldn’t find the back of the net. Pitt fired seven shots in this period, but placed two on the net. One was successfully saved, but in the 86th minute, Pitt sealed the deal when junior forward Alexander Dexter scored off an assist from Petkovic. This marked the second goal of the season for Dexter and goals in back-to-back games. The (3-3-1) Pittsburgh Panthers now
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Video: ‘Roll’ with the Panthers gameday recap: vs. UCF 9/21/19 pittnews.com
NITTANY LIONS NIP PITT’S PERFECT START
look forward to their next match on the road at Syracuse, a 7 p.m. kickoff on Sept 27. Women’s soccer As their male counterparts look forward to a match with Syracuse, Pitt women’s soccer looks back on its own, as the Panthers hosted the Orange at Ambrose Urbanic Field for a showdown Friday night. But Friday’s match was one the Panthers would rather not look back on too long. Their two-game winless streak was extended with a 1-1 draw in their only competition this weekend. Despite outshooting the Orange 20 to eight, Pitt only scored once in the first half. Like the men, their singular firsthalf score came in the 38th minute off the foot of first-year forward Rachel Rasins and assisted by teammate Amanda Junior Kayla Lund spikes the ball past Penn State’s block during the first set of the Panther’s 3-2 loss to the Nittany Lions on Sunday. Thomas Yang | assistant West. visual editor In the second half, Syracuse ratcheted up the pressure and finally scored Alex Lehmbeck bat the Nittany Lions’ tough front line, in the 61st minute, coming off a pen- Staff Writer bringing in 6-foot-1 first-year player alty kick. Pitt mustered only one shot Chiamaka Nwokolo and 6-foot-2 sophIn front of a record-breaking crowd, on goal and came up empty as the game omore Sabrina Starks. Neither would No. 6 Pitt volleyball fell to No. 4 Penn went into overtime. get any attack opportunities however, State at the Petersen Events Center on Pitt showed dominance in the first which the Panthers struggled mightily Sunday afternoon in a thrilling 3-2 overtime period with three shots on with all afternoon. loss. goal, but could not capitalize and the After posting a hitting percentage Pitt (11-1) swept the Nittany Lions second overtime period was the same of .337 in their previous match against (7-2) in the first match of a homestory. Despite Syracuse only placing the Nittany Lions, the Panthers were and-home series with Penn State, two one shot on goal over the entirety of held to an abysmal .048 clip in the first days earlier in State College. Although the game, it was able to escape with a set on Sunday, their second-worst of the Panthers dominated that tilt, Penn tie. the season. Panthers head coach Dan State was eager for revenge on Sunday. Pitt will look to get back on track Fisher contrasted Pitt’s play on Friday The first set established the tone, when it travels to South Bend, Indiana and Saturday postgame. with both teams fighting for first blood. against Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish on Pitt dipped into its deep bench to comSee Volleyball on page 7 Sept. 26. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
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PICKETT, PANTHERS PREPARE FOR BLUE HENS AFTER UPSETTING UCF Griffin Floyd Staff Writer
Pitt football shocked the college football world by toppling No. 15 Central Florida at Heinz Field on Saturday night in a thrilling 35-34 win. Saturday showcased traditional Pitt football toughness and proved that the Panthers are better than their 1-2 record through Week 3 would have indicated. But some questions still remain as the Panthers prepare to welcome Delaware this Saturday. Pitt came out swinging My prediction was dead wrong — Pitt was the team to explode in the first half, finally scoring a first quarter touchdown. The Panthers struck early and often by establishing a previously lethargic run game and utilizing the playmaking ability of junior quarterback Kenny Pickett to extend drives. The Pitt offense that boasts so much talent and promise finally found rhythm outside of its magical second quarters. Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple quite literally whipped the Knights’ defensive front with slow, methodical drives. On the other side of the ball, Pitt’s defense shut down firstyear quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the “UCFast” offensive machine. The defensive front, led by redshirt sophomore Jaylen Twyman, pressured Gabriel through the entire first half, forcing errors like an interception by junior defensive back Jason Pinnock. Pitt’s game plan flustered the still-green signal-caller. Collectively, they forced six sacks, 12 tackles for loss and seven quarterback hurries. The Knights offense averaged about 600 yards per game prior to facing Pitt but only managed 159 total yards in the first half. Special teams and turnovers played a huge role Credit where credit is due. The defense, even with injuries, managed to force two interceptions by Gabriel, both of which were deep in Panther territory. UCF witnessed a complete breakdown of its team when a punt was blocked by senior receiver Aaron Mathews and returned by first-year linebacker Wendell Davis. Not only did it push Pitt’s lead to 21, but it also electrified the Pitt sideline and home crowd. It also neutralized the Knights’ offense and allowed Pitt to play more conservatively and further cement its dominance in the run game.
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Senior receiver Maurice Ffrench makes his way into the end zone for Pitt’s second touchdown against UCF. Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor Pitt showed resilience against a tough opponent The 21-0 lead the Panthers had built crumbled as UCF scored 31 unanswered points in a span of 12 minutes. During that run, the Knights returned the favor on special teams when junior running back Otis Anderson scored on an 85-yard punt return. Gabriel and the Knights finally took the lead through the air, as junior wide receiver Gabriel Davis hauled in an easy touchdown while the Pitt defense was still lining up. That would be UCF’s last touchdown of the afternoon. Pitt would then respond, scoring a touchdown off of three consecutive penalties by the UCF defense. Pickett did not post the same gaudy numbers of weeks past, but managed to keep drives alive,
taking hits and extending plays with his mobility. The hits began to pile up on Pickett, and after coming off the field with an apparent shoulder injury, redshirt first-year quarterback Nick Patti Jr. finished the drive with a touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Dontavius Butler-Jenkins, cutting UCF’s lead from 10 to three. UCF added a field goal on its next drive to extend its lead to six with 4:36 remaining and one week removed from a conservative goal-line decision in the waning minutes against Penn State, head coach Pat Narduzzi and Whipple dialed up probably the boldest play one can. Pickett had returned to the game, and after leading his offense down to the very edge of a game winning touchdown, caught the game winning touchdown from Matthews on fourth down to tie the game, and the extra point from redshirt
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junior kicker Alex Kessman. An improving offense found new life when it mattered most Saturday night, even under duress. Continuing this efficiency on drives will be crucial if Pitt wants to contend in the ACC Coastal division. Kicking struggles continue for Kessman Pitt throughly outplayed UCF, but it was far from perfect in execution. Junior placekicker Kessman failed to score a field goal on two separate attempts. This came after a missed 19-yard field goal last week against Penn State. Now, Kessman has missed a total of five field goals in four games. Fortunately, the Panthers did not need these extra points to win. This nonetheless will be a concern moving forward. On the positive side, he made all five extra points and clinched the lead following the now famous “Pitt Special” touchdown.
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Volleyball, pg. 5 “The story of this one was the exact opposite of [Friday], where our offense was so good,” Fisher said. “We definitely did a good enough job to win defensively [tonight], but our offense struggled.” Facing triple-set point for the Nittany Lions while down three, Pitt battled back and evened the score at 2424. But an attack error by junior Kayla Lund gave the Nittany Lions the first set game in extra points, 28-26. The 5,195 fans who filed into the Pete shattered the previous attendance record of 3,179 set against Duke last year. Pitt, who plays the majority of its home matches at the Fitzgerald Field House, was not used to an audience of this size. “It was exciting but also you could tell it made us a little bit nervous,” Lund said. “By the time we got to the third, maybe even the second set, you could tell that we had kind of settled down and really used that crowd to our advantage.” Despite the loss, Lund felt the crowd was a significant representation of how far the program has come. “Finally having a lot more of the City of Pittsburgh behind our back, a lot more students behind us, it means a lot,” Lund said. “It shows what they’ve been doing as a coaching staff and what we’ve been doing as players is paying off. Of course we want to keep it going.” After a shaky start Pitt came out for the second set red-hot, winning the first five points — including three quick kills from Lund. She would finish with a match-high 23 kills, which also tied her career-high. Penn State slowly chipped away at the lead, and eventually tied the score at 14 apiece. When the Nittany Lions took their first lead of the set at 21-20, Pitt switched into another gear. The Panthers won five points in a row to take the game 25-21, tying the match at one set all. Pitt finished the second set with a .387 hitting percentage to Penn State’s .086. Pitt once again started the third set strong, but this time the Nittany Lions completed the comeback. Despite
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holding a 8-2 lead at one point, Penn State rallied to tie the set at 13. From there, it remained in control. Pitt kept it close, but was never able to regain the lead, and the Nittany Lions won the third frame 25-21 to take 2-1 lead in the match. With their backs against the wall, the Panthers was in unfamiliar territory. In its 11 matches this year, Pitt had only trailed in one of them. Feeding off of the home crowd’s energy, Pitt convincingly took the fourth game, forcing a decisive fifth set. Starks and junior Chinaza Ndee came up huge for the Panthers, recording six assisted blocks between the two of them in set. Ndee finished with 16 kills and a team-high 10 blocks. Pitt never trailed in the set, and Penn State never got closer than 4-3. In the final set, to 15 this time instead of 25, Penn State gained momentum quickly by jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Pitt was able to stabilize themselves, eventually tying the Nittany Lions at 12. The two powers alternated points after that, including Pitt saving a match point, but Penn State finally prevailed 16-14 to nab the second match, 3-2. Though disappointed, the Panthers still feel that this weekend will prove useful down the road. “This will make us better,” Fisher said. “We’re excited to look at some film and pick it apart a bit.” Penn State head coach Russ Rose, the winningest Division I volleyball coach of all time, was impressed by the support the rivalry received, while remaining civil. “It was a great crowd in Pittsburgh, they’re doing a terrific job,” Rose said. “They have a great team right now. For someone who’s seen a lot of the PittPenn State activities for a long time, it was nice to see both matches to be played without any of the nonsense that exists in a lot of the other sports over the years.” Pennsylvania is one of two states with two volleyball teams ranked in the top 10 nationally, making this rivalry even more meaningful. “I think it’s great for the state, definitely,” Fisher said. “I’ve been trying to schedule them for a while, so I’m glad it worked out this year.”
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Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978
tiable. If interested, please call or text 412‑849‑4209 Personal, professional masseuse needed. Long term position. Washington County location. Call 724‑223‑0939 any time. South Fayette Twp. School District HIGH SCHOOL AS SISTANT PRINCI PAL Complete job descrip tion is available at: www.southfayette.org South Fayette Twp. School District 3680 Old Oakdale Road McDonald, PA 15057 Deadline: September 27, 2019 or Until Po sition is Filled EOE
Drummer and guital player needed for a punk rock band. We play original music, no covers. Must have equipment. Serious 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‑
September 23, 2019
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