Pittsburgh gets a taste of community with the annual Soul Food Festival
Gabriella Garvin Senior Staff WriterBetween the scrumptious aroma of homecooked foods and the joyous sounds of local musicians, residents immersed themselves in the overwhelming sense of community that radiated from the Soul Food Festival in downtown Pittsburgh.
Stop The Violence Pittsburgh, an effort established in 2013 that aimed to enrich the lives of African Americans in Pittsburgh, organized the festival. The event took place this past weekend from Friday morning to Sunday evening and highlighted over 70 small vendors and food services. Vendors served a variety of foods ranging from pulled pork sandwiches and loaded mac and cheeses to Creole and African cuisines. In addition, there were several R&B and hip-hop performers that provided free entertainment for all attendees.
This event was one of several festivals produced by Stop TheViolence PGH. An estimated 30,000 people from all over the country attended throughout the weekend.
William Marshall, producer of the Soul Food Festival, said he started the festival as part of a series of fests to highlight local business owners inspired by similar events that were taking place across the country.
“We started this festival in 2019. I created about four different festivals. I created the Juneteenth celebration in 2013, then I created a Youth Juneteenth Celebration in 2018,” Marshall said. “I then created a Black Music Festival in 2018. Then in 2019, after we learned about various entrepreneurs in and outside Pittsburgh, we decided to do a soul food festival. Soul food festivals were all across the country — so we figured why not here in Pittsburgh?”
Marshall said he specifically selected Market Square as the location for his festivals after learning about the deep rooted Black history in Pittsburgh, including prominent figures Benjamin Richards and Reverend John C. Peck.
“We had all the vendors and all I needed was a location. We started the original Juneteenth in 2013, and it was inside of Market Square,” Marshall said. “But it wasn’t until later that I ended up learning about Benjamin Richards and Charles Richards and Reverend John C. Peck. Benjamin Richards owned the property that is now PPG Plaza. He was one of the richest men in Allegheny
County, and he was a Black man.”
Marshall said after he discovered this history, he wanted to acknowledge it through the events he was producing.
“Richards had several businesses inside of Market Square. Reverend John C. Peck opened up the original Oyster House on Third Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh inside of Market Square,” Marshall said.
“When I learned all of that history, I said to myself we’re going to bring that back. We’re going to do something down here and honor these people here.”
David Ellis, known as Chef David, owner of Chef N’ABox and vendor at the festival said that the point of soul food is the love and generational history that goes into it.
“My grandma is from down south and from spending a lot of time at home with her I’ve learned to cook southern soul food,” Ellis said. “What a lot of people don’t understand is that soul food is from the heart. When I create my food I try to please everybody that I serve as a family — no matter what color you are, or anything else. I’m going to give you something that I would give to my family, or my child, or any of my loved ones. It’s from the soul.”
Larry Hutch, keyboard player for the Bill Henry Band and performer at the festival, said the band likes to spread the sentiments of love and community through their music.
“More than anything we just like to share love and show love as a band and as brothers,” Hutch said. “We enjoy the people that
come up to support us and really want to show that comradery is not something that’s forgotten. We’re here showing love.”
Ellis said that the Soul Food Festival pushes back on the stereotypes many people have about certain areas of Pittsburgh.
“A lot of people get discouraged by the Soul Food Fest because Downtown has a bad name sometimes, South Side has a bad name,” Ellis said. “There is drama everywhere, but there is not drama here at the food fest. I want everyone to know that.”
Bill Henry, lead vocalist for the Bill Henry Band, said major media outlets and the City of Pittsburgh as a whole could do a better job of advertising events like these across the media.
“I think Pittsburgh in general, and this event included, needs help with promotions. It would be great to see this event promoted on most of the major networks,” Hutch said. “Sometimes things do get promoted but when they do, they get promoted so late in the game that by the time you know about it, it’s either happening or already happened. As a city I just think we need
to do better.”
Marshall said the media coverage of the weekend and future events should be more balanced.
“During this weekend, what’s also going on is Ribfest. So if you look at TV and media coverage, you will see everyone talking about the Ribfest, but you won’t see too much TV coverage about the Soul Food Festival. It’s just a bias with the people who run the stations obviously," Marshall said. “There should be more coverage because what we try to do is create peace within the community.”
Marshall said Stop The Violence PGH was successful in spreading peace through these festivals. The mayor recognized this at this summer’s past Juneteenth event, where no violence occurred over the duration of the entire festival.
“It’s a phenomenal feat because everybody recognizes that this is a joyful time,” Marshall said. “When we have these celebrations we bring different communities together, and different ethnic groups and everybody enjoys the festival. It’s just one big family.”
Marshall said the festival cultivates strength amongst the Pittsburgh community that is demonstrated through the participation of multiple generations of families.
“What makes us happy is seeing the comradery and the joy it brings to the community. You can see that’s the benefit that we get out of it. You see people coming together in a peaceful environment and how it takes some of the stress off of everyday life,” Marshall said. “That’s what these festivals do for the community.”
Festivalgoers stand near a food stand at Pittsburgh’s Soul Food Festival this past weekend in Market Square. Lucas Zheng | Senior Staff PhotograPher A plate of BBQ Ribs and a pair of sandwiches at the Pittsburgh’s Soul Food Festival this past weekend in Market Square. Lucas Zheng| Senior Staff PhotograPherThe best Pittsburgh events and activities in September
Patrick Swain Culture EditorThe new semester is upon us! As you dust off your textbooks and log in to Canvas, don’t forget to take a look around campus, Oakland and everywhere else in Pittsburgh. Take your mind off those assignments with these fall attractions and diversions.
ReelAbilities Film Festival — Sept. 7-13 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse
ReelAbilities features stories that celebrate people with disabilities, seeking to unite viewers through cinema — complete with accommodations such as subtitles, audio description and sign language interpretation.
A Fair in the Park — Sept. 8-10 in Mellon Park
The Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh presents their 54th annual gathering of artists and craftspeople, with festivities throughout the weekend including food, live music and more.
Pittsburgh Irish Festival — Sept. 8-10 at Carrie Blast Furnace in Swissvale
The three-day Irish Festival, held in a picturesque industrial setting, features music, entertainment and activities. It aims to celebrate the Irish culture, history and tradition that exist in Pittsburgh. Bands, dancing, comedy, ceremonies, sports and vendors will make for a weekend of fun.
Shakespeare in the Parks — Sept. 2 through Oct. 1 in various parks around the city
This year’s Shakespearean tale takes us back to ancient Egypt. Cleopatra & Antony is an all-women production of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Antony & Cleopatra that
reexamines and highlights the strength and passion of the female characters.
Oakland Block Party — Sept. 15 on Schenley Drive
This exhibition features over seven hours of free live music from Oakland-based musicians. The sounds of artists like Pitter Patter, Wild Blue Yonder, Trip Lotus and more will echo through campus.
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival — Sept. 16-17 at Highmark Stadium
This festival’s mission is “to preserve the legacy of jazz and elevate and amplify the creativity of artists sharing their stories through music.” It will take over the stadium through the weekend in addition to several smaller jam sessions in various locations around the city. The festival features some big names in modern jazz like Kurt Elling and Gregory Porter.
Pittsburgh County Fair — Sept. 17 at Allegheny Commons Park West
Ferment Pittsburgh and Grow Pittsburgh are putting on the inaugural Pittsburgh County Fair, an urban agricultural celebration of all things handmade, homegrown and fermented. Activities include making sauerkraut, make-your-own sunflower oil, sorghum pressing with sporks, bouquet building, indigo dyeing and more.
Mini Powwow — Sept. 20 in Schenley Plaza
Powwows are sacred social gatherings held by many Native American communities to honor their cultures through song and dance. Join this public powwow hosted by Pitt and the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center to celebrate the Indigenous peoples of our region.
Latin American & Caribbean Festival — Sept. 23 at Posvar Hall
The 41st annual festival features performers and vendors aimed at celebrating the growing Latin American and Caribbean communities in Pittsburgh. The mission of the festival is to showcase the cultures of Latin America in Pittsburgh for Pitt students and the general public.
Canzona Ensemble Concert — Sept. 30 at Heinz Chapel
Classical musicians Katy Williams, Paige Riggs, Nick Will and Warren Davidson present an exhibition of German and Austrian music. Hear works from Bach, Mozart and other composers amid the splendor of Heinz Chapel.
‘Direct attack’: Health insurance hikes push graduate students’ budgets to the breaking point
Jack Troy Senior Staff WriterElizabeth Rudzki has about one month to find $4,200 to pay for her upcoming surgery.
Under last year’s medical insurance plan for Pitt graduate workers, the sixthyear doctoral student in the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology program wouldn’t have owed a cent. With the updated plan in effect as of Friday — 17 days after it was first announced — graduate workers are now on the hook for 10% of inpatient hospital expenses.
“I am having to consider if I need to postpone my surgery,” Rudzki said. “And it’s not elective surgery.”
Many students at Pitt who seek care for a chronic illness, sudden injury or need hospitalized for any reason may hit their out-of-pocket maximum of $4,200 by the end of the academic year.
That’s 21% of the minimum stipend for graduate workers — an unacceptable burden on too short of a notice, students affected by the changes say.
“I could have scheduled it such that it was covered under the old plan, but they didn’t give me the decency of that knowledge,” Rudzki said.
Other price hikes include up to 600% higher copays for therapy and primary care, plus a $250 individual deductible, up from zero. Alison Mahoney, a graduate worker union organizer and fourthyear doctoral student in the theatre arts program, called this a “direct attack” that assumes beneficiaries are young, healthy and without a family to support.
The University previously offered two tiers of student medical plans — a general plan, starting at a $262 monthly premium, and another offered to graduate workers at zero premium, but available to all graduate students at $425 per month.
Pitt has merged them into a single plan that, while still zero-premium for graduate workers, costs $244 per month for others and includes benefits mirroring last year’s general plan. Enrollment runs from Aug. 15 to Oct. 15, and students must re-enroll each year or lose their coverage.
Pitt contends that the streamlined plan will help tamp down cost hikes in the long term.
“As healthcare costs continue to escalate, by combining both undergraduate and graduate student health insurance
plans and pools, we will be empowered to negotiate in such a way as to help us offer more affordable plans to all students in the future,” Pitt spokesperson Nick France said.
But in the short term, many graduate workers are scrambling to budget for medical expenses, and weighing whether seeking necessary care is worth the cost.
Crunching the numbers
Pitt has historically provided topnotch medical insurance for graduate workers. A now-defunct web page from the Office of Human Resources, taken down sometime this summer, touted a “long tradition of providing students who hold academic appointments with a benefits-rich individual health insurance package at no cost.”
Prior to this academic year, it had been more than 20 years since the University increased the cost of medical insurance for graduate students with academic appointments, according to France.
The recent changes haven’t totally gutted Pitt’s claim to providing quality, lowcost health insurance to graduate workers. France added that if the latest medical plan were available in the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace, it would still be categorized as platinum — the highest level under federal standards.
Stipends are a somewhat different story, especially when considered alongside the increased medical costs. Including the 4% stipend increase across all departments for this academic year, a graduate assistant or researcher at Pitt will generally earn less than their peers at Penn State or Drexel, for example.
Depending on their appointment and number of dependents, some graduate students at Pitt teeter close to the federal poverty line. A graduate worker making the $20,000 minimum annual stipend with one dependent would clear that threshold by just $280.
Picking up a part-time job can take the pressure off for some, but the financial squeeze is much tighter for international students, such as French-native Spencer Fricard. Their visa forbids them from taking most off-campus jobs, leaving the roughly $23,000 they receive from their fellowship in the French department as their only reliable source of income.
With gender-affirming surgery scheduled for next summer, following nearly
a year of screenings and consultations, Fricard has turned to GoFundMe and is considering selling plasma to cover the $4,200.
“[The increase] is abysmal, based on what we make,” Fricard said. “If anything, we can buy one or two more packs of spaghetti each month…These people have such financial privilege, that they cannot begin to understand, to relate, to realize the impact of those numbers.”
Following the insurance changes, the Office of the Provost created the Pitt Student Health Insurance Medical Hardship Assistance fund, offering a higher maximum request than the existing emergency fund.
“We encourage students who face either chronic or acute medical hardship to seek assistance, as needed,” France said.
‘Anxiety and confusion’
It’s not just a handful of graduate students who’ve decried the pricier benefits — 1,400 and counting have signed a petition penned by the graduate workers union organizing committee and addressed to Chancellor Joan Gabel.
The petition calls for a return to the previous health insurance plan and reallocation of any funds intended for “anti-union campaigns” to help offset the cost of reinstating the past benefits. Since 2016, the University has paid more than $3 million to union avoidance law firm Ballard Spahr.
Roughly 50 graduate students marched on the Office of the Provost on Friday in hopes of hand-delivering their
plea to Vice Provost for Graduate Studies Amanda Godley, who wasn’t in the office at the time. Instead, Senior Executive Administrator to the Provost Peggy King took notes on their concerns to pass directly to Godley.
Four days prior, interim provost Joseph McCarthy acknowledged some missteps in rolling out the insurance changes.
“I recognize that the University’s actions — especially by not providing advance notice of the change and unintentionally appearing to minimize any student health issue and subsequent cost — have caused significant anxiety and confusion, and I deeply regret that,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy also announced his intention to create a task force of undergraduate students, graduates, staff and administrators to discuss the design of future health insurance coverage.
In the meantime, union organizers say they’ll be hard at work to make this a matter of collective bargaining. United Steelworkers organizer Richard Granger said an aspirational date for a union election should be “sometime between today and the end of this year.”
Within that lies the silver lining for Mahoney, who’s pushed for a union ever since coming to Pitt in 2020.
“This has been a really clarifying moment for a lot of grads at Pitt,” Mahoney said. “Grads are realizing now, in a very concrete way, that a union is really the only way to protect us from these sudden changes to our working conditions.”
Graduate students march to the Cathedral of Learning on Friday to deliver their health insurance petition to the Office of the Provost. Jack Troy | Senior Staff WriterMost entertaining players to watch at Pitt this semester
Ari Meyer Staff WriterAs the 2023 athletic calendar begins, Pitt fans will flock from all over to watch their favorite players take the field. Each sport has exciting players who cause the fans to show up in droves. Here are the most entertaining players to watch at Pitt this semester.
Men's basketball redshirt junior forward
Zack AustinAustin, a recent transfer from High Point University, will look to make an immediate impact on the Panthers in 2023. In two seasons with High Point, Austin averaged 14.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Fans can also expect a strong defensive effort from Austin, as he averaged 2.2 blocks per game at High Point. While on Pitt's overseas trip to Spain, Austin made headlines for three posterizing dunks in two games against the local teams.
This sort of dazzling play will surely earn reverence from Oakland Zoo members, who become important during home games. The 6-foot, 6-inch forward will look to continue this trend against NCAA opponents this season. Pitt will host Duke, North Carolina, West Virginia and Syracuse at home in marquee matchups.
Austin joins the team following the
loss of one of the most successful classes of Panthers this century. After losing electrifying players such as guards Nike Sibande and Jamarius Burton, the Panthers will need Austin to step up to fill the void.
Volleyball first-year outside hitter
Torrey StaffordStafford joined the volleyball team this fall as a first-year out of Torrance, California. Ranking as the No. 12 recruit in the 2023 class, Stafford became the first member of the team to ever represent Team USA at the youth level in 2022.
Stafford joined the U-19 team as they swept Brazil in the 2022 Pan-American Cup finals.
Stafford has made an immediate impact on a Pitt volleyball team that began the year ranked No. 5, registering 38 kills in five games played thus far. Additionally, Stafford demonstrated efficiency against Montana with a hitting percentage of 70%.
With the departure of players like Courtney Buzzerio and Serena Gray last season, Stafford and fellow first-year right side Olivia Babcock came to Pitt tasked with filling a big hole on the roster. Albeit with a small sample size, Stafford seems ready for the challenge.
Men’s soccer first-year forward Albert Thorsen
Following the departure of senior mid -
fielder Valentin Noel and junior forward Bertin Jacquesson to Major League Soccer, Pitt began the season at home against Penn State with a starting lineup that included nine players who had not played for Pitt before. Norwegian first-year Thorsen became part of an interesting lineup for the Panthers that evening.
Thorsen, who started for the Panthers at forward, immediately made an impact for Pitt, who struggled to get anything going in the first half of the opener. After allowing a goal right before halftime, Thorsen netted the equalizer in the 79th minute of the match to end it in a draw.
Thorsen not only reinvigorated a team that seemed downtrodden after conceding earlier in the game, but also fired up a sold out Ambrose Urbanic Field. He followed that performance up with another goal in the following match against Howard at home.
Floral fashion inspired by Billy Porter fills Phipps Conservatory
Nada Abdulaziz Staff Writer
Lettuce ball gowns, corsets made of leaves, and vine-woven crowns astonished the visitors of Phipps Conservatory as they walked through the summer show “Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter.”
Since May and through September 24, Phipps Conservatory has its doors open for a show that features horticultural displays and fashion designs inspired by Billy Porter's Pittsburgh roots and array of accomplishments as an award-winning actor, singer, director, composer and playwright.
The pieces in the show include gowns, suits, boots, hats, capes and many more fashion pieces that bring the looks to life. Some of the creative designs include a skirt made from lilac hydrangea heads and grape vines hugging the bodice of a dress made from dried salal leaves.
Melino also said the show is the product of the efforts of many talented artists. Melino believes the input of the artists not only brings the work of Billy Porter to life but also captures the talent of the artists through their pieces.
“Each designer implemented some of their aspects into the pieces,” Melino said. “You’ll see very personal elements to each of the pieces but again inspired by those iconic looks by Billy Porter.”
According to Melino, the designs and creativity of the show are the result of two years of effort. Melino said Billy Porter supports those working around him.
“We have 13 pieces in this show, four made by Phipps staff, six are made by local and regional designers, and three pieces by Carnegie Mellon University students,” Melino said. “We have partnerships with both CMU and CAPA, which are Billy Porters' alumni, and we wanted to highlight the creativity of students here in Pittsburgh. We have eight hats submitted and on display by elementary to high school students.”
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“Billy Porter was here in 2021. We approached him about partnering on an upcoming show and he said ‘Yes, of course!’” Melino said. “You can feel the sense of uplifting everyone when you’re around him and we wanted that to be a part of the energy when we worked on the show.”
Stephany Andrade, a Pitt sophomore applied developmental psychology major, said the show made a significant contribution to society beyond fashion and art.
“As a Latinx woman who identifies themselves with the LGBTQIA+ community, the show was heartwarming,” Andrade said. “Having a Billy Porter-dedicated show at our own Phipps Conservatory is a huge step forward in the representation of diversity in Pittsburgh.”
Pitt students are not the only visitors who have an appreciation for the growth of Pittsburgh's art and fashion scenes and the local promotion of diversity and inclusion. Lucio Maffei, a senior political philosophy and ethics major at Syracuse University, enjoys the inclusivity Phipps is aiming to achieve.
“As someone who studies philosophy and the intersections of art and society, I am very happy to see Pittsburgh showcasing and amplifying powerful Black and queer art and artists,” Maffei said.
According to Melino, the show is new territory for Phipps. It’s a show focused on being vibrant and radiant using flowers as the main element to push positivity. Melino said the show’s details are something that took a lot of consideration, even down to the details of music and colors surrounding the looks.
“The show feels very different from other shows we’ve put on,” Melino said. “It’s very fun, fresh, and fabulous!”
from
Editorial | Support and attend women’s sports the editorial
The University of Nebraska’s women’s volleyball team just set a world record for the most people to ever attend a women’s sporting game. The school’s football field boasted 92,003 attendees, breaking the 2022 record held by a championship team match between F.C. Barcelona and Wolfsburg. This accomplishment is a huge deal for women's sports, especially during a time when college football is at the forefront of everyone's minds.
While many are anxiously waiting to see how well Pitt’s football team is going to do this semester and are already discussing the men’s basketball season, the University of Pittsburgh’s women’s sports teams are accomplishing feat after feat. Some of our Pitt pride and support should go to them.
Our very own women’s volleyball team is ranked 10th in the nation and just had a sweep against Kentucky’s 15th ranked team in only four sets. And after last year's loss in the final four, Pitt is looking to take it home this year with a strong team full of brilliant returning players. The volleyball team may not play at our football stadium like Nebraska does, but that doesn’t mean they don’t bring a lively and fun audience with them to the Fitzgerald Field House.
Pitt’s own women’s soccer team is also shaping up to be excellent this year — they are ranked 21st in the nation. On Sept. 3, Pitt’s soccer team defeated Bowling Green in a 5-1 win, continuing their five-game winning streak. Pitt has
proved time and time again that they are a powerhouse on the field — their time in possession greatly supersedes that of their opponents and their other stats blow other teams out of the park.
If volleyball or soccer really isn’t your thing, there are tons of other womens sports throughout the year you can go out and support. If you’re super into running, you can find time to support the women's cross country and track teams during home meets. Or, if you’re looking for a little more contact between players, the women’s lacrosse team is participating in a couple of play days this semester before their spring 2024 season. There are also a few swimming meets here at Trees pool if you want to support the Pitt women’s swimming and diving team. And of course, we have the winter women’s basketball and gymnastics seasons to look forward to supporting as well.
A lot of our energy goes into supporting our men’s teams and our football team, but many don’t even know about the outstanding work our women’s teams have been doing the last couple of seasons because of it. Our women’s sports don’t need to be successful to deserve our support — we should be uplifting Pitt’s teams no matter what. Yet, their success is great for our school, and we should all be going out to see them showcase their skill.
In between football games, take time to go support the women. They are just as impressive and as worthy as any other team.
Nebraska and Omaha play a college volleyball match Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. AP Photo | Eric Olson
Classifieds
Jobs:
PT Job Openings- Popular Italian restaurant in Point Breeze, less than 3 miles from campus, looking for individuals to fill Host/ Bartender Assistant positions - will train.
Weekday shifts-5pm-10pm, Weekends-5pm-11pm. Hourly rate plus tips.
Email:chefpino.ptbreeze@ gmail.com
Text/Call 412-812-5506
We are currently seeking to fill FULL-TIME & PART-TIME positions for a Rest Area Attendants in Bridgeville, PA area (Allegheny County). You must have your own reliable transportation and be able to work as scheduled. Must follow directives and work as a team. $16.17/hr.
Duties will include:
-cleaning restrooms and stocking paper products -trash removal from indoor/ outdoor receptacles
-floor care, litter removal from picnic and parking areas and access ramp -general cleaning of the building
SIGN ON BONUS after 90 days, paid training, uniforms, paid breaks, holiday pay (if applicable), biweekly pay with direct deposit. Benefits to those that qualify. Preference in hiring individuals with disabilities and veterans. Under State Contract, candidates must have a documented disability that limits one or more major life activities but is still able to work!
Apply online at: www.keystoneblind.org. Application required for consideration.
Call Gary at 724-813-1672 for more details