10-9-19 by The Pitt News

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 | october 9, 2019 | Volume 110 | Issue 39

PEDUTO AND PIZZA

COUNSELING CENTER LEADERS TALK MENTAL HEALTH Emily Drzymalski Staff Writer

Mayor Bill Peduto shared pizza and policy with Pitt College Dems on Tuesday night. He discussed current Pittsburgh events, sustainable development goals and green energy. Sarah Cutshall | visual editor

PITT FILES EXCEPTION TO PROPOSED GRAD UNION RULING Jon Moss

Assistant News Editor Pitt filed an exception Tuesday to a proposed ruling by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board issued in late September, which would have found the University guilty of three unfair labor practices during Pitt’s graduate student union election in April and resulted in a new election taking place. The University is asking for all findings from the proposed ruling to be set aside, arguing that they are contrary to well-established Pennsylvania law. In his proposed ruling, Hearing Examiner Stephen Helmerich said Pitt committed “coercive acts” leading up to the April unionization vote, which was meant to determine whether or not graduate students

at Pitt should unionize and join the Academic Workers Association of the United Steelworkers. Pitt’s Graduate Student Organizing Committee kicked off its unionization effort in 2016 and filed for a union election in December 2017. Its reasons for wanting a union included higher wages, increased benefits, greater transparency and increased protections against discrimination and harassment. The outcome of the initial vote among graduate students was 675 for and 712 against. Nine of 12 allegations pressed by union organizers against the University at a PLRB hearing in May — including irregular voter identification practices and using administrators as poll watchers — were ultimately

found to not be unfair labor practices in Helmerich’s proposed ruling. But Helmerich said three of Pitt’s practices leading up to, and during, the election could have “potentially affected a large enough pool of eligible voters for the effect on the election to be manifest due to the extreme narrowness of the result.” University spokesperson Kevin Zwick said in a statement that Pitt believes it has acted appropriately through the graduate student unionization process. “All of the communications in question are accurate, appropriate, and factual,” Zwick said. “The University looks forward to a closer review — with full context considered — of these three counts in quesSee Union on page 3

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Student Government Board replaced its regular public meeting this week with a mental health town hall, where four Pitt health professionals answered questions from students concerning mental health and resources provided by the University. The featured professionals were Wellness Center Executive Director Marian Vanek, Office of Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Education Coordinator Michele Welker, Associate Dean and Residence Life Director Steve Anderson and Counseling Center Director Jay Darr. Most of the questions the panel answered were concerned with issues the Counseling Center faced in the past, including criticism from the last academic year for severalweek-long waits due to high demand. Darr recently announced that starting in October, there will be 24 senior-level staff members as well as 11 master’s- and doctoral-level trainees. In April, the staff consisted of 20 clinicians and seven trainees. Though he noted there was currently no wait, SGB member Eric Macadangdang asked how the Center will handle and prepare for a possible influx of students. Darr said new outreach programs, an attention to efficiency and more clinicians will help with the volume of students seeking help. “How we plan for that, there [are] a couple of things,” Darr said. “One, gain efficiency in our processes. The other thing is, as we gain efficiency, putting clinicians during those times where we have high volumes, particularly on our drop-ins.” But Welker said the Center is pushing to try and meet students “where they’re at” through several different outreach programs, rather than requiring See SGB on page 3

News

GRAD STUDENT ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN FOR STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ashton Crawley

For The Pitt News Most students spend their time between classes and jobs participating in a club, playing a sport or binging Netflix. Jessica Benham’s got a different pursuit — in between writing her Ph.D. thesis and serving as the director of development at the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy, she’s running for a seat in the state House of Representatives. Benham, who recently got a master’s degree in bioethics and is working on a Ph.D. in communication at Pitt, announced her campaign for the District 36 seat, which includes her own neighborhood of South Side Flats, as well as parts of Mt. Washington, Mt. Oliver, Brentwood and Brookline, in September. Her platform includes expanding access to health care for all, increasing funding for infrastructure and supporting labor rights. She plans to challenge 25-year Democratic incumbent Harry Readshaw in the primary in April 2020. Currently, Benham serves her community as secretary for the Zone 3 public safety council. She was motivated to run for the House seat in part because she could provide a new perspective as an individual living with a disability. If she is elected, Benham will not only be the first woman elected to represent District 36, but also the first autistic woman elected to serve on state legislature. “I think people feel more involved in politics when someone who looks like them is at the table. There has to be somebody who has a disability who is really leading those conversations,” Benham said. “As a woman with a disability, I think a lot about health care. I think a lot about accessibility. But I also think of myself as representing all the people in District 36.” Benham will be the second progressive female candidate to challenge Readshaw,

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who tends to favor more conservative policies. The first, Erin Molchany, lost to Readshaw in 2014. Among the goals included in her platform, Benham specifically wants to address issues relating to health care and social services for institutionalized adults. Without access to social services like appropriate health care providers, safe housing, employment programs and basic life skills training, many of these adults are

has been under construction since January in a bid to reduce its size, frequently floods with several inches of water and has to be closed down. Benham’s campaign was recently endorsed by former District 4 City Council member Natalia Rudiak, who similarly focused on infrastructure during her time in office. “Unfortunately South Pittsburgh is still left out of many region-wide and

Jessica Benham, who recently got a master’s degree in bioethics and is working on her Ph.D. in communication at Pitt, is running for the District 36 seat in the state House of Representatives. Ally Hansen | staff photographer never able to leave institutions and live independently. “I think about the many people with developmental and intellectual disabilities who are still stuck in institutions, who have supposedly been granted the civil right of living in the community,” Benham said. “Yet the state will not fund the services that would allow them to do so.” The district’s flooding problem is another concern for Benham, who wants to invest more in Route 51 to help prevent flood damage. The major roadway, which

City-wide conversations about public transport, infrastructure and better housing,” Rudiak said. “I know that Jessica will be a champion to get these issues in front of the state legislature and in front of City and county leaders.” As an activist, Benham has served as a disability rights and accessibility consultant on several pieces of legislature, such as Paul’s Law, which was passed in 2018 and prevents Pennsylvania hospitals from denying organ transplants to patients on the basis of their disability status. Her ac-

October 9, 2019

tivism also extends into worker’s rights, as she serves as a member of the Pitt Graduate Student Union’s organizing committee. “Union activism has a long history in the city of Pittsburgh, an important history. My desire is to go to Harrisburg and really be a fighter for union rights,” Benham said. “I don’t think I could ever be the kind of scholar who just writes about things. I have to be an activist. I have to be involved.” Her campaign has already garnered support from City officials like Rudiak and from her own neighbors. Cheryl Kleiman, a civil rights attorney, is Benham’s neighbor and also the chair of Benham’s political action committee. Kleiman says that Benham has been extremely active in community meetings and town halls for years. “She has this ability to be in seemingly many places and be present in them. There are very few community meetings that Jessica does not have a role in,” Kleiman said. “For years she has been invested in learning from and listening to her fellow community members.” If elected, Benham will not only be the first woman to represent her district, and the first autistic woman in the country to be elected to legislature, but she will also be the first openly bisexual woman to hold a role in state legislature. “The historic nature of her campaign is worth noting, but it’s also who Jessica is,” Kleiman said. “She has shown that she is willing and able to do the work and steps into the space and is a leader.” With her community involvement and background as an activist, Benham felt like it was the right time for her to address her community’s needs by running for office. “It wasn’t always in the plan for me. It’s definitely been a journey,” Benham said. “But here I am.”

SGB, pg. 1 students to go to the Center. The Center holds “Let’s Talk” chat sessions several times a week around campus to allow for students to talk with counselors about their concerns, get help problem-solving and learn more about consultation, counseling and referral services. “They’re 15-minute chat sessions, very solution-focused to meet students’ needs,” Welker said. Welker also said the Center is focusing on reaching marginalized groups of students who may not feel as comfortable seeking help at the Center, largely through the “Let’s Talk” chat sessions. She cited a recent “Let’s Talk” chat session held at the University’s Disability Resource Office as an example. Welker also brought up the recent addition of three clinicians in Litchfield Towers, as well as Sutherland and Lothrop halls, as a part of bringing help directly to students. Lothrop’s clinician will be located behind hall security, but any student will be able to talk to Sutherland and Towers’ clinicians without having to swipe in. SGB member Scott Glaser asked how those who may not be struggling with mental illness can be better allies to those who are. Welker responded

Union, pg. 1 tion.” The University stands by its belief that graduate students are not employees and therefore cannot unionize. Pitt’s Office of University Counsel paid “union-busting” law firm Ballard Spahr $239,061 in fees between the summers of 2016 and 2018 to provide legal support during the separate graduate student and faculty campaigns for unionization, according to University financial disclosure reports obtained by The Pitt News. Ben Case, a teaching fellow in the sociology department, said he was “extremely disappointed” that Pitt filed an exception to the proposed PLRB ruling. “The University is continuing to spend so much time and money to delay the process for a new election, especially after having violated graduate students’ rights during the first election,” Case said. “This is yet another in a series of efforts by Pitt to silence the graduate students and prevent us from exercising our rights as workers.” Q&A chart Helmerich found that a chart on a Q&A website created by the University — which

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by saying it’s important to be an “active good bystander” and reach out to people in our lives we think may be struggling. “We as human beings are often afraid to name that experience and what we’re observing in our friends and loved ones,” Welker said. “But doing so and reaching out in that way can be really impactful and meaningful, so I really encourage you to really just state the facts and state what you’re observing in your friend.” After the town hall, SGB President Zechariah Brown provided an update on the ongoing effort to preserve the names of independent student organizations in the wake of updated Student Organization Resource Center naming guidelines. SORC announced in late August that beginning fall 2020, its registration guidelines would prohibit the names of independent student organizations from including University trademarks or wordmarks like “Pitt” and “Panther,” instead encouraging clubs to use phrases such as “at Pitt” or “at the University of Pittsburgh.” A student task force, comprised of representatives from SGB and several clubs, met Sept. 29 and rejected SGB’s initial proposal to create a tiered system of student organizations. Brown said the board’s latest proposal is to grandfather current organizations that have been he described as a “substantial departure from the truth” — constituted an unfair labor practice. The chart listed items that the union could negotiate over, like working conditions, but also listed that items such as admissions decisions and the number of academic appointments were off the negotiating table. Since working conditions have never been formally defined by the PLRB, Helmerich said it was “contradictory” and “paradoxical” for Pitt to claim that working conditions did not include admissions decisions or academic appointments. Pitt argued in its filing that similar content was distributed by the University, but since that content was not ruled as an unfair labor practice, neither should the chart. “It is contradicted by his own factual findings regarding other similar, if not identical, content disseminated by the University,” Pitt said in its filing. Q&A sentence In his proposed ruling, Helmerich also flagged a sentence written as part of a response on the Q&A website. The University said on the website that, with a union, students would “lose the ability to have an individual say in their specific program

Michele Welker of the Office of Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Education answers a student question while Univeristy Counseling Center Director Jay Darr listens. SGB replaced their normal meeting with a mental health town hall. Caela Go | staff photographer on campus longer than the pre-existing, approximately decade-old naming guidelines have been in effect. All remaining organizations would have to change their names, but would be allowed to sell any merchandise they have already purchased to try and prevent any large financial losses. “A lot of what we’ve tried to do with this process is not only focus on one group — students or admin — but try to meld together the different perspec-

tives,” Brown said. SGB will be meeting with University administrators on Thursday to share the proposal and discuss its viability. Brown said he has been in contact with administrators, including Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner, and they seem open to his proposal. “These changes seem favorable,” Brown said. “I don’t anticipate a negative response.”

when it comes to appointments.” Helmerich said in his proposed ruling that this sentence is a “substantial departure from the truth,” and could have coerced potential voters. Pitt argued in its filing that Helmerich picked this one sentence out of thousands on the Q&A website, which was voluntary for grad students to visit, thus not affecting the outcome of the vote. “Although this was a close election, proof that only one eligible voter saw this sentence and may have been affected by its substance does not warrant setting aside an in person election where roughly 1500 people made their voices heard freely and fairly,” the University said in its filing. The email On the morning of the third day of the election, graduate students in the chemical engineering department received an email from department chair Steven Little appearing to show that Little knew exactly how many engineering students had voted in the first two days of the election. “I just wanted to send you a note encouraging you to vote in the graduate student unionization election,” Little said. “I was actually a little surprised to see that only 81 students in the School of

Engineering (whole school) have voted so far.” Helmerich said the email created the impression for eligible voters in Little’s department that “their votes were under close scrutiny and observation by the management of the University.” “The problem is not that the University kept a list,” Helmerich said. “The unfair practice is what the University did with that information.” But Pitt said in its filing that it was not using its list to conduct surveillance during the election — a lawyer retained by the University testified that she locked up the list each night and did not share any voter data. Pitt further argued that the email did not cause a material difference in the election, as originally found by the proposed PLRB ruling, which had noted that 28 voters in the department had not yet voted prior to Little’s email. “This determination was based on unfounded conjecture and ignores the facts in the record,” the University said in its filing. “The Hearing Examiner’s finding presumes, without any basis, that all 28 voters were so intimidated that they voted for no representative out of fear of reprisal.”

October 9, 2019

Opinions TRUMP’S UNPRESIDENTED RESPONSE TO IMPEACHMENT Julia Kreutzer

Senior Staff Columnist I’ve boasted a sticker on my water bottle that reads “Impeach Trump,” adorned with a peach sporting an all-too-familiar toupee for the past two years. This often felt like wishful thinking, until House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced a formal impeachment inquiry on President Donald Trump last week. Being investigated are accusations that President Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, the current front-runner in the 2020 Democratic primary. These allegations arose days after Trump froze more than $391 million in aid for Ukraine. While the impeachment inquiry in itself was surprising to many, Trump’s reactions, in true form, have been anomalous compared to the precedent set by previous presidents. While Trump is not the first president to face this political battle, his reactions thus far fall in uncharted territory. Trump’s actions only further incriminate him and should strengthen the argument for his removal, but he seems to have no idea what a mess he has gotten himself into. At this point, Democrats have little left to do in order to impeach Trump — he is largely doing their job for them. His refusal to back down and continued self-incrimination make his behavior both unprecedented and unpresidential, making it near certain the House will impeach him, and making it harder for the Senate to justify an acquittal. On the White House lawn on Oct. 3, Trump publicly called for China to investigate the Bidens – this time publically committing the action for which he is being investigated. Federal law indicates that it is unlawful for a person to “solicit, accept, or receive a contribution” from a foreign national in connection with a federal, state or local election. Regardless of what the impeachment inquiry finds in relation to the Ukraine scandal, it seems Trump openly broke federal law in this media stunt. This strategy is radically different from that

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of former President Bill Clinton, who is the president to most recently face a similar battle. The House approved two impeachment articles surrounding his affair with Monica Lewinsky and respective coercion and perjury in the 1998 trial. The Senate acquitted him of all charges a year later. The Clinton administration took a tightlipped approach with the media during the trials. Every member of the White House staff, including Clinton, was instructed not to make any comments concerning Lewinsky, the scandal itself or the impeachment hearings. While an impeachment from the House is a less than optimal outcome, Clinton’s calm and quiet strategy allowed him to avoid selfincrimination and ultimately resulted in a formal acquittal from the Senate. By not following Clinton’s example, Trump is pretty much setting himself up for failure. Besides Clinton, only one other president, Andrew Johnson, has been successfully impeached, although it is commonly assumed that had Nixon not resigned in light of his Watergate scandal, he would have faced a similar fate. While both Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were formally acquitted by the Senate and not officially removed from office, their respective impeachments had a lasting stain on their careers. Thus far, Trump has only encouraged lawmakers to sentence him to a similar fate. On Instagram, Trump posted a map of the county-by-county results of the 2016 election, reading: “Try to impeach this.” Unfortunately for Mr. Trump, it inaccurately depicted several counties that went blue as part of Trump’s electorate and fails to account for population density. Regardless of its factual inaccuracy, this is an incorrect and risky mindset, especially when considering that to avoid impeachment from the House, Trump must flip several Democratic representatives. Daring them to hand down an impeachment could certainly backfire. It’s wholly unclear why Trump thinks a strategy of testing the Democrats’ commitment to impeach has merit, but it seems this behavior is an attempt to play into his existing

base, which has historically cheered his reckless behavior and confrontational remarks. However, this is a dangerous game for the president, as he appears to have little perception of just how much of the country supports him. Trump’s national approval rating is teetering just above 40%, a minority that paints a very different picture than the map Trump is going off of. For reference, Bill Clinton had a 71% approval rate directly after his public denial of the Lewinsky scandal. The most recent polls show 46.5% of Americans support impeachment while 44.8% do not. Ultimately, it is not up to the American people to decide Trump’s fate, but it’s increasingly clear that he has a deeply misguided impression of how Americans view these antics. While Americans’ feelings towards Trump have little impact on his possible impeachment, the sentiments of lawmakers do carry immense weight. Since House Democrats have the votes for impeachment, Trump must convince Republican Senators in particular to save him from removal from office. But as New York Times White House correspondents Maggie Haberman and Annie Karni put it, Trump is attempting to win this battle himself. “Mr. Trump has long believed that he is the best communicator in the White House, but as the presidential campaign picks up its pace and the prospect of his impeachment becomes more real, he seems to be its only empowered communicator, a one-man war room responding to developments almost hour by hour,” Haberman and Karni wrote. “And that is making many Republicans anxious.” President Clinton, on the other hand, took a more partisan approach. While some House Democrats originally chastised Clinton, taking issue with his argument that the scandal was a solely private matter, Clinton gave Democrats a middle ground for defense with his public apology. Democrats were able to condemn Clinton’s actions, while arguing they were not impeachable.

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Eli Savage | contributing editor Conversely, Trump has admitted discussing the Bidens with Ukraine and urged China to intervene on camera, claiming he has a duty to do so. This puts Republicans in an awkward position, where they’re either forced to agree that international interference is permissible — which, according to federal law, it is not — or turn against the leader of their party and a majority of their peers. Trump’s “my way or the highway” stance makes it incredibly difficult for Republican lawmakers to stand by him in a moral way. If Trump actually plans on surviving this storm, he should be taking this threat seriously. Previous presidents have avoided removal from office, and if Trump wants to meet a similar fate, he should follow their example. It’s utterly baffling that Trump is simply viewing this inquiry as another political battle, when this could very well be the nail in the coffin of his ineffective and massively destructive presidential career. As much as ahe would like, this issue will not simply go away by doubling down or isolating his party. By doing so, Trump is playing a dangerous strategy in this career-defining game.

from the editorial board

tpn file illustration

Better response needed in Canon-McMillan school district Rather than assuage the concerns of members of the Canon-McMillan School District in Washington County, a community meeting on Monday stirred up anger and concern instead. The meeting was about an abnormally high rate of rare cancer diagnoses in children in the area and concerns that environmental factors could be contributing to this phenomenon. However, the meeting did not provide any answers for concerned parents and suggested that the problem was not as bad as it actually is. It seems as though state health officials haven’t appropriately or adequately responded to community members’ complaints, who have cause to be worried about their children’s health. Southwestern Pennsylvania is home to abnormally high numbers of rare childhood cancers. In the Canon-McMillan School District, there have been six cases of the rare childhood bone cancer, Ewing sarcoma, diagnosed in the past 10 years. Two of these cases were diagnosed just last year. Only 250 cases of Ewing sarcoma are diagnosed each year in the United States, so this is a concerning concentration of cases for one school district. However, during Monday’s community meeting, state Department of Health officials and an expert on Ewing sarcoma from UPMC shared their analysis of why there isn’t a Ewing sarcoma cluster in the Canon-McMillan School District. A cancer cluster is a higher than expected number of cancer cases contained in one geographical area over a short period of time. Based on the six cases of rare cancer found in this small area, it seems as if this situation would qualify as a cancer cluster. But the Health Department used only three of the six cases to come to the conclusion that while there was a higher number of female students than normal in the area with Ewing sarcoma, there wasn’t a cluster.

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Community members weren’t happy with this conclusion. They also weren’t happy about the fact that the panel — consisting of a wide array of health officials who have researched Ewing sarcoma — couldn’t answer most questions posed to them. The officials couldn’t respond in particular to concerns that exposure from shale gas could be the cause of such a high number of cases of Ewing sarcoma in the area in the past decade, especially given that shale gas operations started in the region in 2005. Sara Rankin, of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project, said neither her organization nor the Health Department could say whether or not environmental factors are contributing to this problem. “What we do know is that southwest Pennsylvania has been inundated by shale gas development, an industry that emits 55 compounds which are either known, probable or possible carcinogens into our environment,” Rankin said. Dr. Ned Keyter, a retired physician and member of Physicians for Social Responsibility Philadelphia, claimed that there was more than enough evidence for the state to take action against this public health crisis. “It is now clear that more than enough scientific medical information exists for Gov. Wolf and Health Secretary Levine to take precautionary measures protecting public health by calling for a halt on shale gas extraction in Pennsylvania until a thorough, unbiased and transparent investigation is completed on the high rates of rare childhood cancers, including Ewing sarcoma,” he said. Because there is so much concern and such strong suggestion that these cases might be linked to shale gas extraction, the public meeting was insultingly uninformative for parents concerned for their children’s health. The state needs to take a closer look at fracking, and it needs to do so immediately.

October 9, 2019

Sports

Waiver Wire Weekly: Surviving the Week 6 byes pittnews.com

STATE-BY-STATE PAY-TO-PLAY BILLS ARE ONLY A START Dominic Campbell Senior Staff Writer

The world of college sports has seemingly changed forever following the passing of a California bill in late September that will allow student athletes their first chance at getting paid. The Fair Pay To Play Act, or measure SB 206, was passed by a unanimous 72-0 vote in the California State Senate on Sept. 9 and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Lebron James’ show “The Shop,” later finalized on Sept. 27. The law, which will go into effect by Jan. 1, 2023, will allow college athletes in the state to profit off their own likeness, which could involve athletes signing endorsement deals with companies, starring in commercials or even starting their own camps. Eleven other states have already put forth their own bills to allow players to be compensated for their image, including Pennsylvania, Florida and Illinois. And while this is a great start toward progress, this state-by-state approach could lead to discrepancies in athlete pay and recruiting disadvantages within those states that don’t catch up in time. That’s why the next step forward is for the bill to be introduced and passed at the national level. Republican Anthony Gonzalez, an Ohio congressman and former Ohio State football player, is trying to introduce a national bill that would allow athletes across the country to profit off their own likeness, instead of having each individual state try to pass bills of their own. The current approach means that all 50 states must make bills that pass and then put them into effect by the time that California has its bill, or else risk facing a major disadvantage for getting recruits who could make a profit elsewhere. This approach would also mean that each bill could differ depending on the state, resulting in varying degrees of how much money athletes can make off endorsements and jersey sales. This would again lead to recruiting discrepancies — for example, Brooklyn Sen. Kevin Parker wants to distribute 15% of ticket sales among all student athletes at the end of each year. A national bill would curb these problems by putting all states on a level playing field, eliminating any blatant

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Miranda Zito | staff illusttrator

advantages for recruits within one state. If a comprehensive bill were introduced in Congress, it would likely pass, considering the generally unifying nature of the issue at hand. On the left side of the political spectrum, civil rights activists and Democratic politicians are in general agreement that these athletes should get paid for their work because of the amount of money they bring into the universities. On the right, conservatives and those in favor of the free market agree that these athletes shouldn’t be prohibited from profiting off themselves. The NCAA and universities, of course, have every incentive to ensure that bills like this do not get passed. It’s in their best interest to make as much money as they can by declaring students “amateurs” and granting them nothing for their hard work and dedication besides a scholarship often disproportionate to the revenue they gener-

ate. And if a student is a walk-on or competes in Division III, they are not on athletic scholarship at all. The NCAA and Pac-12, a Power 5 conference, quickly spoke out against this bill. NCAA president Mark Emmert argued that the bill will change athletes into professionals. “This is just a new form of professionalism and a different way of converting students into employees,” he said. Article 12 of the NCAA Division I Manual discusses amateurism and contains rules that the student athletes must follow. Within Article 12 is Bylaw 12.5.1.3, “Continuation of Modeling and Other Nonathletically Related Promotional Activities After Enrollment.” This bylaw prohibits college athletes from making money off of the fact that they play a sport at their university. Meanwhile, regular college students are al-

October 9, 2019

lowed to profit from private interests. If a college student wants to write a book or start their own company, they can make money off of those enterprises without being kicked off campus or expelled. Under that same manual mentioned, it states that college athletes are, in fact, students. Student athletes have previously faced discipline or ineligibility for breaking this rule. In 2017 alone, the NCAA threatened the eligibility of Texas A&M runner Ryan Trahan for creating his own water bottle company, and UCF kicker Donald De La Haye was prohibited from making money off of his own YouTube videos. The NCAA has already warned California that its schools could face heavy fines and possible expulsion. They argue that the law will allow the state to have a tangible recruiting advantage over others and that it’s unfair to states that won’t have this bill in place yet — all the more reason to pass it at the national level. The passage of a nationwide bill could also be extremely beneficial for female collegiate athletes. Women in professional sports don’t get paid at all what the top men do in their respective sports. On “The Shop,” Diana Taurasi, a dominant basketball player at UConn from 2000-2004, said the university is still profiting from her championships. Former UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi, whose floor routine went viral on YouTube last year and garnered more than 65 million views, also appeared on the show and said she didn’t make a dime from the viral routine. If we want student athletes to be truly compensated for their work, it can’t just stop at a scholarship or meal plans. It must allow these athletes to make money off of themselves, build their brand in college and then use that to progress into a professional career in sports or in another field they choose. It can also help them pay for many things they couldn’t before, like providing financial support for their families back home. The window for collegiate athletes to profit off of their image is a small one. If there is to be proper compensation for the work that these athletes do, then simply letting them make money from that image should be allowed — but on a national level.

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South Oakland ***AUGUST 2020: Furnished studios, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. No pets. Non‑smokers pre ferred. 412‑621‑0457. **2,3,4, 5, and 6 Bedroom houses/ Apartments in South Oakland. Available for rent August 2020. Very clean with different amenities (dishwasher, laun dry, A/C, washer and dryer, 1‑3 baths, off‑street parking, newer appliances & sofas). Check out my Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/ KenEckenrode RealEstate/. Call Ken at 412‑287‑4438 for more information

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and showings. 1‑6 bedroom. All newly renovated, air‑conditioning, dishwasher, washer/ dryer, and parking. Most units on busline and close to Pitt. Available Summer 2020. 412‑915‑0856 or email klucca@veri zon.net. 2 BR 1 BA on campus bus route. Available November 1st. $750/ month including utilities and cable. On street parking. No pets. 412‑576‑8734 2‑3‑4‑5‑6‑7 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2020. Nice, clean, free laundry, in cludes exterior main‑ tenance, new appli‑ ances, spacious, and located on Semple, Oakland Ave., Mey‑ ran Ave., Welsford, Bates, Dawson, and Mckee 412‑414‑9629. douridaboud propertymanage ment.com 3408 Parkview Ave. 2 BD for $950 & 3 BD for $1,295. Available immedi ately. Pet Friendly & Parking. CALL NOW! 412‑455‑5600 Before signing a lease, be aware that no

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

notices

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more than 3 unrelated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Permits, Licensing & Inspections. 412‑255‑2175. South Oakland Houses and Apart ments with Laundry and Central Air Call or Text 412‑38‑Lease

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

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

16-30 Words

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$17.30

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$7.50

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5X $27.00 $29.10

6X $30.20 $32.30

Add. + $5.00 + $5.40

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978

Craig Street, Dean Kross, MD, 412‑687‑7666 Part Time Banquet Servers needed at The Priory Hotel. Starting rate of $11 an hour. If interested please email zach@priory.com or call 412‑224‑6306.

Stay ahead of the housing search. Rooms & 1‑4 bed rooms available from January, May, June, July, and August. Call/Text Ron NOW at 412‑881‑1881 or email jarcon3@ya hoo.com. Reserve & Relax. Small deposit required.

Employment Employment Other CHOOLAAH restau rant located at 6114 Centre Ave is looking for Friendly, Ener getic, Personable and Professional Team Members to join our Team. Please apply in person or via email at JoinUs@Choolaah. com Medical and Heart Care, Students Welcome, 155 N.

October 9, 2019