Spring Finals Edition 2019 by The Pitt News

THE PITT NEWS

FINALS EDITION

APRIL 22, 2019 | VOLUME 109 | ISSUE 146

COVER BY ELI SAVAGE | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

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April 22, 2019

TPN SENIOR SEND-OFFS

The Pitt News Staff

It’s been a long year — though for these editors, time has flown by. TPN is saying goodbye to five graduating members of its staff this year who have all made an impact on the paper and their peers. Kim Rooney, Copy Chief // Maggie Young, Contributing Editor Copy Queen Kim! I have loved working under her fearless leadership these past few months more than I can describe. I’m so grateful for all the knowledge and AP Style tips she has passed on to me, and I’m thankful she encouraged me to apply for assistant copy chief, because I don’t know if I would have been confident doing so otherwise. She created such a great work environment for all new and old copy editors alike. We all learned so much while she was chief and the staff became super close. Kim cultivated the perfect balance, and I can only hope to help do the same next year. I am going to miss listening to musicals and sea shanties at the copy desk, as well as discussions about our transitions from one Hogwarts house to the next. She is so bright and has done so many fabulous things during her time at Pitt. She is so fun and lovely and I’m excited to see everything she accomplishes! Jeremy Wang, Assistant Opinions Editor // Maggie Durwald, Opinions Editor I met Jeremy the day I was hired as an opinions columnist during the fall semester in 2017. That evening, during my first pitch meeting, he argued against my column pitch and made me feel like I maybe needed to think more about the topic to have an opinion about it. So at least in my mind, we didn’t exactly start off on the right foot — how dare someone expose me like that? If there’s anything I’ve learned from this job, though — and from Jeremy himself — it’s that opinions have a habit of evolving as you gain more experience. And although the me of September 2017 probably wouldn’t believe it, I am so grateful now to have had the privilege of working more closely with Jeremy this semester. A veteran of the opinions desk, he’s excellent at challenging people to think harder about their opinions and working with columnists to finetune their ideas. That skill has made him both an award-winning columnist and an excellent

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opinions editor. I’m going to miss the steady string of profanities, his electric tea kettle, his infinite loyalty to Las Palmas and the all around stand-up guy he is. But I have no doubt he’ll do great things going forward, and I can’t wait to see what they are. Thank you for a great semester, Jeremy! Christian Snyder, Editor-in-Chief // Brian Gentry, Assistant News Editor Christian was the first person I met at The

When I applied for an editorship last year — about a week after the deadline — he found a way to get me onto the editorial staff by offering me a position as online visual editor. His passion for the digital side of the newspaper clearly showed in the following year — he met with me and the other digital editors weekly, walked us through 50-slide NYT presentations about how to transition into the digital era of news and always had new, often brilliant, sometimes unat-

TPN Pitt News in September 2017. I applied as an opinions writer when he served as the assistant opinions editor, and from the moment I met him I knew he’d do an amazing job in the position. He certainly looks the part — anyone who consistently wears all-denim outfits with Birkenstocks is well-suited to edit opinions. His skill with editing shone through, too. I wrote badly sometimes, but by the time it passed under Christian’s eyes, it was always a solid piece. And he was always supportive regardless of the quality of the column, sending messages like “Great job on this!” or “Well done!”

tainable ideas of how to make the website pop. His innovation brought fresh ideas to the newspaper. He’s been a great leader, a great editor, a great reporter and a great friend. He’s sitting in the office on his last night with his cat Leo on a leash, and I’m certain that he’ll go on to do bigger and better things wherever he ends up. Elizabeth Martinson, Multimedia Editor and copy editor // Janine Faust, Managing Editor I first knew Elizabeth as a member of TPN’s copy desk when she joined in the fall. She always

April 22, 2019

seemed to catch errors no one else had seen and present suggestions for how to clarify a vague statement or spruce up a wonky sentence. When February came around and Elizabeth offered to step up and fill the newly vacant multimedia editor position, I was surprised since I didn’t know she had video experience. She soon proved to be the perfect person for the job, though. She’s also displayed fantastic perseverance — in less than two months she’s producing at least one video per week, if not more. She herself handles a camera beautifully, and I commend her patience in helping instruct new videographers in shooting and editing. I’m especially impressed by the fact that she’s still stayed on copy desk to run articles through the wringer while juggling with her new duties. I’m sad to see Elizabeth go so soon, but considering the talent and drive she’s displayed this semester, I’m sure she’s headed somewhere great. Anna Bongardino, Digital Manager // Sarah Connor, Culture Editor I first met Anna when she came back from Morocco this past summer, where she was studying abroad on a photojournalism program. Naturally, I was blown away by her talent with a camera. Anna — who was the visual editor throughout summer and fall 2018 before taking over as digital manager this spring — has the ability to capture anything and make it beautiful. She is also one of the sweetest, most accepting people I have ever met. I’ve only known Anna for one year, but in that time she has taught me more than I could have imagined about being proud of who I am, believing in myself and standing up for myself. She is an explorer: if you check out her social media it seems like every month she is in a different country, taking photos of her grand adventures. In just a few weeks, Anna will be embarking on her next adventure, being an au pair in the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. It’s tough for me to say goodbye to such a good friend who I have only been able to spend one year with, but I know that Anna is meant to travel and see this beautiful world — she wouldn’t have it any other way. Anna, thank you for dealing with me and always talking to me when I need you and of course, being my favorite Hemingway’s date. You will be missed, but I must admit that I can’t wait to see the photos you take in Guadeloupe.

News

DO PUZZLES AND GAMES HELP YOU DE-STRESS? Vaibhav Gupta Staff Writer

Punches fly across an LED screen, then a beast falls with blood oozing from its wounds as the opponent extinguishes the monster and continues on his quest to find riches — all while the gamer sits facing a screen with frustration. But while such a scene is typical of a video game, researchers say video games offer players methods to cope with stress and anxiety. Melinda Ciccocioppo, a psychology lecturer at Pitt, said students cope with stress in two major ways when prepping for final exams — through problem-focused coping and through emotion-focused coping strategies.

“Problem-focused coping strategies involve creating and implementing a plan to eliminate the stressor. Emotion-focused coping strategies involve attempting to manage the negative emotions associated with the stressor,” Ciccocioppo said. Ciccocioppo said games, including video games and board games, fall under the emotion-focused category, as they can relieve stress by distracting the player from the stress-inducing event. As a result, playing these games gives the brain a break, which not only permits the processing of past information but also a gives better retention of the next series of tasks. James Ravenscroft, a first-year math major, plays chess to relieve

stress associated with school and said the game is an intellectual distraction from academics. He said although chess requires the use of problemsolving capabilities, it is nonetheless effective at alleviating academic stress. “I don’t have to think about the school work when I’m playing chess. It’s a whole nother world when you’re playing because it takes you completely away from school,” Ravenscroft said. “You have to leave school at the door, and with doing that, I think that chess offers a novel ability as a distraction and also an entertainment for when things get stressful.” Ravenscroft said he plays other games such as “Magic: The Gathering”

and “Dungeons & Dragons,” which he tends to find helpful in relieving stress. These games require other individuals, as both games are multiplayer, which helps increase social interactions with other people, something he said further relieves stress. Ciccocioppo said board games are an excellent option for mitigating stress, but there are other options for people who don’t like them. “If you’ve done all that you can to prepare for an exam, it’s OK and even good to let yourself do something fun to take your mind off of the anxiety that you’re experiencing,” Ciccocioppo said. “Playing board games or puzSee Puzzles on page 5

PLANNING UNDERWAY FOR NEW RECREATION CENTER

Jon Moss

Contributing Editor Planning efforts are now underway for a new multistory recreation center to be built on middle campus, something campus administrators say students have long asked for. The project, which is projected to open fall of 2022, is one of the 14 shortterm priorities listed in Pitt’s campus master plan. Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner said students have often complained about campus recreation facilities, and he’s excited to address this request. “To see this campus master plan and to look at the best way to address student needs, the student rec center was identified as priority,” Bonner said. “It represents our commitment to well-being and wellness, which I think is part of what you

The Learning Research and Development Center will be demolished next spring alongside the O’Hara parking See Center on page 9 garage to make way for the planned multistory recreation center. Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor

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April 22, 2019

According to Pitt psychology lecturer Melinda Ciccocioppo, playing games can relieve stress by distracting from stress-inducing factors. Image via David Lapetina | wikimedia commons

Puzzles, pg. 4 zles are one option. Exercise and getting outside are other great options, both because they can distract you from the stressor, but also because they have been shown to have stressreducing effects themselves.” But many students stick to video games for their stress relief. Ferdy Huang, a junior majoring in emergency medicine, said video games offer an opportunity for entertainment while also reducing stress and anxiety due to exams. Huang said games are

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an escape from the constraints of reality to a new and foreign world. “Playing games is like an escape. It takes away from the work. It’s like a way to jump into a whole nother world and experience things that you cannot do in real life,” Huang said. He added that video games are part of his identity and playing a game allows him to express himself. “Video games are a part of me, and being able to play them, it takes away the pressure from work,” Huang said. “The stress management, that’s the side effect that comes from having fun playing video games.”

April 22, 2019

STUDENTS GET BLUNT ABOUT WEED LEGALIZATION

Griffin Lynch Staff Writer

There are countless legal ways to deal with stress. Painting, yoga or playing video games can help relieve tension after the dust of finals week finally settles. But smoking weed is a time-honored college tradition, and its federal illegality has recently come under heavy debate, especially after several states have decriminalized marijuana for medical purposes or gone as far as legalizing recreational use. As it stands, legalization for medical or recreational use is a topic of fierce debate across the country. While some U.S. states have fully decriminalized and legalized the drug for recreational use, some have only legalized it for medicinal use, while others have chosen to stick to the federal mandate of total illegality. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia passed decriminalization legislation in 2015 and 2014, respectively, and the University of Pittsburgh was certified for medical marijuana research just last year. But laws for the rest of Pennsylvania have remained unchanged. Although two-in-three Americans now support legalization, not everyone is totally convinced. Peter

Brath, a member of the Pitt College Republicans, believes although marijuana may be useful medicinally, and it’s certainly worth researching, laws against recreational use should remain in effect. “I’m against recreational legalization,” Brath, a senior economics and political science major, said. “There’s a lot of studies that link high marijuana use to increased instances of psychosis. I think in general, it’s bad to have too much of a country’s population using different kinds of drugs … I do think that it should be legalized for research and medical use, but not for recreational use. And I do think it should remain a federal policy.” Marijuana is a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it’s legally considered among the most dangerous drugs, with “potentially severe psychological or physical dependence” and “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Like any psychoactive drug, marijuana can have addictive qualities. About 9% of adults who use marijuana demonstrate signs of addiction. But this

See Marijuana on page 7

Daniel Walsh | senior staff illustrator

11 PITT STUDENTS WIN FULBRIGHT AWARDS Maggie Young

Senior Staff Writer Planning for the future can be quite worrisome. But for 11 Pitt students, the first few upcoming steps toward a career have been established — at least for a few months. These 11 students are recipients of Fulbright Scholarships for the 2018-2019 school year. The Fulbright annually awards 1,900 scholarships to recent college graduates from the United States who will spend time in a foreign country where they can teach English, conduct research or earn a master’s degree. The scholarship exists in order to improve cultural relations between countries. Fulbright applicants hear back in a rolling process based on the country they apply to, but Pitt’s Honors College has been announcing winners on their Instagram as they hear back. So far, Senior linguistics major Abby Neer won a Fulbright this year. Her scholarship will send her to South Korea for the first time to teach English as a second language to elementary or secondary school students for a year. Applicants Abby Neer will be working in either a primary or secondary school in South have the opportunity to choose their host country, and due to her interest in the culture and her Korea as an English teaching assistant. Photo courtesy of Abby Neer knowledge of the language, Neer said she chose

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April 22, 2019

South Korea. Neer said the Fulbright program at Pitt, which is run by the Honors College, was instrumental in the application process. “The Pitt Honors College, they really help you,” Neer said. “I had multiple appointments just to help me with my application, they read through it with me and told me based on experience like ‘Oh, this is what the selection committee likes, make sure you add this, emphasize this part or whatever.’ It was kind of a lengthy application process, but they helped a lot with it.” When reviewing applications, the Fulbright committee looks for students who will represent the United States well in other countries. Lesha Greene, Pitt’s Fulbright adviser, attributed the students’ success to Pitt’s Fulbright advising, which specializes in helping applicants individualize their profiles. “At the Honors College and by extension at Pitt, we take a very personalized approach to advising. While winning a Fulbright is the end goal, we focus more on helping the students tell their stories, whatever they may be. Fulbright is looking for a diversity of experiences and voices, See Fulbright on page 9

Marijuana, pg. 6 is lower than the 15% of adults addicted to alcohol, which is legal throughout the country. In addition, several studies indicate marijuana has valuable medicinal qualities such as treating seizures and nausea in cancer patients. Because marijuana is a Schedule I drug, federal laws about punishing violations of carrying, distributing or growing it often include mandatory minimum sentencing, which means that judges are forced to impose at least the declared punishment. Many of these laws were written in 1971 when Richard Nixon began his “War on Drugs,” which disproportionately targeting and incarcerating minorities. Grace DuBois, a junior political science major and president of the Pitt College Democrats, said those reasons are why the Pitt College Democrats support legalization efforts. “According to the ACLU, black Americans and white Americans use marijuana at approximately the same rates, but a black individual is nearly four times as likely to be arrested and incarcerated for marijuana possession,” DuBois said. “We believe that the prison-industrial complex and mass incarcerations are serious issues because it disproportionately affects people of color and communities of color.”

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The term “prison-industrial complex” is used to refer to huge increases in prison populations since the 1980s, which is often attributed to government contracts for private prisons becoming more profitable. In America, there are roughly 1.8 million people currently incarcerated, with corporations being awarded massive government contracts to house inmates. Because the laws surrounding marijuana helped put a large number of those inmates in prison, proponents for legalization believe that legalization would help. Brath, however, isn’t so sure. “There’s a big difference between decriminalization and full-on legalization. I don’t think people should be going to prison for extended periods of time for having small amounts of marijuana on them or smoking it,” Brath said. “It’s definitely been a really big problem, a very divisive racial issue that needs to be fixed.” Sunanda Tamrakar, a junior economics, political science and nonfiction writing major and cochair of Pitt Progressives, agrees it’s a complicated problem. She believes decriminalization might solve some issues in the future, but many proposals don’t consider those who are in prison right now. “Usually when people talk about decriminalization, they don’t talk about expunging the records, or letting those people out,” Tamrakar said. “Even if you decriminalize, like it is in Pittsburgh, there

are still people sitting in Allegheny County Jail for drug offenses and non-violent crimes … Even if you decriminalize, if you put fines on it, that’s still going to disproportionately affect poor communities and disproportionately affect people of color.” Supporters of legalization believe taxation would be a major revenue source if marijuana was legalized for recreational use, and the Pitt College Democrats support legalization for exactly that reason. “We believe that if we legalized it, we could tax it, similar to alcohol and tobacco,” DuBois said. Brath, however, thinks taxation could be a burden on the poor. “I don’t like the idea of legalizing a potentially harmful substance in order to raise revenue,” Brath said. “As a parallel, Pennsylvania uses the lottery to fund Medicare and different medical services for the elderly, but it comes at a large expense to the poor. The average person living in poverty spends about $400 a year on the lottery, and the 1% spend nothing … It’s a large tax on the poor.” Tamrakar thinks that while taxation, if it were just a sales tax, might work in that way, there are other factors to be considered. “When it comes to taxation, there’s so many different ways that you could do it,” Tamrakar said. “You could tax the selling of it, you could tax businesses for it, you could tax when it comes to production … And I mean, marijuana inherently, just

April 22, 2019

because of the demand for it, is going to be cheap.” Although the criminalization of marijuana is heavily connected with social issues, Tamrakar said legalization by itself wouldn’t necessarily solve them. “If you legalize it, there are more avenues to offer help to people,” Tamrakar said. “In Portugal, all drugs are legalized, or decriminalized at least, and they have an immense amount of support, like counseling, rehab, if you need help, and addiction levels are really low there … I guess my point is legalization by itself is not something that I would stand behind, I guess I would say legalization with several components [is].” Legalization seems to be in the cards sometime in the near future. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is currently on a “listening tour” across the state, which entails discussions on the topic of legalization. In a recent interview with the Pittsburgh City Paper, Fetterman said so far support for decriminalization is almost unanimous, and the locations he has visited have been roughly 70% in favor of legalization. While not everyone is convinced by the idea, Tamrakar said legalization could help both those who have been affected by criminalization as well as anyone who would benefit from better national health care programs. “In my mind, legalization helps prevention, as well as treatment, because it’s not something that’s under wraps,” Tamrakar said.

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April 22, 2019

Fulbright, pg. 6

Center, pg. 4

and we try to focus our recruiting and mentoring efforts on bringing new stories and different backgrounds to the forefront,” Greene said. For Neer, this background was defined by her time spent working with the Korean community in Pittsburgh through multiple conversation groups. Neer said the Fulbright Korean program does not require an applicant to know Korean, but her time as a conversation partner in addition to her coursework may have put her at an advantage in the Fulbright committee’s eyes. “I was already going in having three years of college instruction Korean, so I think that helped my chances a lot. Also being a linguistics major, that probably helped because I’ve taken classes specifically on second language acquisition and seeing that side of it,” Neer said. Greene and other advisers in the Honors College helped applicants hone in on their passions and academic backgrounds in order to perfect their applications. For Zac Enick, a fifthyear senior and Fulbright winner with a double major in French and Italian, it was a linguistics research background and a passion for language acquisition that likely helped him win the scholarship. Enick is headed to France in the fall to get a master’s in fundamental and applied language research. “I’ve known for quite some time that I have been thoroughly interested in languages. I’m not very good at many other things,” Enick said. “So language was like, ‘If I want to study something I enjoy, language is my only out.’ But aside from that I’ve always been fascinated by language and how distinct it can make people from other people and people from other animals.” Enick said he’s studied two other languages — Italian and American Sign Language — but he’s studied French the longest. After 11 years of learning the language, including a study abroad trip to Paris in 2016, Enick said the “draw” he felt from France compelled him to apply for a Fulbright there. “It’s a beautiful language, I’ve had a lot of time to read literature, to study at times superficially and other times with a greater scrutiny French politics, French culture, how the two interact, French people, French behaviors,” Enick said. When applying for a Fulbright scholarship, a student can go through a host institution, which Enick said is preferable, or they can apply as an individual as what’s called an “at-large student.” While the official Fulbright deadline isn’t until

hopefully learn in college is how to take care of yourself for your entire life.” Before construction can begin, existing structures will have to be demolished and the staff will have to be relocated. The center will be located on O’Hara Street at the current site of the Learning Research and Development Center and the O’Hara parking garage. Demolition of these facilities is currently set for next spring. Existing parking capacity will be preserved in a new facility on the site of the recreation center, according to Bonner. He said Pitt hasn’t yet decided whether the parking will be under or adjacent to the new recreation center. In an email, University spokesperson Kevin Zwick said the University’s facilities management department and the Office of the Provost are actively working on the relocation plans for the LRDC, but he did not provide a list of sites under consideration. Pitt Executive Vice Provost David DeJong said his team was working to make the relocation as seamless as possible for LRDC staff. “Working with the team at LRDC, my overriding goal is to manage this relocation so that it minimizes the disruptions to their programs,” DeJong said in an email. “I’m excited about the possibilities that are shaping up for them.” The center, which could be as large as 300,000 square feet, would include amenities such as weight lifting facilities, basketball and volleyball courts, a test kitchen for student nutrition and a recreation pool. Bonner declined to provide a cost estimate for the project, citing ongoing design work, but said final designs will be released in the fall. Student input is being solicited through a 15-member student advisory panel, which held its first meeting April 8. Members were nominated through the Student Government Board, the School of Education’s Health and Physical Activity program and several divisions within Student Affairs, according to Bonner. Taylor Funke, a junior media and professional communications major, sits on the panel and felt like her and other student opinions were heard. That, Funke said, will contribute to a better facility. “I know a lot of universities can feign

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Zac Enick plans to enroll in a master’s degree program at Université de Cergy-Pontoise in France. Photo courtesy of Zac Enick October, Pitt has a host institution deadline in late August in order to give enough time for the advisers to work with students on perfecting their official Fulbright application. Enick said the Fulbright advisers were instrumental throughout his application process, but they were indispensable when he really decided to start his application 10 days before the Pitt host application deadline. “I was like, ‘It’s time we start actually looking into what a Fulbright is’ and I didn’t realize that the applications were due in like 10 days,” Enick said. “I reached out to the Fulbright advisers who were a huge help, pretty much immediately, and they sort of gave me a road map of what I needed to do.” Enick isn’t sure what he wants to do after his master’s program, but he said he has a few things on his agenda before he leaves in the fall for Universite de Cergy-Pontoise. Primarily, he wants to spruce up his French skills. “The last French class I was in was the fall of 2017, so I haven’t spoken French regularly in a while,” Enick said. “So I’m gonna spend this summer listening to podcasts, I’m gonna try to get a penpal, grease up the wheels a little bit.” While Enick said he’s stressed about switching tongues, Neer said she’s nervous about the sensitivity of hers. “I’m probably just gonna relax and decompress after the semester and try to raise my spice tolerance,” Neer said. “The food is pretty spicy there and I don’t wanna be a wimp. I don’t want them to just give me less spicy food, I want to be able to do the real thing. So I’ll do that, work on my chopstick skills, stuff like that.”

April 22, 2019

the sort of, ‘we want to hear back from you,’ and then you kind of feel like you’re talking to a brick wall,” Funke, who is also a student employee in Student Affairs’ campus recreation division, said. “We have so many organizations … Everyone, I feel, is being appropriately represented and given that voice for this space, which is why I think it’s going to be really successful.” In addition to students, faculty and staff will also be able to use the recreation center. Bonner said faculty will be able to utilize the facility at a cost similar to the current $130 wellness fee full-time students pay each semester. A separate advisory panel will be created in the coming months to seek their feedback. “We want to get their feedback on what they would like to see in the facility from their perspective,” Bonner said. “My priority is really to meet the needs of students, but … I don’t think the needs are that dissimilar.” Once the recreation center opens, Bonner said the Petersen Event Center’s Baierl Recreation Center will be reserved for student athletes. Adam Johnson, a first-year computer science major who frequents the Baierl Recreation Center, said what he wants out of the new recreation center can be reduced to a single word: “more.” “The [Baierl] has a lot of good amenities, but they lack quantity,” Johnson said. “Since there’s few options for gyms that have weight-lifting equipment, they try to pack a lot in a small space, but they just simply don’t have the quantity to serve all of the people that need to go there.” Johnson said he often goes to the weight-lifting facilities in Trees Hall due to long lines at the Baierl. “Sometimes you’ll spend 20 minutes just standing there waiting for the weight you’re looking for to become available,” Johnson said. Bonner agreed the current facilities are inadequate for current student needs and said the new facility will be able to better accommodate the activities of all students. “What we’re looking at is to make this more of a place where you can go and have a variety of things you can get into,” Bonner said, “and feel this energy of everyone sort of doing their thing in one place on campus.”

IT’S FINALLY HERE!

ACROSS

1: They come after Mis 4: Mammal with a proboscis 9: Fault 14: First responder 15: A sweet cake 16: Bother 17: *Person in charge of a 2 p.m. rager? 19: Scoundrel 20: State that’s home to Arches National Park

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21: Olive genus 23: Like a large children’s book series dog 24: *A daydream about a Johnson & Johnson product? 29: Rick Perry’s agcy. 30: Loudness measure 33: Disney city in Fla. 36: Recommended cost of a product 38: “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” musical 39: *A game show for couples?

43: Me, too, to Pierre 44: Liberals online? 45: Handheld Nintendo consoles 46: They bend over backwards to descend steps 49: Phoenician name for Tripoli 50: *Scientist Bill’s approach to zero? 56: Spelling ___ 58: Scowl 59: 2000 movie “O Brother, Where Art ___?”

April 22, 2019

Brian Gentry and Emily Wolfe Contributing Editors

DOWN

1. Done (with) 2. One-time Pittsburgh mob boss 3. The last ____ 4. Letters before “L” in a text signoff 5. End-of-meeting Q 6. Like The Pitt News copy editors 7. “What’s the largest city in Calif. Again?” 8. Mail again 9. You can set a high one 10. Mil. liaison 11. Green pig’s nemesis? 12. Pouting expression 13. Word that follows bright or cross 18. Meas. of noise reproduction quality 22. Consumed 25. Similar to a party music genre 26. Valentine’s Day flower 27. Get a 1520 on a HS junior year exam 28. Member of the Hindu holy trinity 31. Figs. on airport announcement screens 32. Potato chip brand 33. Plural of 71-across 34. Ex-con’s status 35. “Cleopatra” band 37. Cozy nighttime clothing items 40. Like thin hands 41. Reporters for online publications? 42. Actor Wilson that “Wow”s audiences 47. Fr. fashion house 48. Laughs (at) 51. Spooky board 52. Bad Tinder opener 53. “What have we here?” 54. Could, should counterpart 55. Medical professional 56. Tedious person 57. Ostrich relatives 61. Oldest aviation club in the U.S. 62. Foxlike 64. Ess preceders 65. Opposite of BDE?

60: Black cats, for example 63: Texas Tech, Virginia, Auburn and Michi gan State this year … or the words in shaded boxes 66: Like much of Iowa 67: Body of water between cliffs 68: Ivy League for future D.A.s 69: Alternative to final exam 70: Nebraska senator Ben 71: What Beethoven writes to express his joy?

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A Strategic Approach to Paying Off Your College Loans Regardless of what your own dollar figure might be, don’t be disheartened. There are strategies to help you pay down and ultimately eliminate this debt. For example: Know your loans. Make sure you know the lender, balance and repayment status of each of your loans. For federal loan status, you can refer to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) — nslds.ed.gov. For private loans, consult your initial paperwork or the lenders involved. Be aware of grace periods and repayment options. A grace period is the length of time you have after leaving school before making your first payment. For example, Stafford loans have a sixmonth grace period; Perkins loans offer nine months. Find out when your first

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payment is due, understand your options for repayment and choose one that strikes the right balance for you in terms of affordability and timeline. Consider consolidation. If you can get a better interest rate than your individual loans carry, it may make sense to pull all of your loans into one consolidated package. It’s easier to make one payment a month, and the lower interest rate will save you money over time. Make more than the minimum payment. One of the best ways to reduce the amount of interest you pay over the life of your loans and the time it takes to pay them off is to pay more than is required. Is there an area of your budget you can trim so you can apply more to your loans? Even an extra $20 a month will help. Make additional payments, too,

when you come into extra money: gifts, bonuses, raises. It all helps. Set up automatic payments. It’s not just the convenience or the assurance that you won’t miss a payment — some lenders reduce your interest rate a bit when you auto-pay. Pay off the most expensive loans first. If you’re looking to reduce the number of loans you’re carrying, or if you wonder which one to apply that extra $20 a month to, choose the one with the highest interest rate or a variable rate (that rate might rise in time). Always pay on time. Ontime payments are vital to your credit history, so don’t miss or be late with a payment. If you have trouble making payments due to unemployment, medical issues or other circumstances affecting your finances,

April 22, 2019

check with your lenders to see if deferment or forbearance options are available to you. Know that interest will continue to accrue during deferment periods. Stay in touch with your lenders. Read all correspondence from your lenders and make sure you alert them immediately of any changes in address, contact information, etc., so that the lines of communication stay open throughout your relationship. ∞ To learn more, visit pnc.com/myfinanceacademy

Sources “Why the Student Loan Crisis Is Even Worse Than People Think,” Money, Jan. 11, 2016 “The Top 10 Student Loan Tips for Recent Graduates,” The Institute for College Access & Success, 2017 “The Ultimate Guide to Paying Off Student Loans Faster,” Student Loan Hero, April 6, 2015

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April 22, 2019

Opinions

Column: It is finals week, and I must scream pittnews.com

I TRIED TO DE-STRESS BY COOKING. IT DIDN’T GO WELL

Grace McGinness Staff Columnist

The school year has reached the home stretch — classes are over and final examinations loom ahead. But by a week ago, I was done with watery ramen noodles and endless Tupperware containers of pasta in “meat sauce” which consisted only of jarred tomato sauce and sausage bits. No more spaghetti for the rest of spring, and I didn’t want to spot a single limp bow tie anywhere near my kitchen. Studying could wait until tomorrow. Tonight I was going to eat good — a homemade meal and an Oscar-nominated film in front of me. The crushing pressure of half-finished portfolios and final exams was stressful, but cooking can supposedly help de-stress, according to a study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology. Cooking was practical and would let me bask in the accomplishment of my adulting skills. For the past three months, I have been thinking too much. I needed to do something that was a little mindless. The door of the refrigerator hung open to reveal nothing inside to make homemade orange chicken with cilantro rice, or rather nothing that I could have used. That was fine, a little grocery shopping never hurt anybody, and it would be nice to get out of Oakland for an hour or two. Aldi was practically around the corner and cheap as dirt. That was budgeting right there, another adulting skill to boast about. The bus was late, but that was just fine. When was it not? I had my tunes jamming through my headphones, and the sun was shining down to warm my skin. Maybe it was too warm since I didn’t check the weather app and wore full-length pants, but the bus would

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come soon. P3s, 54s and even the airport shuttle flew past without a 71A or C in sight. How many 71Bs can pass before one decides to mosey on over to Fifth Avenue? Sweat dripped down my back as I finally stepped into the air-conditioned bus. Hallelujah. The driver raced to catch the green light, and I practically slammed into a seat. At Aldi, I patted down my pockets, failing to find the quarter needed to borrow a shopping cart. Groceries piled up in my arms, my tiny hands clutching a bag of mandarin oranges and a loaf of bread as I stumbled toward the check out. The cashier scanned everything so fast that I scrambled to keep pace, stuffing everything into my bag before hauling myself out of the way. The bus took another million years to come around again, and it was the same driver who glared at me as the doors opened. I tripped into a seat, and my bread deflated under my arm like a sad pillow. I got home, and it was time to embark on the real relaxation event of the night — cooking. As the relaxing melodies of a full orchestra filled the background, I started with the onions. The recipe said a medium-sized onion, but this huge bulb twice the size of my fist should have been fine. It would just serve as a little extra. The recipe claimed that prep work should only take 5 minutes tops, but I chopped and chopped the minutes away. There was no way anybody could do this much chopping in fewer than 15 minutes. I had been lied to. The recipe called for orange zest which required grating the the skin of the fruit, but there was no grater to be found in the drawers. I tried my best with a potato peeler, and of course that didn’t go well. I sighed as I squirted in the barbeque sauce

5 WAYS TO RELIEVE STRESS THROUGH COMEDY

Columnist Allion Dantinne suggests becoming a squirrel to cope with finals. Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor

Allison Dantinne

Senior Staff Columnist

When finals season rolls around, it’s hard to not feel the crushing weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s hard not to see your GPA in physical form, beating you over the head for taking a “What ocean sponge are you?” quiz instead of paying attention to the lecture. But fear not! These thoughts can be banished with some good-natured humor paired with gentle dissociation from reality. 1. Write a few jokes about your mental state Are you feeling your brain melt under the mounting stress of studying for the Chem 2 final exam? Or feeling yourself dissociating, floating through time and space while still being physically seated on the ground floor of the library See Cooking on page 17 writing that literature paper? Take those

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states of disarray and make them into a joke. Laugh at your suffering. Instead of just saying you’re ready to give up while attempting to learn a whole semester’s worth of Bio 1, you could say you’re ready to abandon your old life, become a forest nymph from a Hozier song or possibly a troll that asks voyagers riddles to let them advance through their quests. Or even write an article for The Pitt News about easing the pain of multiple English papers by writing humor for others. Hey, it works for me. Make it funny. Make yourself laugh. Make your friends laugh. Then shut up, put it on Twitter and move on. You have some serious studying to do. 2. Enjoy a couple of SNL skits There’s nothing more motivating than seeing other people have fun in See Comedy on page 18

Cooking, pg. 16 and crushed the oranges for their juice. My hands got sticky and the dishes piled up. Where was the soy sauce? How did we run out soy sauce? Why did no one mention that we ran out of soy sauce? Cutting up the chicken went without a problem. I shook it all in a bag of flour, then seared the pieces in oil. It said to use a wok, but I didn’t have one of those. I was too far through this recipe to give up now, though. I prayed that my nonstick frying pan would get the job done. As the chicken fried, sizzling in the oil, I started to boil rice. As the minutes ticked by, I realized I added too much water, so I tilted the pot left and right to get the water to boil against the sides as the rice sat there fully cooked but drowning in the excess. It would be mushy — I could already feel the gross texture in my mouth. I added the chicken to the sauce, and there was way too much onion. I tried to pick some of it out, but it was no use. I dumped everything into the frying pan, attempting to fully cook the dish to the right consistency. I took the rice off the heat, but the bottom layer was overcooked and stuck to the pot. I

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tried to wash some dishes while I waited for the sauce to cook around the chicken, but the rice pot was stubborn and needed to soak overnight. I gave up on the rest. Four hours after I started this fool’s errand, I had my dinner before me. The outcome could have been worse. There was too much onion and the orange “zest” stuck to my teeth, but it kind of tasted like orange chicken. Pulling myself up by my bootstraps, I attempted to supplement my lingering hunger with popcorn and a movie. Instead, I started an oil fire, threw the pot into the sink under running water, had one slo-mo moment where I thought “I am the biggest idiot to get into Pitt” before the fire erupted threefeet high, licking at my cabinets, threatening to burn my entire house down. After a moment of stunned panic, I picked up the pot and stuck it back under the fume hub over the stove and slammed a lid on it. It died out just as fast as it started. My pots were ruined, my cabinets were covered in soot and my dinner had left a bad taste in my mouth. It was 11 p.m. I just wanted to relax a little with the art of cooking like all the lifestyle blogs recommended. Instead, I packed up for bed, utterly defeated.

Fruits and vegetables line the aisle at Forbes Street Market. Sarah Cutshall | visual editor

April 22, 2019

Comedy, pg. 16 miserable situations. That’s why watching a few SNL skits for a morale boost is one of my secret weapons. They’re short. They’re quick-witted. And unlike every sitcom on Netflix, most people haven’t seen every episode five times. I personally recommend Kristen Wiig’s “Target Lady,” Kate McKinnon’s “Close Encounter,” Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell’s “Lazy Sunday” and Bill Hader’s “Stefon.” Take some time out of your busy study schedule to watch comedians play characters who might be having a worse time than you. While exams are hard, they’re not as hard as Rachel Dratch’s Debbie Downer’s life, filled with mad cow disease and train crashes. 3. Imagine the craziest thing that could happen during finals — then write it out. There’s a scene in “Harry Potter” in which Professor Lupin prompts his students to imagine their greatest fears — their boggarts — and teaches them to fight these fears by making their fears

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too silly to be afraid of. Neville pictures the menacing Professor Snape in his grandma’s dress and high heels, while Ron puts a giant spider in roller skates and watches it flail around. Visualize your fear of finals and then make it look stupid. Do you fear your professor putting questions on the exam that you didn’t study for? Picture that same professor wandering around campus in a chicken costume, clucking through your lecture hall during the dreaded Saturday 8 a.m. final. Do you fear sitting down at your computer to write a paper on the Haitian Revolution with absolutely no idea of where to start and the absolute foggiest idea of what the Haitian Revolution even was? Lean back in your spinny chair and picture yourself in the same situation as “Chopped,” running around the kitchen, questioning the imposing and usually broken ice cream maker as Ted Allen watches you and your antics with wonder before you finally settle on making a bread pudding. Just remember, if you can make it through these silly situations, you can make it through the real thing. Finals

can’t scare you if you choose not to be scared. 4. Go out into the world and observe. Peel yourself off of your chair in the library, take a shower and then wander through Oakland for a bit. And no, this isn’t about getting fresh air or exercising to get your brain back in the game — though both of those methods work wonders. It’s all about observing the world around you and all the stupid things that live in it. See the Oakland squirrel in its natural habitat: balanced on trash, eating a Fig Newton cookie with a little too much boldness. Imagine its friend asking it to share. Imagine all the hardship the squirrel had to go through just to get a singular, sad Fig Newton. Mentally place yourself on top of that trash can. Feel the squirrel. Become the squirrel. Sit on a bench and watch the Oakland pigeons shuffle around on the sidewalk before you. Watch the pigeons wander around, wobbling toward your sleep-deprived peers, who give the pigeons looks of absolute confusion

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while trying to navigate around such small, powerful birds. Look a pigeon in the eye. Do not blink. Tell the pigeon that you could take it out, 1v1 fight on sight. You are the boss of this bench. 5. Just start laughing Simply laugh. Spin wildly in your chair while maniacally laughing. Pretend you are stroking a white Persian cat while doing it. Wait for other students in Hillman to join you. They likely feel the same. Then take to the streets. Laugh while crossing the snazzy new crosswalk in front of Lawrence. Laugh while buying your third coffee of the day from Dunkin’ Donuts. Laugh inside of Cathy, right in front of a tour group filled with prospective students. Show them how much joy there is on campus. Stare up at the sun and laugh at it. Laugh at that foul beast, the provider of natural life. Make the sun feel foolish for putting you here. There is no joke. The only joke is existing during finals week. And yes, laughing at nothing in public looks a bit crazy, but I assure you, we’re all mad here.

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April 22, 2019

Culture TREATMENT WITH A TEMPO: A LOOK AT THE WORLD OF MUSIC THERAPY

Mary Rose O’Donnell

Senior Staff Writer Finals week is stressful, this goes without saying. There are many ways students can de-stress and battle anxiety such as exercise and meditation, but one commonly overlooked method to handle heightened levels of stress is music therapy. Music therapy is the use of music, such as singing, songwriting and playing instruments, to improve the lives of others physically, mentally and socially. From banging on a drum to curating the perfect Spotify playlist, two music therapists and one music therapy student shared their best de-stressing tips, as well as their experiences helping people through music intervention. Heather DiCicco // Music Therapist, BRiTE Program Tucked away in an office building on North Craig Street is the BRiTE Wellness Center, run by Pitt’s department of neurology. BRiTE aims to help older adults maintain cognitive health as they age, with activities in specialities such as movement, creativity, music and cognitive training. Heather DiCicco has been a music therapist at BRiTE for the past two years. She is an instructor for the marimba classes offered at the center, which adults with all levels of music experience can take. “[The marimba classes] are great for their orientation and socialization. It’s a physical instrument that gets people up and moving around as they’re playing,” she said. DiCicco started the music expression classes at BRiTE, which are classes designed to create a space for participants to cope through music. The classes are less structured than the marimba classes and offer members the chance to play various instruments as well as discuss song lyrics and what they mean to each person. DiCicco became interested in music therapy when she worked at a nursing home as a teenager. Every so often, she would bring in her guitar and play songs to the residents. “When I played familiar songs to people who weren’t really connecting with others, I found [the music] to be a bridge that closed that gap. It was really great to see how relationships could form through music,” she said.

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DiCicco studied music therapy at Slippery Rock University and subsequently became a board certified music therapist. She interned in a psychiatric hospital and has worked with people with special needs, individuals in nursing homes and people struggling with emotional trauma. Outside of BRiTE, she teaches guitar and piano at Sunburst School of Music. DiCicco recommends thoughtfully creating a playlist in order de-stress. She recommends starting with upbeat and uptempo songs, then progressing into more mellow songs before ending with slower tempo songs that can relax you. “As you’re choosing a slower tempo or laidback song, beware of going to more sad music.

nology startup outside of Boston while directing a choral group on the side. As the years went on, her day job overshadowed her musical endeavours. But Muth and her husband moved to Pennsylvania in 2006, where she had the opportunity to go back to school, further her education and set her marketing career aside. “At that point, I was a director of marketing. I decided I didn’t want to do it anymore,” she said. “I wanted to go back to my first love, which was music.” Muth attended Slippery Rock University and received a degree in music education and music therapy. After teaching choral music for several

Music therapy is the use of music, such as singing, songwriting and playing instruments, to improve the lives of others physically, mentally and socially. Via Kuba Bozanowski | wikimedia commons You’re trying to relieve tension without making your mood completely depressed,” she said. DiCicco also advises to choose music you enjoy. “Pick songs you enjoy and have positive feelings toward. If you find yourself thinking of a negative time in your life, don’t pick that song,” she said. “You don’t want to trade one set of stress — school stress — for another set of stress.” Michelle Muth // Music Therapist, M3 Music Therapy Michelle Muth did not start her professional life as a music therapist. After receiving a degree in music performance from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, she worked in public relations and marketing for a information tech-

years, she decided music therapy was the path for her. Muth became a board certified music therapist in 2010 and created her business, M3 Music Therapy, in 2011. With her car full of musical instruments, Muth has brought music therapy to private homes, group homes and schools throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. She works with a variety of individuals, including senior citizens, child survivors of domestic abuse and people with special needs. “It is never the same thing. That’s what I love about [being a music therapist]. It’s never dull. One client may really like working with drums and percussion and is working on taking turns,” Muth said. “I may have another person who really loves to sing,

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so I’ll bring my karaoke machine to a session.” Not all of Muth’s treatment plans involve playing instruments. When working with child survivors of domestic abuse, she analyzes song lyrics to help clients cope with their emotions. “Oftentimes if you’ve gone through a major trauma, it’s easier to talk about it from a thirdperson perspective. Looking at song lyrics about somebody else, but the story is really depicting your life, is often easier than talking about what happened,” Muth said. Muth is currently working on bringing M3 Music Therapy into the workplace by creating programs that use music to facilitate team building and promote employee wellness. She also currently leads a women’s drum circle. Amanda Gilmore // Music Therapy Major, Duquesne University Amanda Gilmore was introduced to music therapy when she was a junior at Moon Area High School in Moon Township, a suburb of Pittsburgh near the airport. She was unsure whether she wanted to pursue music or psychology in college, but things changed when she met a music therapist from UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. When Gilmore heard the details of a music therapy career, she realized this is what she wanted to pursue. “[Music therapy] combines all the things that I am passionate about: helping people, working directly with people, music and psychology. The more I researched and learned about the major, the more I realized that music therapy was made for me,” she said. After graduating from Moon, Gilmore enrolled at Duquesne University as a music therapy major. Over the past four years she has taken a variety of classes, including music theory, guitar, piano, voice lessons and music therapy in relation to physical, developmental and mental health. Duquesne music therapy majors must also participate in an ensemble, such as a band or a choir, during all four years of their study, as well as complete 30 hours per semester of field work beginning their sophomore year. See Music Therapy on page 21

Music Therapy, pg. 20 One of Gilmore’s field work experiences was with Wesley Family Services, a nonprofit behavioral health care center, in its Bridgeville location. While completing field work at Wesley, she mainly worked with autistic children. Music therapy sessions varied based on the needs of each client, but many followed a basic structure that includes an introductory “hello” song, then working on a specific skill or goal that the music therapist or team of therapists has established for the client using music intervention. “If a client is working on verbal skills or communication, then we would do a fill-inthe-blank song. We would sing a little bit, pause, then give the client the opportunity to contribute to the song,” she said. “If we’re working on social skills, such as sharing, eye contact and appropriate boundaries with a group of two or three students, we would practice sharing, passing and taking turns playing instruments.” Sessions normally conclude with a “cool down” or “goodbye” song. Gilmore said this is especially important for autistic children. “When working with kids with autism, we usually make it so that we say goodbye to each client and that they say goodbye to each other in order to encourage standards of social functioning,” she said. She will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in music therapy after completing a six-month internship in Fairfax County, Virginia, in a public high school’s music therapy program. Once becoming board certified, Gilmore hopes to continue working with children and teens in the education setting. “I would really like to move back to Pittsburgh and pitch a music therapy program to my alma mater and bring it back to Moon, which is where I got my start and where I was inspired to pursue music,” Gilmore said.

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April 22, 2019

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April 22, 2019

STRESS QUICK FIXES: OUR FAVORITE APPS AND MEDIA TO DE-STRESS The Pitt News Staff Finals are here. This means most of us college students will be sleeping less, writing an endless number of papers and fighting off stress-induced mental breakdowns. Though it is always good to seek professional help for stress-induced anxiety, sometimes you just need something to distract you from the reality of finals week for a few minutes. Here at The Pitt News, our staff has a few favorite apps, YouTube channels and artwork that help us relax when we need it. ASMR YouTube channels // Elizabeth Donnelly, Senior Staff Writer A few years ago I discovered the phenomenon that is ASMR — autonomous sensory meridian response. ASMR is defined as a relaxing feeling often accompanied by tingles that run down one’s scalp and back in response to a stimulus — visual or auditory. While I don’t personally experience the natural bodily response associated with these videos, I do find them extremely relaxing and calming, especially during times of high stress like finals. There has been a huge boom in the number of ASMR YouTube channels recently, but a few really stand out.

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Some of the best ASMRtists — the name given to ASMR YouTubers — have a plethora of different videos — from character role-plays to visual trigger videos, there is no lack of content online. Gibi ASMR is currently one of the most popular ASMRtists due to her creative role-plays and trigger videos. Her videos are extremely relaxing and are a great way to escape from reality. My favorite series on her channel are her “Daisy” videos. Daisy is a character she made up for her channel and she’s quite quirky and interesting. Just like a TV show or a movie, Gibi’s ASMR videos are entertaining, but the ASMR aspect — the whispering or soft speaking, visual stimuli, and calming hand movements — makes them extremely relaxing as well. Other notable ASMRtists are Lily Whispers ASMR, Goodnight Moon, HaleyJean ASMR and The ASMR Ryan. Pittsburgh-based Lily Whispers ASMR is known for her makeup videos as well as her unsolved mystery videos, which combine tingles and relaxation with creepy cold cases. Goodnight Moon is an artsy ASMRtist who does intricate and impressive role-plays as well as art showcase videos. HaleyJean ASMR is

Shruti Talekar | staff illustrator

See Meditation on page 24

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Meditation, pg. 23 less of a traditional ASMRtist — she is known for her try-on videos and game play videos. Finally, The ASMR Ryan is a horror buff who likes to combine his love of horror movies with ASMR content. ASMR is a great way to relax while being entertained, and it’s not just for those who experience the bodily response — anyone can enjoy these videos. Nike Training app (but only for yoga) // Sarah Connor, Culture Editor I come from a family of runners. My brother and sister always tell me to go for a run when I’m stressed. That would be great advice — if I didn’t hate running. I have tried the whole going-for-arun thing, but I just end up getting bored, unbelievably sweaty, out of breath and sore. As an ex-figure skater and ex-dancer, my body takes a much stronger liking to an athletic activity that requires flexibility and concentration — and also doesn’t require me to be outdoors when it’s hot and humid. When I discovered yoga, it allowed me to de-stress through exercise without the nastiness that comes with running through the Pittsburgh heat and hills. The Nike Training app is my favorite way to get a quick yoga session in at home. As much as I love going to a yoga class, I know I will be pressed for time all week during finals, so being able to spread

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my mat out on my bedroom floor and do a 35-minute guided yoga session from the Nike app is ideal. Yoga requires you to concentrate on your breathing and focus on getting in touch with your body, which are two great ways to overcome stress and anxiety. A quick midday yoga session is the perfect way to relax my mind while working my body. The free app also features 15- to 20-minute beginner sessions, which is great for those who have never tried yoga or might not have the flexibility I developed through my nine years of figure skating. If you’re not a fan of yoga, Nike Training also offers guided training sessions for many different forms of exercise such as weight training, core workouts and ab workouts. Adult coloring books // Delilah Bourque, Senior Staff Writer I have about a million different coloring books stacked somewhere on my bookshelf. I always seem to luck out and find a few on clearance every time I go to Barnes & Noble, which I always feel compelled to buy. You can get all different kinds of adult coloring books. I have one on traditional style tattoos, one on yoga poses and even one that’s just nothing but Ryan Gosling. Adult coloring books are nice for those who want to flex their creative side as a way to relax but aren’t super confident in their ability to draw or paint. I like to use colored pencils for mine, but

you can definitely use markers or even watercolor paints. Most books have an abundance of pages for you to explore, and some even come with perforated edges so you can tear out your creation. Some books are more elaborate, while others are more simplistic. You can even get a whole coloring book of swear words for when your professors are really trying your patience with these finals. If you don’t like the idea of a physical coloring book, there are even a handful of coloring book apps. Apps are great for trying to get a few minutes of zen in during finals week because they’re portable and no-mess. Colorfy allows you to tap sections of a picture with the color of your choosing. Pigment offers a more traditional coloring experience, where you use your finger to color inside the lines. Whichever way you like to color, digitally or pencil on paper, taking a few minutes to complete a grown-up coloring book is a good way to wind down. Acoustic covers on YouTube // Victoria Pfefferle-Gillot, Senior Staff Writer When I get super stressed out, whether from anger, sadness, anxiety or something else the world decides to throw at me, music has always been a constant source of comfort. I’ve created several playlists over the years to indulge in when I want to vent or escape but when I want to relax and de-stress, nothing helps me better than sitting

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somewhere comfortable and listening to a long set of jazzy piano covers of my favorite soundtracks. My go-to tracks tend to be covers from Studio Ghibli movies, like “Spirited Away” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” The soundtracks for those films are lovely and some of my absolute favorites, but there’s something about the free-flowing element to the covers that makes them so relaxing. Cafe Music BGM Channel, which features all manner of jazz music original and cover alike, has a wonderful three-hour-long video of just its cafe-style Ghibli covers. I’ve listened to it to help me de-stress, focus on a project or go to sleep when my mind feels too overcrowded with anxious thoughts. There are jazz and piano covers of just about any soundtrack, including “Harry Potter,” Disney movies, even video game music. Carlos Eiene — insaneintherainmusic on YouTube — arranges and performs some incredible jazz and piano covers of video game songs from the Pokemon series, Mario Kart, Undertale and more. If you’re looking for content you can lose yourself in, these kinds of videos are super helpful because you can turn one on and let it play while you relax. Even if you want to get something done — like start packing things up to go back home (yikes) — the music can provide a calmer mood for the task and you don’t have to keep up with what’s playing to appreciate its help.

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April 22, 2019

Sports STRESS-INDUCING MOMENTS FROM PITT SPORTS Trent Leonard Sports Editor

Finals week is one of the most stressful times of the year. From all-night studying to last-minute panicking, looming finals can be a college student’s worst nightmare. During this time, it’s helpful to keep some perspective. Sure, you might be facing some pressure to succeed. But does it compare to the pressure Pitt men’s basketball felt when it earned a No. 1 seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, only to collapse in the second round? And you might feel a little embarrassed about earning a lackluster final grade — but at least you won’t have embarrassed yourself on a national stage, as Pitt football did in the 2015 Armed Forces Bowl. These are just a few moments among many that gave Pitt fans some premature gray hairs. This article will revisit times when the Panthers made us want to scream at the television or break down

Pitt football upset Penn State in 2016 with just more than a minute left in the game and a final score of 42-39. TPN File Photo

and cry in the stands — by the time it’s over, hopefully, you’ll realize that finals week pales in comparison to these stress-inducing games. Blown 21-point lead in 2015 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Pitt’s 2014-15 football season was a mixed bag — the Panthers started the year with a bang, beating Delaware 62-0 before suffering two separate three-game losing streaks. They finished the regular season on a positive note by beating ACC foes Syracuse and Miami, but head coach Paul Chryst resigned to coach Wisconsin on Dec. 18, leaving Pitt without a head coach entering its Jan. 2 bowl game. Still, the 6-6 Panthers entered their matchup against 7-5 Houston in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl with a golden opportunity to break .500 and finish the season with a winning record. With offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph See Moments on page 27

TPN WRITER REFLECTS ON 4 YEARS OF PITT ATHLETICS Colin Martin Staff Writer

About this time four years ago, I decided to attend the University of Pittsburgh with plans of becoming a physical therapist or an athletic trainer. I saw that career path as a way for me to stay involved with sports past high school, while also learning the skill at one of the best programs in the country. It took me just one semester at Pitt to realize that science wasn’t really for me. So naturally, like many other students, I changed majors to something better suited for my personal interests. Luckily, it didn’t take much time or thinking to decide on a new major, and therefore a new career path. All I had to do was think back to my eighth-grade yearbook, where pages filled with superlatives and other fun facts about our graduating class had a section titled, “What do you see yourself doing in 15

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years?” My answer was simple: anchoring for ESPN. After taking some journalism classes, including Sports Writing with research assistant professor Doug Swanson, I knew this was the field for me. During the fall of my junior year, I began working at The Pitt News sports desk. In my two years working here, there were plenty of ups and downs in regard to Pitt’s athletics. Pitt football making ACC Championship One of my proudest watching head football coach Pat Narduzzi lead the team to an ACC Championship game last season, something that no one outside of Pittsburgh predicted. I was lucky to be in attendance for that game against Clemson, the eventual National Champion, down in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was the most riveting

sports event that I’ve ever experienced, despite the bad weather and final score. The atmosphere of big-time college football is like no other, and I’m glad to have experienced it. Taking down Penn State in 2016 One of my best memories as a fan was, without a doubt, the Penn State football game of 2016. Thanks to a last second interception by defensive back Ryan Lewis, Pitt upset our in-state rival 42-39. Shockingly, South Oakland did not burn to the ground, but I bet it came close with how excited students were after the victory. This past season, South Oakland was once again filled with energy when Penn State returned for a prime-time night game — something rare for Pitt football. Sadly, the score of this game was as bad as the downpouring rain. Either way, I can’t talk about my college experience without mentioning the

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Penn State game days, the tailgates and of course … the Gravel Lot, the tailgate haven for Pitt students up until it was closed off in 2016, RIP. Seeing NBA talent at the Petersen Events Center As for Pitt basketball, I fell in love with the Oakland Zoo my first year at Pitt. There’s nothing like jumping around with friends while sitting in some of the best seats in all of the Petersen Center for an ACC basketball game. A few times in my first year, there were sleepovers inside the Pete lobby for games against top-ranked teams like Duke and Virginia. Over the course of my four years I watched Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III, Brandon Ingram, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and plenty other current NBA players. I’d say Zion Williamson was the best in person, See Memories on page 29

Moments, pg. 26 stepping in as interim head coach, Pitt looked thoroughly in control through three-and-a-half quarters, gaining a 21-point advantage over the Cougars thanks to two rushing touchdowns from then-sophomore James Conner. A Chris Blewitt field goal put the Panthers up 34-13 with 6:14 left in the game, all but ensuring a Pitt victory in blowout fashion. Most fans might have just turned the game off and gone on with their days, but those who stuck around for the final minutes witnessed one of the worst choke jobs in Pitt sports history. First, Houston conducted a six-play, 83-yard drive to make it 34-20. Then they recovered an onside kick to gain possession back, scoring another touchdown on a fourth-and-13, 29-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Greg Ward Jr. to make it a one-possession game with 1:58 remaining. Still, all Pitt had to do was recover the next onside kick and run the clock out. But Houston kicker Ty Cummings pulled off the unthinkable, performing another successful onside kick for the Cougars to get the ball back yet again, this time trailing 34-27. With great starting field position, Ward Jr. led a quick four-play, 57-yard scoring drive against Pitt’s visibly shaken defense. With the chance to tie the game with an extra point or win with a two-point conversion, the momentum-filled Cougars chose the latter, and Ward Jr. completed another pass to seal the Houston victory, 35-34. It was the largest fourthquarter comeback in bowl history, and one of the lowest moments in Pitt football history. Last-second loss to Butler in 2011 NCAA Tournament Pitt men’s basketball achieved one of its greatest seasons in program history during 2010-11, going 28-6 to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers handled No. 16 UNCAsheville 74-51 in the first round, setting up a matchup with the 2010 runner-up No. 8 Butler Bulldogs in the Round of 32. Following a back-and-forth battle throughout, Butler took a 70-69 lead on a layup with 2.2 seconds left, dealing what should’ve been a fatal blow to the Panthers. But Butler guard Shelvin Mack pressured Pitt guard Gilbert Brown a little too close on the inbound, committing an absentminded foul that sent Brown to the foul line with an opportunity to win the game. With 1.4 seconds on the clock, Brown made the first free throw to tie but couldn’t convert on the second one to take the lead. The ball fell into the hands of Butler forward Matt Howard, and Pitt junior Nasir Robinson inexplicably fouled him with 0.8 seconds left. Howard stepped to the

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line and made the game-winning free throw give Butler the upset victory, 71-70. Pitt’s last-minute roller-coaster ride from loser to winner and back to loser was a heartbreaking gut-punch for Panther fans who finally thought their team had exorcised its tournament demons. I can’t speak for others, but 12-year-old me was certainly, as a fictional anchorman once said, “in a glass case of emotion.” 42-39 win over Penn State in 2016 Sept. 10, 2016, is remembered by Panther fans as a sweet, joyous day — the day Pitt football beat its in-state rivals in the first renewal of the Keystone Clash. While many view this game

positively in retrospect, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t incredibly stressful to witness in real time. As with Houston in 2015, Pitt got out to a sizeable advantage early on, leading Penn State 28-7 with 11:54 left in the second quarter. But a late flurry of Nittany Lion touchdowns saw them close the gap down to 42-39 with 3:56 remaining, and Penn State’s offense took over on its own 29yard line with a chance to lead a game-winning drive. On second-and-6, Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley dropped back and confidently chucked a deep bomb down the right sideline. At that moment, every Pitt fan’s heart sunk to their

April 22, 2019

stomach when they saw that wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton had beaten his defender by about five steps, giving him an easy touchdown. It was over. The Panthers had once again blown a meaningful game in the fourth quarter. But by sheer fortune, the typically sure-handed Hamilton couldn’t come up with what would have been the game-winning touchdown. The home crowd at Heinz Field let out a roar, followed by the nervous jitters that come with knowing your team caught a lucky break. Four plays later, McSorley threw an interception that officially gave Pitt the win. For once, the Panthers actually came out on the right side of a disastrous situation.

The Pitt News

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

CHRISTIAN SNYDER

JANINE FAUST

editor@pittnews.com

manager@pittnews.com

News Editor JOANNA LI

Opinions Editor MAGGIE DURWALD

news@pittnews.com

opinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor TRENT LEONARD

Culture Editor SARAH CONNOR

sports@pittnews.com

culture@pittnews.com

Visual Editor SARAH CUTSHALL

Layout Editor SHAHUM AJMAL

visuals@pittnews.com

layout@pittnews.com

Online Editor MATT CHOI

Copy Chief KIM ROONEY copy@pittnews.com

Sales Manager MATTHEW HOUCK

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Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor-in-chief for $.50 each. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration. Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter intended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any. Letters may be sent via e-mail to editor@

Andrea Michael | Assistant Copy Chief

tpnonline@gmail.com Brian Gentry | Assistant News Editor

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Copy Staﬀ Alexa Marzina Bailey Sasseville Ben King Sarah Stager Nicholas Rivera

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Anna Bongardino | Digital Manager Jane Millard | Audience Developer Jon Moss | Online Visual Editor

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April 22, 2019

pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left. The Pitt News is an independent, studentwritten and student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is published Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer. Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the

Business Manager RACHEL BUCK

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editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Committee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260. The editor-in-chief has the final authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor-in-chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, faculty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and editorial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

Inside Sales Manager FORREST BLONDELL

Production Manager

Digital Manager

JORDAN FALK

DEVON WOOD

Account Executives Forrest Blondell Sarah Braza Kyle Guinness Mark Machado Rashel Bajaj

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University Account Executive Isabel Scrabis

Memories, pg. 26 while Duke’s Grayson Allen was the grittiest player, despite being a chronic tripper. Mount Pittmore There have been tons of great players in my time at Pitt across all sports. With that being said, a quick Mount Rushmore of my favorite Pitt players from fall 2015 through spring 2019 is as follows and in no ranking order — Cameron Johnson, Jamel Artis, James Conner and Rozelle Nix.

pittnews.com

What are the odds My time at The Pitt News is something I’ll forever be thankful for. I was given the opportunity to write about the sports events or topics that I love. This past year, I concentrated on sports gambling with a weekly column where I broke down games and gave analysis. I kept track of my record each time, going 45-35 this semester and recording a full-year total record of 82-70. If that was the MLB, I’d be on track to make the playoffs with 10 games remaining on the season.

April 22, 2019

pittnews.com

April 22, 2019

I N D E X

Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER

For Rent North Oakland 3 BR Apartment on 732 S. Millvale Ave. Available August 1, 2019. $1320‑$1630 +gas & electric. 412‑441‑1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesman agement.net Craig Street. Safe, secure build‑ ing. 1‑bedroom, furnished. Newly

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Employment • CHILDCARE • FOOD SERVICES • UNIVERSITY • INTERNSHIPS • RESEARCH • VOLUNTEERING • OTHER

remodeled, no pets, and heat in cluded. Rent $850 and up. Mature or Graduate students. 412‑855‑9925 or 724‑940‑0045. Email for pictures: salonre na@gmail.com

South Oakland ****************** Large 6 bedroom house for rent. Fall occupancy. Atwood Street. Close to campus. Please call Gary at

Classifieds

For sale

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

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

412‑807‑8058 1‑2‑3‑4‑5 Bedroom apartments/houses. Rents starting at $650 for 1BR. May or August availability. 412‑999‑2124 1/2/3 BR, furnished, sharing for 3 people. Oakland Ave. $600 per month per person, utilities included. Available May to August. Contact 412‑848‑9442. 2 Bedroom Apart ment. Rent: $1690 + electric. Avail‑ able August 1, 2019 on Louisa St.

notices

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

412‑441‑1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesman agement.net. 2 BR house and 3 BR house, South Oakland, very nice, good rent, close to Pitt. Avail‑ able Aug. 1, 2019. Call 412‑881‑0550 or email apetrov@ pitt.edu 2 BR house with off street parking & newly remodeled 2 BR apartment. Available in August. Unfurnished, no pets. Atwood/S. Bouquet.

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

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$6.30

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6X $30.20 $32.30

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(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

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

Call 412‑492‑8173 3326 Juliet St. Big 3 bedroom, 2‑story house 1.5 bath, fully equipped eat‑in kitchen/appliances/ new refrigerator, living, dining room, 2 porches, full base‑ ment, laundry/ storage, park‑ ing on premises, super clean ‑move‑in condition. Near universities/hospi‑ tals/bus. $1800+. 412‑337‑3151 3408 Parkview Ave. Studios, 1‑2‑3 BRS Available June &Aug.

April 22, 2019

Pet Friendly & Park ing. CALL NOW! 412‑455‑5600 3436 Ward. Spacious 2‑Bedroom, 1 bath, equipped kitchen, $1,195 + electric, Heat included. 412‑271‑5550 3444 Ward St. 3 Bedroom Apartment, Available August 1. Free heating, free parking. Call 412‑361‑2695 3748 Frazier St, Newly Renovated, Beautiful 4BR, 2 Full Bath, Equipped Kitchen, Washer/ Dryer Provided,

Central Air, 2 Refrig erators, Driveway, 1550+, Available Au gust 1, call Amanda 412‑600‑6933 3BR apartment, cen tral air, washer/dryer, water included in rent, available 8/1/19. $1,350/mo. Call 412‑398‑6119. Apartments for rent. 2 and 3 bedroom apart‑ ments available. Some available on Dawson Street, Atwood Street, and Mckee Place. Newly remodeled. Some have laundry on site. Minutes from the

University. For more info please call Mike at 412‑849‑8694 Before signing a lease, be aware that no 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. Brand new remod‑ eled spacious duplex. 5BR, 2BA, second and third floors with wooden floors. Laun dry room in apart ment. Parking avail able. $3200 +utilities. Call 412‑871‑5657

South Oakland Dawson Village Apts. near CMU and Pitt. One bedroom apt. available for immediate move in. On bus line, close to restaurants and shops. *CALL IN FOR SPECIALS!* Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546 M.J. Kelly Realty. Studio, 1, 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes and Houses. N. & S. Oakland from $750‑$2500. mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412‑271‑5550. www.mjkellyrealty. com Oakland ‑ 294 Craft ‑ 1 bedroom, equipped ktichen, coin op laudry in basement of building, close to uni versities and hospitals, on busline. Rent ‑ $800.00 + Elec. / $950.00 ‑ Utilities Inc. 412‑462‑1296 madroneproperty.com

on busline., Can be rented furnished or unfurnished Rent ‑ $1,600.00 + G/E 412‑462‑1296 madroneproperty.com

parking available.

Oakland‑264 Mel wood ‑ 4 bedrooms, 2 bath, equipped kitchen, carpet, C/A, coin op laundry in basement of building, Close to Universities and Hospitals and on busline. Rent ‑ $1,850.00 + G/E 412‑462‑1296 madroneproperty.com

at 412‑720‑4756.

Recently reno’ed S Oakland 3BR house, $1750/mo + utilities. Spacious, beautiful, well‑maintained. Dishwasher, washer/ dryer, central AC. Close to Pitt campus & shuttle. Off‑street parking available. Panther Properties, 412‑328‑6236, pan therproperties2@ gmail.com. pan‑ ther‑life.com/oakland

Oakland ‑ 335 N. Craig ‑ 2 & 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, equipped kitchen, car pet, coin op laundry in basement of building, close to Universities and Hospitals, on buslne. Can be rented furnished or unfur nished. Rent ‑ $1,050.00 ‑ $1,725.00 + G/E 412‑462‑1296 madroneproperty.com

Spacious and bright

Oakland‑264 Mel wood ‑ 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, equipped ktichen, carpet, C/A, coin op laundry in basement of building, Close to Univeristies and Hospitals and

this spacious 1BR

pittnews.com

2BR apartment on

Dawson St. Second floor. Free laundry and water/sewage. Available August

2019. $1150/mo.

Contact Rebecca at

412‑651‑6594. Text or call.

Shadyside 4909 Centre Ave.

Great location for

apartment located be tween Pitt and CMU. On buslines, near

restaurants, hospital. Rent includes heat.

Laundry, storage &

Updated kitchens and

hardwood floors. $100 Amazon gift card

upon move in. Avail‑ able spring, summer

and fall. Contact Sue Brett/Thames Manor Apts. (Ellsworth & S. Negley Ave.) near CMU and Pitt. Studio‑One‑Two bed room apts. available for immediate move in. On bus line, close to restaurants and shops. *CALL IN FOR SPECIALS!* Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546 Shadyside: 1 and 2BR, great location, hardwood floors. Free heat. Available August 1, 2019. Call 412‑361‑2695 Shadyside: Studio ($740) or 2 Bedroom ($1190). Quiet, clean, well‑maintained apartment house. Great location ‑ in heart of Shadyside! Fully equipped kitchenette, A/C, laundry, wall‑to‑wall carpeting. Near Pitt shuttle and city busline and shopping. No pets, no smoking. Available Aug. 1st. 412‑628‑1686.

Rental Other Apartment for rent. Highland Park area, 3rd floor, 1BR, living room and kitchen, pri vate entrance. Close to bus stop. No pets. $750/month +electric. 412‑719‑0321. Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2019 & sooner. Oakland,

Shadyside, Friend‑ ship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availabil‑ ity online, check out www.forbesmanage ment.net, or call 412.441.1211

Employment Internships Concrete Casting Start‑up company searching for individ ual to engage in daily operations. $12/hr. 412‑477‑3800

Employment Other B&R Pools and Swim Shop looking for general help to maintain swimming pools. No experience necessary! Candidate must be 18 years of age or older with valid driver license. 40 hours per week for the entire summer, overtime possible at time and a half. IDEAL FOR COL LEGE STUDENTS! Candidates should call 412‑661‑7665 to inquire. Looking for people to start imme diately!!!! Comfort Keepers, a Post‑Gazette Top Workplace, is seeking caring individuals. Caregivers work alongside seniors to provide companion ship, light housekeep ing, personal care ser vices. Flexible hours available. If interested call 412‑363‑5500

NEEDED at Phipps Conservatory No Experience needed Competitive Wages Flexible Hours Full Time and Part Time Opportunities Awesome work atmo sphere and location Free Meal with every shift Paid Weekly Call (804)‑615‑6245 or Email Kieran.Tod d@Sodexo.com SUMMER WORK Landscape help, wall and patio construc tion, planting, mulch‑ ing, and concrete work. Near 279 Camp Horne Rd exit. Full time and part time. $11‑15/hour. Need transportation. Call 412‑477‑3800. SUMMER WORK Shadyside Manage ment Company needs full‑time dependable landscapers, painters, and assistant roofers for the summer. Must be at least 18 years old. No experience necessary. $11/hour plus additional atten dance bonuses are available, if earned. Work involves land scaping, painting, roofing, and general labor. Perfect sum mer job for college

students! Mozart Management phone:412‑682‑7003 email:thane @mozartrents.com Team Scotti (insur ance broker for major league baseball) seek ing an information technology intern to assist in technical sup‑ port, troubleshooting issues, organization and maintaining IT resources. Help with upgrading network equipment, assisting IT and other depart‑ ments with reports, tracking hardware and software inventory and other duties as assigned. Ideal candidate would have strong computer skills and a passion to learn. Familiarity with Access is required. Ability to work in a team environment as well as independently is necessary. Contact Dave Webster at dwebster@team‑ scotti.com for further information.

Notices Congrats Grads Congratulations Jessica E. Nelson, Pitt Class of 2019! We are proud of your achievements. ‑Nelson/McCaskill family.

NOW HIRING! SET‑UP CREW

April 22, 2019