Cover Illustration: Daniel Walsh STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
PREDICTION: PITT, 37-35
Fans cheer in the stands after Pitt wins the 2016 rivalry game against Penn State. TPN file photo
PITT TO EDGE OUT PSU IN HOME THROW Nick Carlisano Staff Writer
Pitt’s football team will battle the Penn State Nittany Lions in Heinz Field’s lights Saturday night in a much anticipated rivalry game. (Yes, this is a rivalry, whether you choose to admit it or not.) The two programs will clash for the third year in a row, the penultimate matchup of the renewed four-game series. The Panthers defeated the eventual Big Ten Champions 4239 at Heinz Field in 2016, but the Nittany Lions avenged the defeat in Happy Valley last year by stomping Pitt 33-14. Coach Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers hosted the Albany Great Danes last weekend and took care of business in game one, handling their opponent 33-7. Sophomore quarterback Kenny Pickett played sharp, completing his first 13 passes — including two passing touchdowns — and an additional score on the ground. In contrast, it took Penn State till overtime to earn a 45-38 win against Appalachian State. Despite avoiding the upset, the scare will almost certainly play a role when they take the field in Pittsburgh Saturday night. The hard part is determining how their struggles in week one will affect Penn State head coach James Franklin and his team. They may come into Heinz Field shellshocked and nervous and fall to the Panthers for the second
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time in three years — or the embarrassment of last week could result in a higher resolve to win this time around, leading the Nittany Lions to thrash the Panthers. One thing is for certain — these are two very different teams than the ones that faced off last year. Most notably, Pitt has found a star QB in Pickett and Penn State is dealing with the departure of a once-in-a-generation talent in running back Saquon Barkley. Pickett may have only a few starts under his belt, but he already has one huge upset to his name. As a true first-year last year, the quarterback was instrumental in Pitt’s seasondefining win over Miami, the No. 2 team in the country at the time. Pickett accounted for all three Panther scores, passing for one and rushing for two more. He’s got a great chance to play spoiler once more this weekend against a defense that gave up 451 yards of total offense in week one. Former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, who now plays for the New York Giants, was key in keeping the Nittany Lions in the game at Heinz Field in 2016. Despite only rushing for 85 yards, he scored five times — four rushing, one receiving. Junior Miles Sanders, a graduate of Pittsburgh-based Woodland Hills High School and Barkley’s replacement, is certainly no slouch of a runner and garnered solid experience while backing up Barkley. It will be interesting to see
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how he measures up against a Pitt defense led by senior captains Quintin Wirginis and Dennis Briggs that only allowed 60 yards against Albany’s rushing attack last weekend. The game will likely come down to whoever can best stop the opposing offense. Pitt’s secondary has struggled in the past and that struggle continued in the game against Albany. Despite only allowing seven points, the Panthers’ defense gave up 263 yards through the air, including long gains of 40 and 37 yards. Senior quarterback Trace McSorley and the Nittany Lions’ offense present a much tougher task than the Great Danes, so the Panthers will have to bring their best efforts if they want any shot at coming out on top. The Pitt defensive line and linebackers must pressure McSorley and force him to leave the pocket. This was an area where Appalachian State found success, despite recording just one sack. Pitt recorded five sacks against Albany, including two by redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Keyshon Camp — hopefully defensive coordinator Randy Bates will key in on getting to the quarterback. However, McSorley isn’t someone that is easily rattled. A potential Heisman candidate, McSorley has been nothing short of incredible throughout his career in Happy Valley. See Prediction on page 13
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A HOUSE DIVIDED: THE YAHNER FAMILY
When Mary Beth Yahner was a student at Penn State, she used to sell all of her student tickets. But in 1988, her junior year of college, she decided to keep one — the big Pitt vs. Penn State game. There, she met her future husband — 1986 Pitt alumnus Ed Yahner. The next year, the couple went to the Pitt vs. Penn State game at Pitt together, which Penn State won 16-13. Mary Beth doesn’t remember much about the game except for when she stood up to cheer after Penn State scored a touchdown. A Pitt fan behind her yelled, “Tell that Penn State b---- to sit down!” Mary Beth turned to Ed. “Did you hear what they just said to me?” she said. “Yes,” he said. “So sit down.” Ed and Mary Beth married three years later in 1991. The Pitt vs. Penn State rivalry means a lot to the Yahners — it’s where their family began. When the rivalry was reinstated two years ago after a 16-year hiatus, the Yahners couldn’t have been happier. “It was really emotional and made me very happy,” Ed said. “This game means so much to me.” Over the years the couple, who reside in Brockway, had four boys — Joel, Gavin, Pierce and Reese. Ed remained a huge Pitt fan, but the family attended more Penn State games than Pitt games growing up. “We knew a family in town that had season tickets,” Mary Beth said. “We would attend the same tailgate that [sic] Ed and I met. All the boys, including Ed at that time, would dress in blue and white when we went to the game. None of them would probably admit to this time in their lives.” Ed had always wanted his boys to pick their own favorite teams to support, but it was an easy decision for them to pick Pitt because of how much their dad loved the school. The Yahners became Pitt season ticket holders in 2012 and it was game over for Penn State. Since then, either Pitt football or basketball has filled the Yahners’ weekends. “The guys are all about Pitt,” Mary Beth said. “I support them and buy them Pitt gear. I have worn a ‘House Divided’ shirt the past two games. I tend to cheer more for Pitt, but really am not affected if Penn State wins.” Those trips were some of the boys’ favorite
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The Pitt versus Penn State football matchup provides great action, but its implications go beyond the playing field. With the universities being two of the top three largest in the state, the rivalry can cross family lines. Tessa Sayers | Staff Writer
memories growing up — and from them came find a different shirt to wear?’ I always laugh and Joel’s dream of playing football for Pitt one day. say that my Pitt shirts are in the wash.” Even though he wears his Penn State shirts Although that specific dream didn’t come true, he did come close when he got a call from Pitt’s occasionally when he’s at home, Gavin is still loyal to the Panthers. When Pitt and Penn State wrestling coach, Matt Kocher. Kocher had seen Joel wrestle at a national played for the first time in 2016, Gavin wore a tournament his senior year of high school and Pitt shirt and snuck into Pitt’s student section reached out to him. A couple days after the call, with his friend, who is a Pitt student. He even skipped Penn State’s home opener this year to Joel officially became a Panther. “I was very happy for him,” Ed said. “It was come to Pittsburgh this past Saturday for Pitt’s really a great honor for Joel and really special for home opener against Albany. Gavin will join the rest of the Yahner famhis younger brothers and our family.” When Joel started his wrestling career at Pitt, ily once again at the game this Saturday to cheer the rivalry between Pitt and Penn State only be- Pitt on from the stands. The only member of the family who won’t be in attencame more evident to him. is Joel, who “We definitely had a Gavin Yahner celebrat- dance ed at the end of the different attitude when we fourth quarter at Pitt’s wrestled them,” Joel said. “I 2016 game against remember wrestling in Rec Penn State. Theo Hall my freshman year. The Schwarz|SENIOR atmosphere was crazy and STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER it was a lot of fun.” Four years later, it was Gavin’s turn to decide where to go to school. Growing up, he always wanted to go into hospitality management, and only one school in the area had a ranked program — Penn State. So he started his collegiate career at Penn State in the fall of 2015. “I have to admit that having a Penn State tent now at Gavin’s graduation party was very hard to get lives in comfortable with,” Ed said. “But I know Gavin California made his choice based on his career goals, so he — but he’ll still went to PSU for all the right reasons.” During Gavin’s first week of school, he be- be tuncame known as “that idiot wearing a Pitt shirt” ing in on Yik Yak. In order to fit in a little better, he to supreceived Penn State clothes for Christmas that p o r t year, but his mother said he was still teased by t h e P a n some of the guys in his house. “Coming from friends and (From left to right) family of hard-core Pitt fans, I Joel’s girlfriend Kati definitely get picked on for being Fischer, Gavin, Reese, at Penn State,” Gavin said. “I do Joel and Pierce Yahner get harped on quite a bit when sit in the stands at Heinz I wear PSU clothing when I’m Field. Photo courtesy of the at home. They say, ‘You couldn’t Yahner family
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thers. Whether or not Penn State will put Pitt on its schedule in the future, the rest of the Yahner boys are adamant that they will never like Penn State. “I still think that PSU’s athletic director was afraid to put Pitt on the schedule,” Joel said. “They have a lot more to lose than Pitt … PSU hasn’t reopened the contract to play Pitt. They are running from Pitt for sure.” The youngest son, Reese, just started sixth grade. He may not know much about his future, but he already knows the Nittany Lions will not be a part of it. Why? “Because it’s Penn State,” Reese said. “I’m going to Pitt.” Their Predictions: Ed — Pitt 35, PSU 31 Mary Beth — “I think it will be close, but I think Pitt will win.” Joel — “I see Pitt pulling out a close one at home again. Hail to Pitt!” Gavin — “You know, I don’t like to predict scores. I think it’s bad luck. I do think it’s going to be a good game. Based on last week’s performances from both teams, I think it will be close.” Pierce — No comment Reese — “Pitt, because they have a great quarterback and Penn State’s defensive secondary is not that good this season.”
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Kaepernick campaign: Great for Nike, touchdown for equality
BREATHE EASIER: ALLEGHENY COUNTY NEEDS MORE AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS
Brian Gentry
Contributing Editor cent of millennials say they Nike is well-known for would switch brands to one its athletic wear, but earlier associated with a cause. So this week, the corporation while Nike has suffered fientered the political fray nancially in the short term, when it announced Monit’ll likely reap the benefits day that former 49ers quarof its target audience in the terback Colin Kaepernick near future, especially since — best known for kneeling Nike’s past political camduring the national anthem paigns have been successful. to protest racism and police Nike’s “Equality” cambrutality — would be the paign, which was released face of the company’s 30th at the Grammys in 2017, anniversary of its “Just Do featured tennis star SerIt” campaign. ena Williams, a transgender The ad has sparked swimmer and a Muslim heated debate across social fencer who competes in a media — but this is actually Colin Kaepernick kneels hijab. The video received shrewd marketing. Backing during the national anpolarizing feedback from human rights causes grants them before their game against the Dallas Cowthe media — just like the Nike positive publicity and boys on Oct. 2, 2016, at Kaepernick ad — but ultipromotes much-needed Levi’s Stadium in Santa mately boosted Nike’s stock conversation about social Clara, Calif. justice throughout the Unit- Nhat V. Meyer|Bay Area values. But beyond monetary ed States, which still faces a News Group|TNS issues, Nike’s new ad has plethora of racial issues. But Nike’s new ad hasn’t been greeted convinced major corporations and people with praise from all walks of life. On Twit- across the country that race issues matter. ter, infuriated conservatives declared Nike’s The NFL, which previously threatened to campaign unpatriotic — some even posted suspend players who didn’t stand for the navideos of themselves burning Nike shoes in tional anthem, released a statement supporting Kaepernick’s cause Tuesday. protest. “The social justice issues that Colin and In the wake of thousands of angry social media posts, Nike’s stock dropped nearly 3 other professional athletes have raised depercent on Tuesday. But those vitriolic tweets serve our attention and action,” a spokesperrepresented only a minority of comments son for the NFL said. There were perhaps more deserving athabout the ad. According to Twitter data from Sprinklr, letes for this campaign based solely on athover half a million tweets contained either the letic ability, but professional credentials aren’t hashtag #JustDoIt or #Nike and only 100,000 enough to represent a major brand anymore. included the hashtags #Nikeboycott or #Boy- In this day and age, when seemingly every cottNike — so while detractors of the ad re- facet of life has turned political, companies ceived the most media attention, they make need to up the ante by supporting progresup a smaller portion of Nike’s consumer base. sive causes. And in the sporting world, there’s no Nike’s target consumer base — young people — overwhelmingly supports political greater spokesperson for progressive causes action in corporations. More than 90 per- than Kaepernick.
Sonia Kowal thought the sky was orange for the first few years of her life. She grew up near a Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation plant that filled the air in her neighborhood with metal dust, particulate matter and other toxic pollutants. Kowal is now 44 years old and lives in Emsworth, a suburb of Pittsburgh fewer than 10 miles down the Ohio River. She has what she calls a “bad neighbor” — Metalico, a company that shreds and melts down iron to reclaim it. It consistently releases the acrid smell of burning plastic and shreds engines still containing gasoline, causing explosions that shake her house. “My neighbor has two little girls, and when [Metalico] starts doing this early in the morning, she has to take her girls inside,” she said. Kowal’s situation demonstrates the importance of air quality regulations. Even with them, she still experiences bad air quality daily, something that can have devastating impacts on health over long periods of time, including reduced lung function, cardiovascular issues and neurological deficits. This is why efforts to dismantle federal air quality regulations are so terrifying to so many people. With little
hope that the Trump administration will cease its war on the environment, it falls on state and local authorities — and individuals — to enforce these air quality regulations so that residents can breathe. The United States has suffered in the past without regulations. Prior to the concerted efforts in the mid-20th century to control pollution, the air in major U.S. cities was so consistently smoggy that residents could hardly breathe. Pittsburgh was once famous for its pitch-black skies in the middle of the day. While regular citizens were responsible for some of the pollution — damaged cars were sometimes left to rust in rivers — it was primarily industrial pollution that impacted public health. Billowing smoke from coal stacks and uncontrolled emissions of toxic chemicals made it dangerous to breathe. It wasn’t until the Clean Air Act of 1963 and its subsequent revisions and expansions in 1970 and 1990 that the United States truly had any sort of air quality regulation. Since the most recent amendment in 1990, emissions of six criteria pollutants have declined an average of 54 percent. As a result, the United States has seen a drastic improvement in public health. Rates of hospitalization and death due to asthma have declined by roughly 50 percent since 1980 and the EPA predicts the 1990 revision will prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and tens of millions of sick days by 2020. Despite all of this important progress, the Trump administration seems determined to undermine any health benefits gained. Since the start of his presidency in 2016, Trump has overturned six laws that regulate pollution issues from methane to general toxic pollutants. And the administration is in the process of rolling back even more — most recently, the administration is considering loosening an Obama-era law that reduced mercury emissions from Sylvia Freeman | STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
from the editorial board
See Air Quality on page 13
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Columns:
FANS: KNOW WHERE SHAKY FUTURE FOR TO DRAW THE LINE KEYSTONE CLASSIC
Trent Leonard Sports Editor
Since its inception over a century ago, the Pitt versus Penn State football game has always been an intense and meaningful matchup. The classic rivalry often embodied all you could ask from two in-state foes — high stakes, talented players and sellout crowds. And, as in any true rivalry, an underlying air of competitive disdain toward each other permeates through each fan base. “I remember my older brothers telling me, ‘You can’t like Pitt and Penn State. You have to choose one,’” Pitt senior linebacker — and Pittsburgh native — Quintin Wirginis said Tuesday. But in recent years, the nature of the rivalry has devolved from a lively competitive spirit to pettiness, irrationality and antagonism on both sides. After a 16-year hiatus, the four-year renewal of the annual Pitt vs. Penn State football matchup in 2016 brought a renewed excitement to college football in Pennsylvania. This was, after all, the state’s biggest in-house rivalry in a way that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, due to playing in opposing conferences, could never be. It presented a chance to claim bragging rights over your parents, neighbors or friends who went to the opposing school. On the field, the first game of the new
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series didn’t disappoint. 69,983 fans — a Pittsburgh sports record — showed up at Heinz Field to watch the 2016 matchup. It was a roller-coaster ride, with Pitt notching an early 21-point lead only to almost squander it away in the fourth quarter. There were plenty of offensive fireworks, as both teams produced over 400 yards of total offense. The Panthers emerged victorious in the end, 4239. But off the field, the ugly side of the revamped rivalry began to show. Many Pitt fans used the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal — which broke in 2011 and implicated some form of guilt in several other members of the Penn State administration — as a rallying point against the Nittany Lions. Panther fans showed up wearing “Joe Knew” shirts, and Pittsburghthemed blog ThePoint412.com shut down after receiving heavy backlash for selling such merchandise. In the Heinz Field stands, boisterous rounds of “[Expletive] Penn State!” rang up at various points during the game — not just versus Penn State, but at random times against other opponents throughout the season. For parents wanting to bring their kids to see a Pitt football home game, they had to wrestle with the prospect of exposing their child to this potentially hostile environment. “The dialogue and engagement between
Colin Martin
the rivalry going after that. After a 16-year hiatus, Pitt beat Penn Staff Writer State 42-39 in 2016 at Heinz Field. The Ohio State vs. Michigan, Auburn vs. game set a record attendance for any Alabama, Florida vs. Georgia, Army vs. Pittsburgh sporting event with 69,983 Navy — the list goes on. These are some fans, and although the game ultimately of the biggest rivalries in college footdidn’t mean much in the course of a ball and they go back over a hundred season, the years, with Penn State cities shutwin was a ting down signature for a week victory of in prepathe Panration of thers’ 2016 the game season. itself. P e n n Tied at S t a t e 1-1 after crushed the last Pitt 33-14 two sealast seasons, the son with renewed 109,898 Pitt - Pe n n fans in atState ritendance valry is State The Pittsburgh Panthers mascot, Roc, walks toward at back in Qadree Ollison during last year’s Pitt vs. Penn State College — full swing, game in State College. the eighth with the Anna Bongardino | VISUAL EDITOR all-time next inhighest atstallment tendance in Beaver Stadium history and being featured on prime time Saturday the largest since 2009. With that vicon ABC. But this year’s and next year’s tory, the Nittany Lions took the all-time game may be the last for a while, and See Rivalry on page 12 it may not be worth Pitt’s time to keep See Future on page 12
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PITT PROGRAM COUNCIL GETS PUMPED FOR FALL FEST from Philadelphia, was initially supposed to open for American rock band is from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Young the Giant, but recently pulled out due to a per- and is signed to record label Run For Cover. The group With the recent heat wave hitting Pittsburgh, it’s hard sonal issue. The Cincinnati-based indie-pop group Pub- has released two studio albums, the most recent titled “Magic Gone.” to believe summer is coming to an end, but Pitt Program lic will take her place. The first performance spot at the festival will go to Petal, a group selected by the music staff at WPTS, Council is here to remind you that fall is still coming. the winner of the fall 2018 Battle of the Bands. The vicPitt’s student-run radio station, will also play. The Fall Fest, Pitt’s annual music and arts tor will be decided next week at the compefestival, will be Sunday, Sept. 23, on Bigtition, which will take place Wednesday at 8 elow Boulevard. Last year’s celebration was p.m. in the WPU Assembly Room. definitely a hit. Hundreds of students made According to Healy and the Pitt Program it out to Bigelow to watch exhilarating perCouncil public relations director, junior poformances from hip-hop artists like Desiilitical science and economics student Eva gner and Amine. This year will feature a Lin Feindt, choosing the headliners for Fall different genre — indie rock. Fest is one of the longest process involved According to Pitt Program Council spewith setting up the festival. They collaborate cial events director Farrell Healy, preparawith the special events committee, the special tion for this event takes months. events director, advisers and other University “We usually start planning after Bigstaff to find up-and-coming acts in the music elow Bash — and sometimes in March,” the industry. junior political science and history major “Once we find a few, we sit down and try said. “It’s such a huge event so we start to to figure out who we think would be the best organize it as early as possible.” fit for Fall Fest,” Feindt said. “We definitely Fall Fest will have four acts, which is the want performers that would be popular with usual number for the event — with Young Then 20-year-old rapper Desiigner crowd-surfed during his concert at our student body.” the Giant performing as the highly antici- Pitt Program Council’s annual Fall Fest in September 2017. Indie-rock group Young the Giant is this Thomas Yang| ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR pated opener. See Fall Fest on page 9 ROZES, a pop singer and songwriter
Elizabeth Donnelly Staff Writer
BRITSBURGH FESTIVAL HONORS WOMEN OF WORLD WAR I
Sept. 4 to 9. The afternoon tea and discussion with WWI author and historian Elizabeth Williams, Ph.D, at the Staff Writer Mansions was one of the first events of the 2018 celebraIn the ornate halls of the Mansions on Fifth Hotel on tions. Wednesday, a group of older women snapped Williams delved into her research about photos of themselves wearing floppy pastel World War I by talking about her book, “Pittspink, yellow and blue hats as waiters served burgh in World War I: Arsenal of the Allies.” platters of tea cakes and cucumber sandHer work explores international relations durwiches. Alternating between the main hall ing the war and Pittsburgh’s role in the conflict. and the tea room, the group practiced differ“World War I wasn’t a war against Germans ent poses, deciding which ones made for the and it wasn’t a war against America,” she said. most elegant pictures. “It was a war against barbarism.” These ladies were attendees of the Fourth The discussion mainly focused on women Annual Britsburgh Festival of High Teas. and women’s roles at the time. Throughout Anglophiles and history buffs took over the history, men have been the main focus of narluxurious hotel for an afternoon of sipping ratives involving war and politics, which is tea and celebrating the women of World War why events like this serve an important part I nearly a century after its end. in shedding light on the women in these stoMike Staresinic — a board member of ries. One such story Williams shared was about Britsburgh, the organization holding the feshow women played a crucial role in providing tival — felt strongly about this cause. health care and aid. “When you’re commemorating the end Women don elaborate hats and colorful ensembles Wednesday after“The Red Cross in Pittsburgh was staffed of the first world war, instead of focusing noon while attending high tea at the Fourth Annual Britsburgh Festival. primarily by women,” she said. “The only time on men with cannons, we want to highlight Maria Heines|STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER See Britsburgh on page 10
Maggie Medoff
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women’s roles,” Staresinic said. Britsburgh is dedicated to celebrating cultural ties between Pittsburgh and the United Kingdom. This is its fourth annual festival of all things British, running from
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Fall Fest, pg. 8 year’s perfect fit. The band from Irvine, California, is known for the hit song “Cough Syrup,” a platinum single tackled on the TV show “Glee.” The group consists of five current members — Sameer Gadhia, Jacob Tilley, Eric Cannata, Payam Doostzadeh and Francois Comtois. With the festival only weeks away, the excitement is starting to set in for those involved in the planning of the event. “I think the most exciting aspect of Fall Fest is that it’s the culmination of months and months of hard work,” Feindt said. “But specifically for this Fall Fest, I’m super excited for Young the Giant because they’re releasing new singles and we’re hoping they can incorporate some of that new music into the show.” Each year, students pack Bigelow Boulevard for this event without fail. Feindt described why the event has such a staying power — and why the excitement does not dwindle year after year. “I think that the general gist of Fall Fest is that every year it is a music and arts fest, but it’s not the same every year because we put on a different show and the vibe is always different based off of who’s coming,” she said. In addition to the musical performances, there will be a student organization activities fair and games area opposite the stage on Bigelow, and will feature tables set up by different student organizations where students can play carnival games, free to anyone with a valid Pitt student ID. Students can stay updated the day of the event on Twitter — by following Pitt Program Council at @wedopittevents. Members of the Pitt Program Council are not the only ones gearing up for the hysteria of all-day music and art on campus for free — those planning to attend are counting down the days as well. Sebastian Curtin, a senior communication major, shared his thoughts after reminiscing on the experiences he had with his friends as a junior. “I am extremely excited. I think it’s one of the best weekends of the fall semester. We all had a blast last year,” he said. “I cannot wait to see Young the Giant. They’re one of the best up-and-coming bands and they’re going to play a hell of a show.”
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Britsburgh, pg. 8 they got a break was at noon for a silent prayer.” Once all the women were seated and sipping from their porcelain cups, board member Robert Charlesworth passed a box of poppy flower pins around the room. The pins were colored red and green with a single black button in the center of the flower. “The poppies grow in Flanders Field and are a symbol of remembrance for the people who died in the war,” Charlesworth said. Kim Szczypinski, leader of Britsburgh’s history board, said that people tend forget about World War I more than other historical events despite the effects it had on cultural relations and women’s significant role in it. “World War I is far overshadowed in U.S. imagination by World War II,” she said. “After World War I, the U.S. and U.K. relationship became more cemented. Women were also able to prove their capability and equality in the workforce.” Mary Roberts Rinehart, “The American Agatha Christie,” was a key point of Williams’ presentation. As the first American to interview Queen Mary of England and Winston Churchill and the first female war correspondent to be taken into the territory between the Allied and German lines, Rinehart served as a figure of immense power and inspiration to women of that time. “She highlights the personal connections and what these people were feeling at the time,” Williams said. After Williams’ discussion, the women finished their tea cakes and quietly reflected on stories of bravery, politics and loss of life. Attendees of all backgrounds and generations sat in the space for two hours, learning and unpacking what it meant to be a woman in the time of battle while men were on the front lines. History may have painted women in an unfavorable and unfair light, but in those few moments a silent homage was paid to the women of World War I. This cause was important for Staresinic, who was proud to honor the women in this history and the resolution of it as well. “It’s so easy to get caught up in the destruction – it’s better to focus on the relief,” he said.
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ter. While not necessarily vulgar or disturbing, trash talk in Happy Valley typically airs on the side of arrogance and condescension. supporters from different teams has gotTake, for example, a tweet that typically ten nastier,” Rob Ruck, a history of sports gains popularity during the lead-up to the professor at Pitt, said. “I’m afraid that we’ve rivalry game. It goes, “What do Pitt and taken something that can be a wonderful riPenn State fans have in common? They both valry and we’ve often perverted it and made applied to Penn State,” with the underlying it a vehicle for bringing out our base emopunchline that Penn State is a more desirtions.” able school than Pitt. The Sandusky- and Paterno-oriented Or consider the Nittany Lions’ head comments continued in 2017 and have recoach, James Franklin, repeatedly insisting mained prominent in 2018 — more than that Pitt is just another game on the schedseven years removed from the scandal. ule. He even went so far as to say that beatHomemade signs or Post-it notes on dorm ing Pitt was “like beating Akron” in 2017. windows across campus read “Joe Pa 4 Franklin’s point — that every game is of Pope” and “PA Priests Graduated From equal importance — is respectable, but the PSU,” referencing the more recent — and schtick is growing old, and comes across like completely unrelated to Penn State — sexhe’s in a cheesy, low-budget football flick. ual abuse scandal among clergy in Western Penn State students also like to downplay Pennsylvania. the nature of the rivalry, saying that the PanThose who repeatedly recycle these same thers need the Nittany Lions more than vice remarks making light of child abuse are doversa. That didn’t turn out so well in 2016, ing no one any benefit — on the contrary, when Pitt’s victory essentially ruined Penn such comments are detrimental to sexual State’s bid at the College Football Playoff. assault victims, especially those in the SanAll sports rivalries involve a certain dusky case. Using an outdated incident — amount of pettiness, but this particular one that has no relation to the current Penn one has stooped to a level unbecoming of State fan base, coaching staff and football such honorable schools and football proteam — as a form of trash talk is a bad look grams. The most prominent forms of trash for Pitt. talk on each side are cyclical, embarrassing “I think Residents on Atwood Street hung a sign that draws and unproducthat there is a reference between Penn State’s sex abuse scan- tive. Instead of a line,” Pitt dal with Joe Paterno and the more recent sex rehashing old junior Phil abuse scandal with the Catholic Dioceses in Pennscandals, yellS a g g e s e sylvania. Hannah Schneider|CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ing expletives said. “And in public places some peoor continuousple cross ly displaying it. You just unwar rante d want to be arrogance torespectward one anful of other other, each fan p e o p l e base ought to … I don’t at least think think that outside the box you should when it comes make light to trash talk. of sensitive After this, topics.” there may On the only be one other side, meeting left Penn State for a long time students — and hopeand fans fully the fans have been can end this far from bout of rivalry blameless on a positive in this matnote.
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Future, pg. 6 lead in the series 51-43-4 heading into Saturday’s contest. The current agreement between Pitt and Penn State will come to a conclusion in 2019 with the 100th meeting in Happy Valley. The two schools have spoken openly about the rivalry and what the future holds for it. Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke has spoken very highly of the rivalry and the desire to continue it going forward. “I’ve been in as much contact as I can with [Penn State AD] Sandy [Barbour], who I have a lot of respect for at Penn State — tremendous leader, tremendous mentor, tremendous friend to me. We have an agreement before them, but it has not been signed. We have asked to extend the games for four more years, starting in 2026,” Lyke said in an April 2018 press conference. “We’re gonna wait a tad more patiently, but not much. We can’t. We have people that want to play us, and good opportunities to play what I think would be a very attractive game,” Lyke said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We want to play Penn State, but if they don’t, we obviously will switch gears and bring in an opponent you guys will want to see.” Lyke makes a strong point by saying if Penn State doesn’t express the same desire to play as Pitt does, then the school shouldn’t wait around for them. Lyke doesn’t want to let them dictate the rivalry — and she shouldn’t. If other top-notch schools are interested in playing the Panthers, then Pitt should work those games out. Penn State head coach James Franklin spoke earlier this year about the series and why it may cease to exist, citing the College Football Playoff system as a reason why a matchup with Pitt — which carries neither the high pedigree of a top-tier team nor the sheer vulnerability of an FCS opponent — may be illogical to schedule. “I don’t know if it makes a whole lot of sense,” Franklin said to reporters, according to SB Nation. “Strength of schedule is a huge part — or was supposed to be a huge part — of the selection committee. That really hasn’t
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panned out. You wouldn’t necessarily say that after looking at it the last couple years.” Franklin did, however, speak positively of the current rivalry. “If you’re looking at the Pitt-Penn State series as just the Pitt-Penn State series, yeah, it’s been fantastic,” Franklin told reporters. “It’s been awesome. There’s an excitement. There’s a buzz about it. I think it’s really good for the state of Pennsylvania.” If Franklin thinks it’s so “awesome,” Penn State should hurry up and sign another deal to play Pitt annually. Otherwise, there are plenty of other rivals Pitt can play, like West Virginia, which will be returning to play Pitt in 2022. Pitt’s rivalry with West Virginia — or “the Backyard Brawl,” as it’s called — is as significant if not more so than Pitt’s rivalry with Penn State. The two schools have met 104 times with Pitt holding a 61-40-3 advantage all time. The last time the two teams met, in 2011, the Mountaineers beat the Panthers 21-20 in West Virginia. Pitt’s rivalry with West Virginia also brought about what was perhaps Pitt’s most memorable moment of the last 20 years — when the 4-7 Panthers shocked the No. 2 Mountaineers in 2007, winning the game 13-9 and ending the Mountaineers’ title hopes. Another rivalry with a significant amount of history and bad blood is Pitt’s rivalry with Notre Dame, which renews this year at Notre Dame on Oct. 13. The two teams have faced off 70 times with Notre Dame holding a 4821-1 record all-time in the series. The two teams played annually between 1996 and 2013, including some classic games like Pitt’s 36-33 quadrupleovertime win in 2008 or Notre Dame’s 29-26 triple-overtime victory in 2012. Either of these rivalries would bring comparable crowds out to Heinz Field if Pitt focused on keeping them alive and both West Virginia and Notre Dame seemed more willing to meet Pitt halfway. Pitt needs to stop pushing “The Keystone Game” rivalry with Penn State if its rival school is making negotiations difficult. Of course, the game will set record attendances when played, but it isn’t worth going through the trouble.
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Prediction, pg. 2
Air Quality, pg. 5
He’s thrown for over 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns in each of the past two seasons, while running for 850 yards and 18 more scores on the ground. Defensively, the Nittany Lions struggled mightily in their first game without NFL draftees Marcus Allen, Troy Apke, Grant Haley and Christian Campbell. Penn State allowed almost 500 yards of total offense, recorded only two sacks and their lone interception came on the last play of the game. Pitt’s running back trio of senior Qadree Ollison, senior Darrin Hall and sophomore A.J. Davis is a balanced platoon that will be hard for Penn State to stop. Pickett, like McSorley, also has a knack for producing yards with his feet. And between senior Rafael Araujo-Lopes, first-year Shocky JacquesLouis and juniors Tre Tipton and Maurice Ffrench, Pickett has a potent receiving corps that could give Penn State secondary trouble. It’s worth noting that special teams are often the difference in close games. Ffrench returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Albany and Penn State allowed the Mountaineers to do the same — so some incredible specialist action could be in the cards for Saturday night. It’s likely we’ll see some exhilarating football at Heinz Field in the third episode of this saga. A high-scoring shootout is a possibility, and it will be a great game for both Nittany Lions and Panthers fans. Whether you’re in the crowd or at home on your couch, you won’t want to miss the latest installment in the rivalry that is Pitt vs. Penn State. PREDICTION: The combination of Hall, Ollison and Davis will rumble for some big plays on the ground to make Pickett’s life easier in one of the biggest games of his life. Pitt will spread the wealth on offense rather than target one or two players and Pickett will pick apart the Nittany Lions’ defense. McSorley, Sanders and company will undoubtedly rack up some big plays, but they won’t be enough against a Panther secondary that will buckle down when it matters most. The atmosphere at Heinz Field will be too much for this year’s Nittany Lions, and Franklin and the rest of Happy Valley will finally be forced to admit that the matchup against Pitt isn’t just another game. Pitt: 37, Penn State: 35
power plants. This is dangerous — even today, companies still struggle to meet air quality standards. Just this summer, the Allegheny County Health Department fined U.S. Steel $1 million for its illegally high particulate matter emissions at Clairton Coke Works, the largest coke factory in the country. Coke is a pure form of carbon that provides the intense heat and chemical reactants needed to manufacture steel. And Pittsburgh air is still notoriously bad. Allegheny County is one of nine areas across the country that still hasn’t met the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for small particulate matter, and the region consistently has high levels of hazardous air pollutants like benzene, lead, hexavalent chromium and other toxic substances. Federal deregulation would have sinister effects on the people of Allegheny County. The region is already in the top two percent of counties at risk of cancer from air pollution and this deregulation would only worsen the situation. But with the Trump administration set on complete deregulation, it seems nearly hopeless for any change at the federal level — so it falls on local authorities to adequately protect the people. In Pittsburgh, this means that the ACHD needs to be strict in enforcing the current standards and picking up any slack in regulation that the federal government gives. It’s promising that the ACHD has demonstrated a commitment to protecting Allegheny County’s air. The recent fine levied against U.S. Steel was the second largest in the last 10 years, and the department continues to monitor poor air quality in problem areas near the “Toxic Ten,” 10 companies around Pittsburgh notorious for exorbitant pollution. Residents can also help greatly with improving air quality. Community-created resources, like the Breathe Project based in Pittsburgh, offer a chance for concerned citizens to keep up with the most recent air quality news. And apps like Smell Pittsburgh, created by a lab at CMU, allow for reporting air quality issues and sharing the information with neighbors. Like many residents of Allegheny County, Kowal sees hope in Pittsburgh’s future. She views the emergence of tech companies and the mass influx of people as positives, things that can help with the revival of Pittsburgh. But at the same time, she knows that Pittsburgh needs to focus on improving its air quality before we can continue. “I don’t want to see the City revert back to what it was before,” she said.
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I N D E X
Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER
For Rent South Oakland 1, 2, 3, BRs available NOW! Large, close to Schenley Park and Pets Welcome. Call today! 412-455-5600 4 BR HOME - SEMPLE STREET, LOCATED NEAR LOUISA. EQUIPPED KITCHEN, FULL BASEMENT. NEW CENTRAL AIR ADDED. AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY AND RENTING FOR MAY AND AUGUST 2019. (412) 343-4289 or 412-330-9498. 4 BR House on Juliet St. 2-stories, 2 bathrooms, equipped eat-in-kitchen, living room, dining room, front/back porches, free washer/dryer in basement. Near universities, hospitals, public transportation. 412-337-3151 AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY - 311 Semple St., two blocks from Forbes Ave. 2BR, living room, updated kitchen with dishwasher and disposal, front porch, basement, back patio, carpeted. Must see - clean! $1300/mo plus utilities. Call 412-389-3636. Before signing a lease, be aware that no more than 3 unrelated
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people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Permits, Licensing & Inspections. 412-255-2175. Great Deal in South Oakland - 2 + BR on Juliet starting at $950. Includes recent cosmetic updates and new in-unit laundry. Call John CR Kelly Realty for details on available units: 412-683-7300 or visit: www.jcrkelly.com Great Deal in South Oakland - 2 + BR on Semple starting at $1000. Includes recent cosmetic updates and new in-unit laundry. Call John CR Kelly Realty for details on available units: 412-683-7300 or visit: www.jcrkelly.com
Shadyside 3BR, 3 Bath apartment on Emerson St. Computer room, study room, kitchen, laundry. 1 parking space. Landlord will pay for sticker parking. No pets. No smoking. Available Aug. 1st. $1500/mo. First month security deposit at lease signing. Preferred graduate student! Call Mike Dayton at 412-580-1612.
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Notices Events Do Invite Yourself to find your own connection to God! Feel free to show up in jeans at the Friends Meetinghouse, Sunday, 9/9/18, 10AM. Coffee, tea, homemade goodies... sorry, no oatmeal! Nearby at 4836 Ellsworth Ave. quaker.org/pghpamm
Come join the La Feria family! Part time restaurant work, no experience necessary, we will train you. Apply in person at 5527 Walnut St. 412-682-4501 House cleaning - $15/ hour, 5-6 hours per week- Oakland. References required. Text 412-414-7290 for details
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