12-4-19

The Pitt News

Angel Lezark Salon

Student discounts up to 50% off!

IG: @AngelLezarkSalon

Call Angel at 724-678-0364 and visit us at 5921 Baum Blvd. Suite 3 in East Liberty!

T h e i n de p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | december 4, 2019 ­| Volume 110 | Issue 92

SGB PASSES UPDATES TO ELECTIONS CODE

PITT GETS IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT

Emily Drzymalski Staff Writer

The Student Government Board unanimously passed a bill updating the SGB elections code for the 2020-21 elections at its last meeting of the fall semester Tuesday night.

The passed bill, introduced last week by elections committee chair Nick Bibby, aims to clarify the language on the endorsement processes, posting of campaign materials and definition of a student who is able to run. It expands the ability for students who are not solely enrolled in the College of General Studies to participate in the elections process — they may now vote for candidates and referendums, run for office and sign candidate petition forms. In the past, any students enrolled in CGS were not permitted to participate in SGB activities since the school has its own student government, but the new bill allows students enrolled in both CGS and any other Pitt school to engage in SGB-related activities.

It also clarifies the existing procedure that student organizations not registered with the University’s Student Organization Resource Center may not endorse a candidate or slate.

Student organizations will continue to request formal endorsement paperwork through SGB, and candidates and slates are responsible for requesting the removal of endorsements from non-SORC-registered organizations within 24 hours.

The bill will now allow for candidates and slates to “chalk” on the Bigelow Boulevard sidewalk outside the Cathedral of Learning, but prohibit promotional campaign materials that can be hung from door handles or knobs.

Sophomore computer science major Sushruti Bansod paints an ornament at Cookies and Cocoa, an event hosted by the student health service Tuesday in the William Pitt Union. Hannah Heisler | senior staff photographer

PITT LAW ALUM TO BE FIRST FEMALE CHESTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY Mary Rose O’Donnell Contributing Editor

A Pitt Law graduate recently accomplished a historic feat in a southeastern Pennsylvania local election.

Deb Ryan won the Chester County District Attorney’s race last month, beating First Assistant District Attorney Mike Noone in a 76,251 to 62,958 victory. Ryan will be the first Democratic DA in Chester County, as well as the first woman to hold the position.

“It has been surreal. I’m slowing digesting and processing what happened. I’m excited about coming into office in January and executing my vision to make this office a better See SGB on page 2 place,” Ryan said.

Ryan has been a prosecutor in southeastern Pennsylvania for 15 years, working in both the Philadelphia district attorney’s office and Chester County district attorney’s office. As district attorney, she plans on focusing on crime victims’ rights and criminal justice reform in her county, which has a population of about half a million.

But before she set upon her career path on the other side of the state, she walked the halls of the Barco Law Building as a Pitt Law student. She arrived at Pitt Law in 1995 after completing her undergraduate degree at Boston University, as well as an internship at the Philadelphia district attorney’s office.

During her internship, she was able to

watch a prosecutor give a closing argument in a homicide case. This experience is what led her to want to become a prosecutor herself. With this goal in mind, she enrolled in Pitt Law and began tailoring her schedule to fit her ambitions.

“My experience [at Pitt Law] was a good one. I think going to law school with the idea of becoming a prosecutor helped me make good class decisions. My course load was a lot of criminal procedure, criminal practice and evidence,” she said.

Ryan said she was inspired by two particular professors, Welsh White and John Burkoff. White, who passed away in 2005, See Ryan on page 2

News SGB, pg. 1

SGB also provided updates on several ongoing initiatives.

During his president’s report, SGB President Zechariah Brown said he was unable to meet with University administrators to discuss SGB’s SORC naming guidelines proposals.

Brown was supposed to meet with Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Life Linda Williams-Moore and SORC Coordinator Lynne Miller before Thanksgiving break, but the meeting was canceled due to scheduling conflicts. Brown said the meeting should be rescheduled before the end of the fall semester.

SORC announced in late August that beginning in fall 2020, its registration guidelines would prohibit the names of independent student organizations from including University trademarks or wordmarks like “Pitt” and “Panther,” instead encouraging clubs to use phrases such as “at Pitt” or “at the University of Pittsburgh.” The changes could affect as many as 393 of the 639 student organizations on campus.

The board released three possible solutions to the problem at its Nov. 6 meeting. Its preferred solution is to utilize SORC to approve names and marketing materials for clubs that want to “co-brand” with the University — allowing the use of University trademarks or wordmarks as long as sponsorship is not implied or stated. This model is currently in use at Boston College, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Miami, according to the board.

Brown said after the meeting that Miller and

pittnews.com

Williams-Moore have looked at the proposals, and anticipates they may suggest some changes.

“In my understanding of it, we’ll just be making minor tweaks,” Brown said. “Ultimately, the decision to choose one of the options presented in the proposal is up to admin.”

Judicial Committee Chair Grace Nelson also presented an update about her religious absence initiative during the meeting.

She announced the committee will work over winter break to put together educational materials for faculty members about students absences due to religious holidays. Since the beginning of October, the committee has been researching the University’s policy regarding excuses for missed work and absences for religious reasons. The Pitt News has reported on difficulties students face when making up missed work or absences due to religious or cultural observances.

As finals week approaches, Brown also mentioned in his president’s remarks that the William Pitt Union will host extra study hours Dec. 8 to Dec. 10 from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. on the main, first, third and sixth floors as well as the lower level. The WPU is usually open from 7 a.m. to midnight during the week and 8 a.m. to midnight on the weekend.

“If you’re a student in desperate need of a space to study, as I know many of us are in this very hectic finals season, please utilize those options,” Brown said.

Brown and other SGB members said that as finals are approaching, students should remember to take care of themselves.

“Please take care of yourselves,” Brown said.

“It’s just a week and a half, but it shouldn’t affect your health in any significant ways.”

Ryan, pg. 1 taught her criminal evidence class. Burkoff, a professor emeritus who retired from the University in 2017, taught her constitutional criminal procedure class.

Though she was a student of his more than 20 years ago, Burkoff takes pride in his former pupil’s accomplishments throughout her career.

“I couldn’t be more proud of her. She seems to me to be an incredibly good lawyer, but also an incredibly good person,” he said.

Ryan still recalls the excitement and passion both Burkoff and White instilled in her as a law student.

“When I sat in those classes, I knew that was the stuff I cared about. It really resonated with me. Because they were so interested in that area of the law and they were such great professors, it made the students really interested in the law. They were just excellent at what they did,” she said.

After graduating, Ryan moved back to Philadelphia and began working in the Philadelphia district attorney’s office, where she was first inspired to become a prosecutor, in 1998. During her four years in Philadelphia, she tried hundreds of cases and eventually was promoted to an assistant district attorney. After the birth of her first child, she left her position and moved to Chester County where she worked part-time for Champions of Caring, a non-profit organization founded by her mother dedicated to empowering young people in the Philadelphia area to work to improve their communities and af-

December 4, 2019

fect positive change.

Ryan returned to prosecuting in 2006 when she was hired by the Chester County district attorney’s office where she would eventually become a deputy district attorney in charge of the Chester County Child Abuse Unit in 2012. According to Ryan, this was a very significant moment in her life.

“It changed the trajectory of my career,” she said. “It was probably the most challenging and rewarding thing I’ve ever done. Working with children, especially very young children, is incredibly difficult.

There’s such a great satisfaction to be able to help one of the most vulnerable populations out there.”

Ryan’s mission to protect the children of Chester County continued after she left the Chester County DA’s office in 2016. She was hired by the Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County as the County Coordinator in charge of the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative.

According to Christine Zaccarelli, a Dietrich School alum and the CEO of the Crime Victims’ Center, Ryan was hired to work with a grant they received from Penn State to combat child sexual abuse in Chester County. Zaccarelli and Ryan both collaborated on the Stewards of Children, a training program that teaches adults how to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse. They also both began working at the center around the same time period and were transitioning from careers in prosecuting to advocacy work.

“Both of us were coming into a new field of work that did not involve practicing law. It See Ryan on page 8

2

Opinions HIDING INSTAGRAM LIKES IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH

Remy Samuels

Staff Columnist After taking hundreds of photos, finally selecting that perfect shot, editing it for hours, applying filters and coming up with a clever caption, you finally post your masterpiece to your Instagram feed.

You proceed to refresh the page over and over again, waiting for the likes to build up. Ten minutes pass by and you only have two likes? You look at your friend’s post and they already have 40 likes, and they posted their photo after you! Do you dare delete it out of embarrassment?

This dilemma that many young people on Instagram face today may no longer exist in the near future. The popular social media platform is currently testing out the removal of likes from accounts all over the world, including most recently in the United States. Instagram is not removing likes completely, however they are restricting users from viewing the amount of likes that other users are receiving. People can still see the likes on their own posts but they will no longer be able to compare their like count to others.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri explained the idea behind this is to “depressurize Instagram” in order to foster a less competitive atmosphere. This is definitely a positive move by Instagram to alleviate the self-esteem issues that people experience as a result of the app. However, the inability to view other users’ likes certainly will not solve the issue as a whole.

Instagram announced back in July it was going to test hiding likes in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand. But more recently, Mosseri said at the Wired25 conference on Nov. 8 that some accounts in the United States can expect their like counts to disappear from public view. In an interview with Wired, Mosseri explained that one of the goals of this experiment is to prioritize young people’s needs over bigger companies and brands that are trying to sell things through the app.

“It means we’re going to put a 15-year-old kid’s interests before a public speaker’s interest,” Mosseri said. “When we look at the world of public content, we’re going to put people in that world before orga-

pittnews.com

nizations and corporations.”

A 2017 report from the United Kingdom’s Royal Society for Public Health examined the impact that different social media platforms have on mental health by surveying people aged 16-24 in the United Kingdom about how different social media platforms affect their health and wellbeing. Snapchat and Instagram were ranked as the most negative social media apps for mental health, with YouTube ranked as the most positive. Some of the health and wellbeing-related issues that RSPH found to stem

tainly dangerous, as many people equate their like count to their own personal worth, the main issue with the app lies in the photos themselves. Niamh McDade, the communications executive at RSPH, said the lack of control that Instagram users have as they are scrolling through photos is what can be damaging to their mental health.

“You quite often see images that claim to be showing you reality, yet aren’t,” McDade said. “That’s especially damaging to young men and women.”

There are many influencers and others who use Shruti Talekar | staff illustrator

from social media include anxiety, depression, loneliness, body image issues, self identity issues, bullying and FoMO — the fear of missing out.

Instagram’s plan to restrict people’s access to view others’ likes is not going to eliminate the negative effects caused by social platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. People will still be able to compare their photos to other models and influencers that they encounter on the app. Despite what Instagram executives say about shifting the focus from the amount of likes a person gets to the actual content of the photos themselves, it is unlikely there will be much shift in terms of the mental health impact that Instagram creates.

Although the “like” feature on Instagram is cer-

Instagram as a way to portray their lives as perfect, when in reality, it is almost impossible to live such a pristine and aesthetically pleasing lifestyle. For instance, a fashion blogger on Instagram, Scarlett Dixon, has in the past faced criticism for posting unrealistic photos and captions, always in full makeup and hair, often posing in beautiful locations around the world.

Her account may seem harmless on the surface, but it is the cheery and attractive nature of her feed that actually has the potential to make others feel less than or worse about themselves. Because Instagram is encouraging these upbeat yet artificial types of posts, it causes poor self esteem issues for many users. Even Dixon herself has admitted that a lot of

December 4, 2019

her posts are staged and many are used for sponsorships.

Essentially, likes are not the root cause of this issue. Yes, likes certainly contribute to the problem, but this image-based platform has a long way to go if they truly want to depressurize Instagram culture.

Another flaw in this test to remove likes is that many people who have Instagram also tend to use Facebook and Twitter, which are platforms that still include the “liking” feature. Therefore, even if people are able to avoid the popularity contest of likes on Instagram, they can still hop over to Facebook to compare like counts there. Funnily enough, Facebook experimented with hiding likes as well in September of this year, when they ran a limited test that made likes, reactions and video view counts private.

A Facebook representative said they would gather feedback to see if people like the changes, but there have not been any updates since then.

The response to these changes to Instagram has been very mixed. Whereas some influencers like Kim Kardashian West believe this move will be “beneficial” for people’s mental health, others like Cardi B feel the problem with Instagram is the comments, not necessarily likes. In an Instagram video, she said that people in the comments are always “starting the craziest arguments [and] starting to race-bait.”

Nicki Minaj even tweeted that she will no longer use Instagram once likes are removed. She argues that this would restrict artists from seeing how their fans are responding to their work. This could be a similar problem for other influencers and business owners whose careers and overall image is reliant on the number of likes they receive.

Overall, the hiding of likes is not likely going to change much in terms of improving the mental health of young people. They can still compare their bodies and hairstyles to other users and feel like they are missing out or have inferior lives to others. It is reassuring that Instagram is making strides to alleviate the pressure people feel when their posts do not receive the amount of attention they had hoped for, but the anxiety that surrounds the app is not going to simply disappear.

3

The Pitt News

from the editorial board

Pittsburgh should invest in cyber security As technology and our understanding of how it can be used expands, everyone from individuals to companies to cities to countries is in need of better, more reliable methods of keeping their information safe.

Pittsburgh is one of many cities that plans to make changes to the way it manages cybersecurity. Mayor Bill Peduto announced Monday at a City Council budget meeting that the proposed 2020 budget would redirect economic development and create the position of cybersecurity manager to help protect the City from cyber attacks. This is a smart and necessary move, especially given the recent trend of cyber attacks against city governments around the country.

Baltimore was hit twice this year by ransomware attacks, which is when hackers use software to lock and encrypt data before asking for a ransom in exchange for giving the data back. As a result of these attacks, officials had to shut down most of its servers and the government lost about $18 million, both in revenue and in costs incurred attempting to restore the systems. The previous year, in 2018, Baltimore faced a similar attack when hackers took down the city’s 911 and emergency dispatch systems for about 17 hours. In this instance, safety was obviously a large concern.

Atlanta was the victim of a similar cyber attack in March 2018, when a group of hackers left citizens unable

pittnews.com

Editor-in-Chief JANINE FAUST

Managing Editor CAROLINE BOURQUE manager@pittnews.com

editor@pittnews.com

to use online services and the city unable to do anything that required access to their networks.

The new cybersecurity manager position sounds like a no-brainer in that light, especially with the City’s increased vulnerability in recent years. Pittsburgh’s director of innovation and performance, Santiago Garces, said during that budget meeting that some departments are using computers that are 12 years old. He also said that the number of devices connected to the City’s network has tripled over the course of three years.

These factors make the City more vulnerable to cyberattacks that could cost millions of dollars and disrupt the running of our government.

That’s why, as Garces pointed out, the budget allows the City to begin replacing electronic devices that are more than four years old with newer ones. It also plans to invest $1.5 million in “really strong infrastructure,” including a stronger network than the one the City currently uses.

“Having a network that is reliable, that is monitored, that has capacity, is a critical part of cybersecurity,” Garces said.

These are the kinds of preventative measures that all cities — not just Pittsburgh — should seriously consider taking. The consequences of not taking these precautions can be much more expensive and disruptive than the cost of preventative measures.

Opinions Editor LEAH MENSCH

News Editor EMILY WOLFE

news@pittnews.com

opinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor TRENT LEONARD

Culture Editor DELILAH BOURQUE

sports@pittnews.com

culture@pittnews.com

Visual Editor SARAH CUTSHALL

Layout Editors ELI SAVAGE & ELISE LAVELLEE

Online Editor MATT CHOI

Copy Chief BAILEY SASSEVILLE

layout@pittnews.com

visuals@pittnews.com

copy@pittnews.com

tpnonline@gmail.com

Maggie Young | Assistant Copy Chief

Jon Moss | Assistant News Editor Eri Guthrie | Assistant News Editor Maggie Durwald | Assistant Opinions Editor Stephen Thompson | Assistant Sports Editor Thomas Yang | Assistant Visual Editor Knox Coulter | Multimedia Editor

Copy Staff Ben King Nick Rivera Sarah Stager Rachel Wonder Riley Kleemeier

Kellen Kolar Kayla Romanelli Sofia Ackerman Jane Patz Lydia Chlpka

Digital Staff Mary Rose O’Donnell | Digital Manager Gennadi Ryan | Online Visual Editor

Editorial Policies

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@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, student-written and

Sales Manager KYLE GUINNESS

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 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.

Business Manager FORREST BLONDELL

advertising@pittnews.com

Inside Sales Manager ALEXANDRIA REA

Marketing Manager

Production Manager

Account Executives

VICTORIA KLINE

THOMAS TOURE

Paige Eritz Mark Machado Chris Stuchell Steven Moran Constantina Garganos

December 4, 2019

4

pittnews.com

December 4, 2019

5

Sports

Waiver Wire Weekly: Crucial additions for fantasy playoffs pittnews.com

PITT BREAKS IN NEW THREADS WITH 71-60 WIN OVER RUTGERS Stephen Thompson

Assistant Sports Editor As the saying goes: look good, feel good.

The Pitt men’s basketball team certainly looked good Tuesday night in its stylish new black and yellow jerseys that paid homage to the hometown color scheme, capped by a bright yellow capital “P” for Pittsburgh on the chest.

And the Panthers put forth a performance to match the appearance, taking down Rutgers 71-60 at the Petersen Events Center as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

Like most young people, sophomore guard Xavier Johnson and his teammates loved their new threads.

“I like them,” Johnson said. “They’re sweet, they’re nice.”

In those unfamiliar home colors, Pitt (7-2 overall, 1-0 ACC) played its most complete game of the season in a comfortable win over the Scarlet Knights (6-2 overall, 0-0 Big Ten).

Tuesday marked the Panthers’ fourth win over a major-conference opponent this season, already matching their total from a season ago.

The Panthers hadn’t played a home game in 12 days. They were fresh from Florida after winning the Fort Myers Tip-Off Tournament and fed off of the energy of an invigorated home crowd.

Junior guard Ryan Murphy drew confetti from the Oakland Zoo with a 3-pointer — the first of five field goals he would sink in the opening frame.

He scored 11 points in the first half after struggling to find his range in Fort

Myers.

Murphy’s first-half outburst was crucial, head coach Jeff Capel said, not just for Murphy but the entire team.

“It’s important for every guy on the team,” Capel said. “We have not shot the ball very well, so if we can see the ball go through the hoop that’s important, I don’t care who it is.”

But Murphy didn’t single-handedly kickstart the sluggish Panther offense.

The Panthers assisted on eight of 14 field goals that were made, a facet of the game that Capel has made a point of emphasis.

“We made some shots,” Capel said.

“But something we’ve consciously tried to make an effort to do a better job with is move the basketball to get movement and try to get guys to play

without the ball.”

The Panthers left the floor at halftime up only eight, but in control. They were forcing the Scarlet Knights into long 2-pointers and owned a 20-12 advantage in points in the paint. Still, Pitt couldn’t afford to relax. Capel expected Rutgers to play angry following the intermission, and that it did.

Rutgers sprinted to a 10-2 run to open the second half, forcing Capel to call a timeout with 15:23 remaining to settle his team down. Rutgers had reclaimed the momentum, but Capel urged his squad to return to what had earned the lead — defense and rebounding.

Following the timeout, Pitt responded with a 13-0 run fueled by See Basketball on page 7

PROJECTING PITT VOLLEYBALL’S FINAL FOUR PATH Alex Lehmbeck Staff Writer

Pitt sure seems to be a volleyball school now. The team is easily the school’s most dominant at the moment, posting a 29-1 overall and 18-0 ACC record heading into postseason play. The Panthers, ranked No. 2 in the AVCA Coaches Poll, will begin their quest on Friday for the ultimate goal — a national championship as the sixth overall seed.

While Pitt’s best season in program history should be deemed a success regardless of how the tournament goes, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. The Panthers haven’t won a national championship in any sport since 1976, when they earned the last of their nine football titles. If that isn’t enough motivation, the semifinals and final of this year’s volleyball tournament will take place at Pitt hasn’t won a national championship in any sport since 1976, but Pitt Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena. Winning volleyball will make an attempt in the NCAA tournament starting Friday. the school’s first national championship Kaycee Orwig | senior staff photographer

pittnews.com

December 4, 2019

in 43 years a couple miles from Pitt’s campus would make the experience that much sweeter.

Teams like to take things one game at a time, while fans wouldn’t dare look too far ahead for fear of inducing a jinx.

Luckily, we here at The Pitt News have no such reservations. The Panthers have a legitimate shot at the title —here’s how it can happen.

First Round The only part of this article that is guaranteed — the Panthers’ open postseason play at the Petersen Events Center this Friday at 7 p.m against the Howard Bison (20-12 overall, 14-1 MEAC).

Howard earned an automatic bid as the MEAC champion, its fifth straight conference title. The Bison have absolutely dominated the MEAC in those five years, posting a 66-7 conference reSee Volleyball on page 7

6

Volleyball, pg. 6

Sophomore guard Xavier Johnson (1) goes up for a dunk during Pitt’s 71-60 victory over Rutgers. Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor

Basketball, pg. 6 steals and layups, and punctuated by a beautiful crossover from Johnson and a feed to Murphy on the wing for an open 3-pointer.

The Panthers never looked back, stretching their lead to as many as 13 and cruising to a double-digit victory.

Johnson continued to play like the all-around point guard his first year promised. On Tuesday he scored 20 points on 8-14 shooting from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers.

He was joined in double-figure scoring by Murphy, sophomore guard Trey McGowens, and sophomore forward Au’Diese Toney, who scored 16, 15 and 10 respectively.

Toney also added three assists and two rebounds, all essential to helping

pittnews.com

Pitt start as sharp as it did. Much of his strong defense and stabilizing offensive play is invisible in the box score, but Toney’s contributions didn’t go unnoticed. “[Toney] was big, especially starting off at the beginning of the game,” McGowens said. “He was getting boards and assists … When he’s rolling, that helps us a lot.”

Toney, Johnson and company will look to keep their five-game win streak alive, but face a massive hurdle on Friday.

The Panthers can now look forward to a trip to the Bluegrass State and a date with undefeated No. 1 Louisville.

Tip-off with the Cardinals is scheduled for 9 p.m. and Pitt’s attempt at a repeat of last year’s upset at the Pete will be broadcast on the ACC Network.

cord over that time span.

Against tougher non-conference competition, however, the Bison appear to be competitive at best. They were a mere 6-11 in those games this year.

Howard played three games against teams that made the NCAA tournament, losing to American 3-1, St. John’s 3-0 and USC 3-0.

Performance-wise, Howard does have some strong servers, racking up 197 aces this year. Despite this, the team should easily be overmatched by Pitt’s vicious attack.

Second Round If the Panthers win on Friday, they’ll host the winner of the day’s other matchup at the Pete between the Cincinnati Bearcats (25-6 overall, 15-1 AAC) and VCU Rams (24-6, 14-0 Atlantic 10).

Both the Bearcats and Rams fell in their respective conference finals despite their near-perfect conference records during the regular season that earned each of them the top seed. Both are strong squads that cannot be overlooked.

Of the two, Pitt should probably be more worried about Cincinnati, specifically its flawless passing. The Bearcats lead the country with 14.38 assists per set. Sophomore Armania Heckenmueller accounts for 12.21 of those assists per set, also the best in the nation.

Sweet Sixteen Assuming Stanford, the region’s top seed, avoids an upset in its first two matches, the third- and fourth-round matches of Pitt’s region will be played at its facilities. If Pitt advances to the third round and Stanford does not, the Panthers would get to host two more matches.

Pitt’s third-round matchup would likely be one of the most highly anticipated matches of the NCAA volleyball season. This is because it would likely pit the Panthers against in-state rival Penn State (24-5 overall, 17-3 Big 10) for the third time this season.

Pitt played No. 11-seed Penn State, arguably the strongest volleyball program in NCAA history, twice this year.

The Panthers came into Happy Valley and shocked the Nittany Lions, domi-

December 4, 2019

nating in a 3-0 sweep. Pitt hosted a rematch at the Pete two days later, easily breaking the program’s home attendance record. In a grueling nailbiter, Penn State came away with a 3-2 victory.

If this showdown happens, Pitt will be looking for revenge from past postseason matchups. Penn State eliminated the Panthers from the 2016 and 2017 NCAA tournaments, both games at State College.

In the microscopic chance that Penn State is upset in one of the first two rounds, it will likely be by the Towson Tigers (28-2 overall, 16-0 CAA). Towson’s robust defense has held opponents to a .139 hitting percentage this season, the fourth-lowest in the country.

Final Four The Panthers’ likely final test to make it to the Pittsburgh-hosted Final Four would be its toughest of the year — taking down the defending national champion Stanford Cardinal (24-4 overall, 18-2 Pac-12).

Stanford, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, enters on a 11-match win streak in the Pac-12, which is the best conference in the country based on RPI. This isn’t surprising when you see the talent-stacked roster Stanford boasts.

It brought back all but one starter from 2018’s championship team, including five All-Americans. The Cardinal also brought in the nation’s top recruiting class.

It’s hard to imagine any team stopping Stanford — which was touted before the season as one of the greatest volleyball teams in NCAA history — prior to this round. Two of the teams on Stanford’s side of the region, Utah (22-9 overall, 14-6 Pac-12) and Cal Poly (208 overall, 13-3 Big West), played Pitt earlier this season. The Panthers dispatched both teams 3-1, so fans should be confident if they get one of those matchups.

It is worth noting, though, that Utah has played Stanford well during conference play. In their first matchup, the Utes fell in a 3-2 heartbreaker, losing the final set 17-15.

Pitt is certainly focused on one matchup at a time, but if it can somehow string together these four wins, the City of Pittsburgh will be in for a treat when the Final Four comes to town.

7

Ryan, pg. 2 was great to be able to relate to each other on that level. We both enjoyed it and Deb was a great fit for the position,” Zaccarelli said.

While working for the Crime Victim’s Center, Ryan was able to work to promote child abuse prevention, as opposed to working with the victims of such crimes.

“As a prosecutor, you’re reactionary.

You’re dealing with the after-effects of something pretty traumatic. What we saw in Chester County over the past several years was an exponential increase in child abuse allegations of more than 760%, which is unconsionable,” she said. “Being able to work in the prevention side of things was a wonderful and natural fit for me because we need to figure out how we can protect kids and stop this from happening in the first place.”

She decided to run for district attorney after speaking to friends in local law enforcement who expressed desire for a change in leadership. She was especially encouraged by her brother, who passed away last year.

“The day before he died we spoke about it. He was a huge advocate for me to run for DA and outlined it really well for me. After

pittnews.com

his death, it really made me assess what I wanted to do with my life and what kind of work I think is important and meaningful,” she said.

Though she will be starting a new job this January, Ryan is still dedicated to advocating for crime victims and has said she will make this a priority throughout her time as district attorney.

“I know how important it is to make sure we’re treating victims with respect and dignity — keeping them in the loop about their case and making sure their voices are heard,” she said.

She is also focused on criminal justice reform in Chester County. For Ryan, this means creating and expanding programs that are an alternative to jail, specifically for those with mental illnesses or drug and alcohol problems, and for those who have committed a low-level nonviolent offense. These programs could potentially include counseling, job skills training and a GED course.

She also stressed the importance of equal treatment in the criminal justice system.

“We’ve had a disparity in the treatment of certain types of people and we want to make sure we rectify that. Everyone should be treated equally,” she said.

Deb Ryan won the Chester County District Attorney’s race last month after serving as a prosecutor in southeastern Pennsylvania for 15 years. photo courtesy of deb ryan

December 4, 2019

8

Applications for The Pitt News 2020-2021 Editor in Chief and Business Manager positions are now being accepted.

The Personnel Committee of The Pitt News Advisory Board at the University of Pittsburgh is now accepting applications for the editor in chief and the business manager of The Pitt News for the 2020-2021 school year. Prior employment at The Pitt News or at another college newspaper is preferred but not required.

Applicants for each position must be an undergraduate Pitt student enrolled for a minimum of nine credits for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 term. Applicants must also have and maintain a minimum of 2.5 GPA. The term for each position is May 2020 through April 2021. The editor in chief and business manager each must work a minimum of 25+ hours per week during the fall and spring terms.

These are paid positions. The editor in chief and business manager each earn between $8,800 - $9,500 per year and also receive a $14,500 academic scholarship.

Application deadline is Tuesday, January 7, 2020.

Interviews will be held Friday, January 24, 2020.

If you have any questions or want an application, please contact Terry Lucas, General Manager of The Pitt News, 434 William Pitt Union, trlucas@pitt.edu or Harry Kloman, News Adviser, kloman@pitt.edu.

USE YOUR PANTHER

FUNDS! Take a study break and use your Panther Funds before they disappear!

JOIN OUR TEAM AT WWW.SMILE.JOBS pittnews.com

19HB3144

December 4, 2019

9

FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 4, 2019

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

The Pitt news crossword

12/04/19

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

pittnews.com

ACROSS 1 Retina 5K computer 5 Pet collar clip-on 10 Theme park with a geodesic dome 15 Bite 16 Bête __ 17 Place to get clean 18 Medication unit 19 Crooner who co-wrote the “Chestnuts roasting ... ” song 20 Swim events 21 Holiday song whose first line ends, “come sailing in” 24 Pooh’s dour friend 25 Leader with a dot-edu address 26 Brief “If only I could unhear that ... ” 29 2018 US Open winner Osaka 32 Inductee 34 Personal 37 Marathoner’s woes 40 One for the road?

41 Holiday song first recorded by Gene Autry 45 “The Nutcracker” skirt 46 Like some owls 47 Cottonelle layer 48 Jumps in 51 Apply to 53 Nonprofit aid gp.

54 Opera set in Egypt 57 Curtains 61 Holiday song based on a traditional German folk song 65 Storybook pachyderm 67 Pens 68 __ Kong 69 “Home Alone” actress Catherine 70 Line dance 71 French friend 72 Area component 73 Ready to pour 74 What 21-, 41- or 61-Across is ... and, phonetically, a curiously apt common feature of those answers

December 4, 2019

12/4/19

By Jeff Eddings

DOWN 1 Many a lowbudget flick 2 Reindeer cousin 3 Analyze 4 Ponder 5 On paper 6 Spot for a wreath 7 Hankook product 8 Like bodyguards 9 “Six __ a-laying ... ” 10 Valuable fur 11 Sound often not allowed?

12 Celebratory gesture 13 Granola kernel 14 MLB playoffs broadcaster 22 Stretch of land 23 Holiday roast 27 Heavy __ 28 Wry twist 30 “Do the __!”

31 Texting qualifier 33 Gaping hole 34 Quite a lot 35 Squeezed (out) 36 Decently

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

38 Where the Amazon begins 39 Nine-digit IDs 42 Mystery writer Grafton 43 Rush job phrase 44 Fragrances 49 Really spirited 50 Title for Patrick Stewart 52 Eponymous hot dog guy Handwerker

12/4/19

55 Summer songs?

56 __ Martin: British car 58 Ad 59 Choice start 60 Jason of “The Muppets” 62 E-commerce icon 63 Color variant 64 Huge opening?

65 Present prettifier 66 Sashimi choice

10

I N D E X

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

For Rent North Oakland 2 bedroom 1 bath townhouse. $825+util­ ities. Washer/dryer, granite countertops, off‑street parking, dishwasher, and spa­cious bedroom.

Avail­able August 1st.

Call 724‑309‑4193.

214 N. Craig Street.

Safe, secure build­ ing. 1BR, furnished.

Newly remodeled, no pets. Rent $850 and up, including heat. Mature or Graduate students.

412‑855‑9925 or 724‑940‑0045. Email for pictures: salonre­ na@gmail.com 4 bedroom 1 bath­ room. Newly up­dated. $1595+utili­ties.

Washer/dryer, granite countertops, off‑street parking, dishwasher, back­yard, and spa­ cious bedrooms.

Available August 1st.

Call 724‑309‑4193.

Updated 2, 3, 4, and 5 bedroom units for a summer 2020 move in! Call today for more info and to set up your tour!

412‑441‑1400

pittnews.com

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

South Oakland ** 3 Bedroom Town­house, fire­ place, LAUNDRY, DISH­WASHER, off street parking, patio, yard, clean. Partially Fur­nished. Located on Blvd of Allies & Dawson Street. PITT Shuttle stop, only 15 minute to PITT CMU. $1995+. Avail­able 8/1/2020. NO PETS. Coolapart­ments@ gmail.com video tour at tinyurl.­com/blvdo­ fallies ** 5 Bedroom/2 full bath; HUGE HOME‑ duplex style, three sto­ ries. COM­PLETELY REMOD­ELED, 2 living rooms, 2 kitchens, 2 dining rooms, LAUN­DRY, DISH­WASHER and a huge yard to enjoy!

Huge Bedrooms!

Located on Dawson Street. PITT Shuttle stops di­rectly in front of house, only 15 minute level walk to PITT/CMU. $3,395­+.

Available 8/1/2020.

NO PETS. Call Jason at 412‑922‑2141. Pic­ tures‑ Info: tinyurl. com/­dawsonhome ***AUGUST 2020: Furnished studios, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. No pets.

Classifieds

For sale

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

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

Non‑smokers pre­ ferred. 412‑621‑0457.

1‑2‑3‑4‑5 Bedroom apartments/houses.

Rents starting at $650 for 1BR. May or Au­gust availability.

412‑999‑2124 1‑2‑3‑4‑6 bedroom apartments and houses available for August 2020. Owner Managed. 40+ years on campus. Fully fur­ nished or unfur­nished, most units are newly remodeled Kitchens and baths , located on Atwood, Semple, Oakland Ave., Ward, Mckee Place, Juliet and Parkview Ave. Call or text Tim @ 412‑491‑1330 www.­ TMKRentals.com 2 BR 1 BA on cam­pus bus route. Avail­able immediately. $750/ month includ­ing utilities and ca­ble.

On street park­ing. No pets. 412‑576‑8734 3 BD apartments available in South Oakland from $1195‑$1600 M.J. Kelly Real Estate mjkellyrealty@gmail.­ com. 412‑271‑5550.

322 S. Bouquet.

Huge 2 BR apart­ ments. Available May 1, 2020 or Au­gust 1, 2020. 412‑361‑2695

notices

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

R A T E S

Insertions

1X

2X

3X

4X

5X

1-15 Words

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$27.00

16-30 Words

416 Oakland Ave., Garden Court. Bright and spacious 2BR, 1BA. Hardwood floors, laundry. Move May 1 or Au­gust 1, 2020. $1395 includes heat. Call 412‑361‑2695.

Now renting for Fall 2020. Apartments and houses of all sizes.

Conveniently located throughout South Oakland. Rents start­ ing as low as $620.

John C.R. Kelly Re­ alty. 412‑683‑7300 www.jcrkelly.com

Dawson Village Apts. near CMU and Pitt.

One bedroom apts. $935 + electric. Avail­ able for immedi­ate move in. On bus line, close to restau­rants and shops. Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546

$20.00

$25.00

$29.10

$32.30

+ $5.00 + $5.40

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

Hudson Oakland Apartments. 2BD 1BA Located on Craft Ave, Semple St, & Cable Pl. $1,300‑ $1,495/month +elec­ tric. Within walking distance to Pitt. Tel: (412) 407‑9001 x.1 www.hudson‑oakland.­ com

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.

$14.20

$30.20

Add.

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

3444 Ward St. We have studios, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apart­ ments. Bright and spacious. Free heat­ ing and free parking.

Move May 1, 2020 or August 1, 2020. Call 412‑361‑2695

Apartments for rent. 3 and 4 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

$7.50

6X

Pet Friendly Apts!!

Studios ‑ $695‑$705 1Beds ‑ $795‑$815 2beds ‑ $975‑$995 3beds ‑ $1,245 South Oakland Houses and Apart­ ments with Laundry and Central Air Call or Text 412‑38‑Lease Studio, 1, 2, 3, and 4 BD apartments avail­ able in South Oak­land from $800‑$2500 M.J. Kelly Real Estate mjkellyrealty@gmail.­ com. 412‑271‑5550.

Shadyside Luxury 2 bedroom apartments and charming 3‑4 bed­ room duplexes in Shadyside for sum­mer 2020! Beautiful and modern updates, call today! 412‑441‑1400

Squirrel Hill

duplexes in the beau­ tiful neighborhood of Squirrel Hill! 2‑5 bedroom options for summer 2020! Call now! 412‑441‑1400 Half‑double, 3 BD with garage, on bus line. Call 412‑281‑2700. Avail­ able Now! Squirrel Hill duplex, 5547 Beacon St., available June 1, 2020. All on one level, no steps, 3BR, 2 full baths. Five minute walk to bus to Oakland, Pitt, CMU, downtown Pittsburgh and major Squirrel Hill shopping dis­trict.

Hardwood floors entire house, bedroom #1 (18’x16’), bed­ room #2 (12’x16’), bed­room #3 (12’x8’).

Large eat‑in kitchen (13’x12’), includes gas stove, stainless steel refrigerator, dish­ washer and dis­posal.

No pets, no smoking. $1795 +utilities. Call Ray at 412‑523‑2971 or email rwiener602@ g­mail.com.

For Sale Real Estate NEAR LIGONIER. Scenic location. $278K. 2BR house and 1BR guest house.

Detached garage, plus stu­dio/shop. Income op­portunities. Reply to: The Benton Group PO. Box 634 Ligonier, PA. 15658‑0634

Gorgeous and unique

December 4, 2019

11

pittnews.com

December 4, 2019

12