The Pitt News
T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | December 5, 2019 | Volume110 | Issue 93
SERVICE POEMS FROM PRISON: PUP CLUB Students share incarcerated voices GETS THREE NEW PUPILS Ashton Crawley Staff Writer
Caroline Cox is graduating in the spring, but she’s about to get a new roommate — an 8-month-old puppy. Cox will spend her last months on campus raising a service dog through the Panthers’ Service Pups club. The club — where Pitt students raise and train service dogs — was originally founded in 2017 but reregistered with a new parent organization this past semester. They will receive three puppies to raise on Friday. The dogs will go everywhere with the trainers for a year and a half. The new puppies, Iverson III, Koji II and Kaptain II, come from Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit based in Santa Rosa, California. The student trainers will head to the Pittsburgh International Airport on Friday morning to pick them up after their long trip. According to Cox, a senior studying social work, the club has been steadily growing since it was founded, and members hope it will continue to grow throughout the upcoming semesters. “I think it’s about to get a lot bigger. There’s so much interest for it,” Cox said. CCI, founded in 1975, places dogs with people free of charge — one of the main reasons the Panthers’ Service Pups club wanted to affiliate See Pups on page 2
Student performs “A Father’s Love Changes the Past,” written by inside student Jay. Courtesy of Brian Gentry
Brian Gentry
the Pitt students — they talked back and forth, shouting opinions about Antwon Rose’s Editor’s note: The last names of both inside shooting in 2018. But the words that came out and outside students in this piece have been of their mouths weren’t their own. Instead, withheld at the request of the instructors to they were the words from pieces of creative protect their anonymity, as one of the program’s writing by incarcerated students in class with rules prevents contact with students after the them. “Shot three times, back, aorta, lung, heart class is over. / Antwon, no danger whatsoever / Grassy lot, It seemed almost like a debate between Senior Staff Writer
The Pitt News Best Of Edition Must Complete 50% of the questions Deadline to Vote is Dec. 6TH
Antwon appeared lifeless, facedown.” — “Antwon on the Ground: June 19, 2019,” David The performative sparring was part of an event called Clear & Present Stranger: Words from Incarcerated Writers, which packed City of Asylum on Wednesday night, with more than 100 people in attendance. At the event, Pitt students performed the poetry of incarSee Voices on page 5
Head to Pittnews.com to vote in our Best Of 2019 Ballot
2 Random WInners each win 2 lumberjaxes axe throwing passes!
News
ONLINE Pitt to possibly purchase Twentieth Century Club pittnews.com
Grad union organizers demonstrate on sky bridge Benjamin Nigrosh Senior Staff Writer
Grad union organizers pressed paper letters against the windows of the Forbes Avenue sky bridge, spelling out the words “H2P Grad Union” on Wednesday afternoon in a demonstration to raise awareness for their campaign to establish a graduate student union. According to Ben Case, a sociology graduate student, the more than 20 students campaigning for the grad union wanted to make their message heard without disrupting the campus. “Our issue is not with the University students,” Case said. “We don’t want to obstruct anybody from taking any finals or who have things to take care of at the end of the semester. We want to support our students who have supported fellow grads and other faculty doing research.” The unionization effort kicked off in 2016, promising higher wages, increased benefits, greater transparency and increased protections
Pups, pg. 1 with the organization, according to Katie Carr. Carr, a sophomore studying public and professional writing, joined the club, which was originally named Perfect Fit Canines Campus Scholars after their previous partner, as a firstyear. Carr is now the social media officer for the club and will be co-raising one of the new puppies. She has some previous experience with animal therapy through her work at Hope on Horseback, a therapeutic riding equestrian center for people with physical or mental disabilities. “They use a lot of the same desensitization techniques for horses. I thought that some of those skills would come in handy. And plus — who doesn’t want to spend time with a cute puppy?” Carr said. After receiving the puppies, the trainers will go everywhere with them for about a year and a half. The majority of the training will consist of teaching the dogs name recognition, basic commands and socialization so that the dogs become used to being in public, including in classrooms and other places around campus. Because the dogs are so young, special training techniques
pittnews.com
Alnica Visser, a philosophy graduate student, said the demonstration is one of several ways that union organizers are attempting to keep fellow grad students engaged while waiting for a ruling from the PLRB. “One of the things that we are trying to do at the moment, because we’re waiting for the PLRB to review the administration’s appeal, is just keep visibility up and keep people engaged,” Visser said. According to Sinan Dogan, an anthropology grad student, the demonstrators wanted to draw Grad union organizers hold signs against the windows of the Forbes Avenue attention to their own movement and empower sky bridge on Wednesday afternoon.. Joy Cao staff photographer other organizations to do the same. “What we are trying to do is to draw the atagainst discrimination and harassment. This cul- declaring that Pitt commited three unfair labor tention not only from eligible voters — which minated in an April election in which Pitt grad practices. we are trying everyday to do — but students and students voted 712-675 against forming a union. But Pitt filed an exception to the proposed staff who are unionized or not unionized, or facAfter union organizers appealed the election ruling at the beginning of October, disappointing ulty who are trying to unionize right now,” Dogan results, a representative from the Pennsylvania organizers who hoped to hold the second election said. “As well as other folks, other graduate stuLabor Relations Board issued a proposed ruling this semester. The full PLRB is now reviewing the dents in other universities. ” in mid-September ordering a new election and case to make a final determination. must be used. “You have to make everything super exciting, by tapping your feet or raising your voice a little bit — anything to get them engaged,” Carr said. In conjunction with training the puppies, the main goal of the club is to educate the public about therapy dogs and service dogs and the etiquette surrounding them. It can often be challenging to train the puppies when students constantly want to pet them. “Not a lot of people know about proper service dog etiquette or the difference between therapy dogs and emotional support dogs,” Carr said. Therapy dogs are more for providing comfort to their owner whereas service dogs help a person who has a disability such a seizure disorder or diabetes. Emotional support dogs are there to be companions to their owners. The distinction between the different types of dogs is important to many members of the club, including Cox, who has been part of the service dog club since fall 2018. She’s excited to be raising one of the new puppies and to help spread awareness of service dog etiquette. “I think people get confused sometimes because you always have to ask [before petting the
dog]. That’s just one of those things that as it gets bigger and people know more about it they’ll know to just ask,” Cox said. Lily Swanson, a junior studying history and psychology, also joined the club in fall 2018. Swanson will receive a puppy to train in March. “It helps me to destress by having animals around too,” Swanson said. After the puppies have been with their trainers for about a year and a half and learned about 30 commands, they will go back to CCI for an initial screening and then advanced training. The service dog program is very selective and only 55% of dogs make it through the training and are actually placed with a person. “We’ve realized that failure is okay. Not every dog is meant to do it,” Cox said. Puppies are carefully chosen for the trainers to make sure they’re a good fit for their lifestyle. Normally, training candidates must wait about nine to 12 months to receive a dog, but college students are normally given priority and don’t have to wait quite as long, Swanson said. In total, the club has about 30 active members, five of whom will be raising the new puppies. The others will help watch the dogs and learn from other
December 5, 2019
service dog trainers in the area. “They’ll take the dogs who didn’t make it through the program and they’ll try to find places and they’ll be assistive dogs or therapy dogs. So they really try to utilize their resources in any way that can be helpful,” Swanson said. The dogs who make it through the program should be very well socialized, have no fear of being in public or around other dogs, are friendly with people and are focused, Cox said. The dogs can be trained for multiple specific purposes. “They see different dogs and what they’re really good at and if they have the right temperament for things. They can specialize in so many ways,” Swanson said. “There are hearing service dogs, dogs for veterans. It’s so cool. Their broad goal is just to help people.” After finishing their training back at CCI in California, the puppies graduate from the program. Once they’re finally placed with a person, they go through the leash ceremony in which the trainer hands off the puppy’s leash to their new owner. “It’s amazing what an animal can do for a human. It’s a lot of commitment but to see the end result is truly amazing,” Swanson said.
2
Opinions
ONLINE Editorial: Gift Sustainably pittnews.com
column
Harris’ dropped campaign is a loss for Americans Devi Ruia
Senior Staff Columnist Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., dropped out of the 2020 presidential primary earlier this week, citing a lack of finances as her reason for suspending her campaign. Despite stellar debate performances and being called a frontrunner at the beginning of her candidacy, the likelihood of Harris winning the Democratic nomination was looking bleak in the weeks leading up to her decision to suspend her campaign. Harris did not run a “perfect” campaign, though no 2020 primary campaign has been without missteps. Throughout her campaign, she faced a lot of valid questions from many Democratic voters about her record on criminal justice during her time as District Attorney of San Francisco and later as the Attorney General of California. Recently, former staffers even questioned the leadership of higher-ups in the campaign. However, Harris was a vital voice in the Democratic primary. She has an impressive background and ran a historic campaign that had to contend with hurdles no other candidate had to face. Whether or not Harris was your candidate, the loss of her perspective in this primary is a big loss for everyone. While the questions raised during the campaign about Harris’ record on criminal justice were certainly justified and necessary, the “she’s a cop” narrative popularized by social media was not. Pushing this response as a joke and a legitimate criticism of her background is one thing, but using it in place of an actual discussion or debate about Harris’ shortcomings, past missteps and just plain bad choices was a disservice to her as a candidate and to primary voters as a whole. Plus, a lot of these narratives about Harris were perpetuated by Russian bots at the beginning of her campaign. Exaggerated, negative narratives about Harris seemed to be a frequent obstacle that her campaign faced. These narratives weren’t just perpetuated by Russian bots and average
pittnews.com
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., greets the crowd at a campaign rally at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa, on Feb. 23. Marcus Yam | Los Angeles Times Americans, but by the media as well. “The way the media has treated [Harris] has been something else,” Julian Castro, another presidential candidate, said. “The way they’ve held her to a different standard, a double standard has been grossly unfair and unfortunate.” Castro further criticized the media narrative surrounding the Harris campaign, saying that the double standard was due to the fact that the media treats candidates of color differently than white candidates. Harris was the only black woman in the race, thereby facing combined scrutiny for her race and gender. “We can’t deny just how underestimated, devalued, and under resourced Black women leaders are in this country,” tweeted Raquel Willis, executive editor of Out magazine, about the end of Harris’ campaign. However, the fact that Harris was the first black woman and the first Indian-American woman to have a real chance at the nomination is such an important part of why her voice was so necessary in this primary. As a black woman, Harris was an incredibly important voice in the primary that prioritized criminal justice reform and ending the black maternal mortality crisis. She was able to inject personal experience of being a black woman into the
story of her campaign. Not only was Harris’ background important in terms of how it informed her policies and statements, the representation that she provided black and South Asian women with on the national stage was incredibly valuable. Harris even filmed a cooking video with Mindy Kaling, another iconic and accomplished Indian-American woman, who is an acclaimed writer and comedian. The two made masala dosa, a popular Indian dish, and had a fun discussion about their shared Indian heritage. As an Indian-American woman myself, that video is something that I will never forget. Being represented like that is such a profound and powerful thing and Indian-American women have never had that type of representation before, especially not from a serious presidential candidate. Harris isn’t the only candidate with an impressive resumé and a historic campaign that ended too soon. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, DN.Y., was another contender for the Democratic nomination who suspended her campaign back in August. While Gillibrand was obviously not the only woman running in the 2020 primary, she was the only candidate to run a “women-plus” campaign. This meant that Gil-
December 5, 2019
librand was running a campaign focused on issues that primarily affect women — a previously unseen campaign strategy. Both Harris and Gillibrand brought so much to the table that we just haven’t seen before from presidential candidates. Their perspectives were vital and it’s absolutely abysmal that they’re not still part of the race and that white male billionaires who have basically bought their way into the primary — lookin’ at you Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg — have yet to drop out. Not to mention that now that Harris has dropped out, not a single candidate of color has qualified for the December Democratic primary debate. All six candidates who have qualified so far are white — despite the fact that this primary has been hailed for its diversity. Hopefully Julian Castro, Sen. Cory Booker, DN.J., and/or Andrew Yang are able to qualify for the debate before the deadline — but no matter what, Harris’ absence will be felt. Though her dropping out of the primary is a huge loss for voters, Harris is still a fantastic senator with a no doubt impressive career ahead of her. She’s not going anywhere anytime soon. “Although I am no longer running for President,” Harris wrote in a Medium piece announcing the end of her campaign. “I will do everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump and fight for the future of our country and the best of who we are.” Harris is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She has a history of being incredible at questioning witnesses in Senate hearings — and Trump’s impeachment trial is likely to hit the Senate soon. The American people should keep their eyes on Harris and plan to actually combat the unfair double standards faced by black women both in life and the next time one runs for office. Devi primarily writes about politics for The Pitt News. Write to her at dvr7@pitt.edu and follow her on Twitter for more hot takes @DeviRuia.
3
Culture
HERALDING THE HOLIDAYS WITH HEINZ CHAPEL CHOIR
Mary Rose O’Donnell Contributing Editor
While all students have been occupied with exams and final projects since arriving back from Thanksgiving break, some are also working singing for sold-out crowds in one of the most historic buildings on campus into their schedule. The Heinz Chapel Choir performed their holiday concert “To Make Music in the Heart” Tuesday evening in Heinz Memorial Chapel, the third of six performances in their annual holiday concert series. About 80 people attended the concert, which was free for all members of the community to attend. The ensemble, formed in 1938, is the University’s mixed-gender a cappella choir, which currently consists of 46 students. The performance consisted of three sets of three to five songs each, as well as “audience carols” such as “Silent Night” that are sung with the audience and accompanying organ interludes. Songs ranged from 20th century compositions, such as “Frosty vs. Rudolph, The Reboot,” to a Psalm sung in Hebrew. As the music moved through the chapel, so did the singers. The singers performed in different areas of Heinz Chapel, beginning above the audience in the balcony for set one, then singing amongst the audience in the outer aisles of the chapel and in front of the audience at the sanctuary for set two and ending once again in the aisles during set three. Susan Rice, the director of the Heinz Chapel Choir and a senior lecturer in the music department, said she believes the chapel itself is an important element of the holiday concerts. “The beauty of the space is such a gift,” she said. “We are so blessed to have that building on campus and for space and time to be made for us to make music in it.” The holiday concert series is a long-standing tradition for the choir and has grown over the past decades from a single concert event to a multi-day ordeal. According to Rice, the holiday concert evolved into a six-concert series during the time of her predecessor, the late John Goldsmith, who directed the choir for 25 years. As the choir grew in popularity, their
pittnews.com
The Heinz Chapel Choir, which consists of 46 students, performed its holiday concert To Make Music in the Heart on Tuesday evening. Photo courtesy of Nadine Sherman shows would always sell out and extra performances would be added. Now, there are four public concerts — which require advance purchase of tickets — and one free campus concert, as well as a private concert for Chancellor Gallagher and his invited guests. WQED-FM plans to broadcast the concert on Friday on the radio and via audio livestream. This year’s series has also sold out, with about 420 tickets sold for each of the four public performances. Iain Crammond, a senior English writing and film studies double major and the president of Heinz Chapel Choir, said he has enjoyed performing sold-out shows throughout his four years at Pitt. “It’s such a rewarding experience to engage with not just the University community, but the greater Pittsburgh community who are coming to our concerts,” Crammond said. The holiday concerts often coincide with the last week of classes — which is known to be a busy time for students — but Crammond said performing offers him a sense of refuge from the chaos of classes. “For me, it’s something that I look forward
to. It’s work, but it’s a step away from all of the other crazy things that are happening in life,” he said. “It’s wonderful to be able to be with other like-minded people who share this passion for music and pursue excellence in our craft together.” The choir begins preparing for the holiday concerts in the beginning of the semester, with auditions for new members during the first week of classes. Twice-weekly rehearsals follow for the newly established ensemble, which begins work on the repertoire performed for the Pitt Choral Showcase in early October. After this, the choir embarks on an overnight retreat in mid-October, where Rice said members bond and begin working on the rest of the performance material for the holiday concert series. “The whole semester feels compressed and feels urgent, kind of all the time. The learning trajectory has to happen in such a way that we are prepared enough to feel confident walking into the first concert,” Rice said. Out of the 46 students in the choir this semester, 22 of them are new members, something Rice said occurs every few years and has
December 5, 2019
been difficult as well as rewarding. “This happens every three or four or so years where we have a big chunk of new people. It’s really nice when the returning members will do the thing that we pride ourselves on in HCC, which is that kind of mentoring and helping people to acclimate, which just becomes more critical in years like this,” she said. Chloe Weiss is an undecided first-year who joined Heinz Chapel Choir at the beginning of the semester. While she was researching Pitt during her college search last year, she discovered the choir and said she was immediately drawn to it. “When I was looking at Pitt initially, I was like, ‘Wow, I have to do this.’ So when I got in I started practicing right away. The music and the people just seemed so kind,” she said. Weiss said the people she has met while in the group have helped her adjust to college life as well. “These people are more than just your fellow choir members — they’re like family,” she said. “They’re really great friends and [joining Heinz Chapel Choir] was such a great way to get involved.”
4
Voices, pg. 1 cerated students as part of the Pitt Prison Education Project. The Pitt project is part of a nationwide effort called the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, which provides education to incarcerated persons and seeks to generate dialogue between people from vastly different social backgrounds. Shalini Puri and Cory Holding, professors in Pitt’s English department, organized Wednesday’s event. They, along with other faculty, take classes of Pitt students to nearby prisons to teach a class to both the traditional Pitt students, or “outside students,” and incar-
the performance for the whole semester, but that it really came together in the week leading up to Thanksgiving break. In preparation for the event, outside students worked heavily with inside students, making sure they understood the emotions they needed to express at different parts of the poem — repeating a line with a whisper, raising their voice to accentuate the emotion of a particular passage. But yesterday’s event was just one part of the semester-long class. In the rest of it, both groups of students developed their creative writing skills through workshops designed to get them thinking about social justice issues. This year’s class is the third year Pitt has offered classes at prisons. In the inaugural fall
Once a man told me “That being white is not a color It’s an attitude.
I thought to myself That being black is not a color It’s a condition.”
“White/Black” Tyrique
cerated students, or “inside students.” Tonight’s event was the culmination of the semester, where outside students worked with inside students to make their words heard to the general public. The poems focused on a wide range of topics, including their children, racial issues and how the inside students ended up in prison. “I once chased bricks / Bricks of dope / Black tar bricks / Bricks of weed / Bricks of brown H. / Bricks of china white / Now the bricks surround me. / Nowhere to run. / Nowhere to hide. / No way to escape. / Cement bricks. / Red bricks. / Green bricks. / Yellow brick road. / There’s no place like home.” — ”Bricks,” Cory Allison is one of the senior outside students in Puri’s class who performed on Wednesday. She said all students had been working on
pittnews.com
2017 class, Pitt students went to the Fayette State Correctional Institution about an hour south of campus. They had a selection of two classes, Race and the Criminal Justice System or Imagining Social Justice. Now, the program has expanded to three prisons — SCI Fayette, SCI Somerset and SCI Laurel Highlands — with three to four classes offered each semester. Not only that, but inside students can now get Pitt college credit for their classes, credit that can be transferred to other schools if and when they are released. For outside students, the classes are always filled to capacity, according to Puri, who has taught Imagining Social Justice since the first semester it was offered. And at all of the prisons where classes are offered, there is a combined more than 250 person waitlist for incarcerated people to take part in the program.
Inside students have plenty of praise for the Pitt program. One student said in a review of the class that the 30 hours of class time did more for him for self-growth “than anything provided by the state in the other 203,592 hours that [he has] been imprisoned.” Another student said he “never got to do anything like this on the outside.” “This program made me want to live again,” he wrote. Their popularity stems from what Puri calls the students’ “hunger to learn.” But the two groups of students differ in their drive for the knowledge they gain through the class. “[Outside students] understand the value of education because they’re going to great efforts to pay for it,” Puri said. “The inside students understand the value of education because they’ve been deprived of it.” Not only that, but scholarly research on the educational programs in prisons shows highly promising outcomes for incarcerated people. In a 2013 review of educational programs, the RAND Corporation found that general education programs drastically reduced recidivism rates, or the rates at which those who are released from prison re-enter the prison system. “On average, the odds of recidivating among inmates receiving correctional education are 64 percent of the odds of recidivating among inmates not receiving correctional education,” the study states. The inside students have different backgrounds than the traditional college student. Some are at minimum security prisons, while some are at maximum security prisons. The average inside student is in his late 20s, but the ages range from 21 up to mid 70s. “My reflection scares me. I see my son through me. He says when he grows up he wants to be just like me. But I don’t want him to be anything like me. The best part of me is him. I wish my father would have told me this, too.” — ”A Father’s Love Changes the Past,” Jay But inside the class, neither group of students sees a difference between them. Anaïs, a senior, said the class immerses them in a way that their incarceration status doesn’t matter. “It really takes us outside of the context of prisons,” Anaïs said. “We’re not there to judge their experiences.” Allison is in Puri’s Imagining Social Justice course, which partners with inside students at the all-male minimum-security SCI
December 5, 2019
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (R) Fri: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30,9:45 Sat & Sun: 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30,9:45 Mon & Tue: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30,9:45 Wed: 12:40, 4:55, 7:10, 9:25 Thu: 2:40, 4:55, 7:10, 9:25 Ford v Ferrari (PG-13) Wed-Thu 4:05, 7:00, 9:55 The Irishman (R) Fri-Thu: 4:00, 8:00 Jojo Rabbit (PG-13) Fri: 5:15 PM Mon & Tue: 5:15 PM Wed & Thu: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40 Sat - Sun: 11:35, 1:45 PM Parasite (R) Fri: 2:05, 4:40, 7:20, 9:55 Sat & Sun: 11:30 AM, 2:05, 4:40, 7:20,9:55 Mon & Tue: 2:05, 4:40, 7:20, 9:55 Wed: 2:05, 4:40, 7:20,9:55 Thu: 2:05, 4:40, 7:20,9:55 Dark Waters (PG-13) Fri: 2:00, 4:35, 7:10, 9:40 Sat & Sun: 12:45, 2:00, 4:35, 7:10, 9:40 Mon & Tue: 2:00, 4:35, 7:10, 9:40 Wed: 2:00, 4:35, 7:10, 9:40 Thu: 2:00, 4:35, 7:10, 9:40
See Voices on page 7
5
Sports
PITT FACES UPHILL BATTLE AT NO. 1 LOUISVILLE
Stephen Thompson Assistant Sports Editor
Pitt basketball is still going through some growing pains, and part of those growing pains means having a selective memory. In the same way that Panthers head coach Jeff Capel wants his program to wipe clean the mountain of losses that have loomed since he first took over, he also wants to wipe clean the wins. Last year the Panthers welcomed Louisville to Pittsburgh for their second conference matchup of the year and upset the Cardinals for their first ACC win in 689 days. Now, as the Panthers prepare to travel south for their next ACC challenge with Louisville, Capel was asked in a press conference on Monday if there’s anything that his team can translate from last year’s win. He embraced the turning tides of the unpredictable sport he coaches and gave a casual denial. “Not really,” Capel said. “We’re different, they’re different.” It’s well-documented how wildly different the Panthers are from their 2018 selves. But the Cardinals have some more subtle differences, the most obvious one being their No. 1 ranking in this week’s AP Top 25 poll. And why are the Cardinals so highly regarded? Experience. After floating around the top 20 for most of the season, they return five of their top six scorers, including the preseason ACC Player of the Year favorite, junior forward Jordan Nwora. Nwora, the 2018-19 season’s Most Improved Player in the ACC, is averaging 21.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game through eight games this season. In addition to a career high in points, Nwora is shooting at rates that will shatter his previous highs. He has posted marks of 48.4% from the field and 43.3% from three — both would be career highs if sustained through an entire season. Essentially, there is nowhere on the floor Nwora can’t score from. Even at the free-throw line, where Nwora has “scuffled” the most, he is converting more than 80% of his attempts. To help spread the floor and open up space for the slashing Nwora, senior guard Ryan McMahon returns to man the perimeter on offense. He’s shooting a blistering 50% from 3-point range and his 2.8 3-point makes per game account for almost all of his scoring. The Panthers are a strong defensive team, but haven’t faced a player like Nwora. He can move without the ball and score off the dribble. Capel will have to switch his defensive looks. When in zone, Pitt defenders will need to talk and play as a unit, closing out on Nwora and McMahon with speed and intelligence. And when in man defense, first-year forward Justin Cham-
pittnews.com
Then first-year guard Au’Diese Toney (5) celebrates during the first half of last year’s game against Louisville. Thomas Yang assistant viusal editor pagnie and sophomore forward Au’Diese Toney will be tasked with containing Nwora on an island so that their teammates can stay glued to Cardinal shooters, who are making 3-pointers at rate of 38%. If they allow Nwora easy access to the paint and close-range shots early on, the Cardinals offense will expand to all five players on the floor and the Panthers will be overwhelmed by the quantity of offensive threats. Lousiville can certainly score with the best of them, but they don’t slouch on defense. The Cardinals boast top 10 rankings in both effective field goal percentage and adjusted defensive efficiency. The Panthers have struggled offensively all year, but are gelling as of late. Sophomore guard Xavier Johnson is passing and scoring with greater aptitude and efficiency after a turnoverladen start to his season. And as Johnson goes, so does the rest of the team. On Tuesday against Rutgers, Johnson turned in his strongest college performance to date, with 20 points, eight assists and three rebounds in the win. Junior guard Ryan Murphy also broke out of a slump on
December 5, 2019
Tuesday night with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. The Panthers will have to play their best game to knock off the No. 1 team in the country, limiting turnovers and defensive breakdowns. But despite this season’s setbacks, a quiet faith is growing, and sophomore guard Trey McGowens could sense it after downing the Scarlet Knights on Tuesday. “We’re feeling more confident,” McGowens said. “We had some things rolling and did some good things, but coach [Capel’s] main thing was just to stay focused and don’t let what happened at the Nicholls State game happen again. We just had to lock in.” Humbled by last month’s loss to Nicholls State, Pitt is determined and showing the increased maturity that was the talk of the team over the summer. Pitt will have quite the opportunity to do that on Friday night, when they head to Louisville to face a hostile Cardinal crowd and the nation’s top-ranked team. Tip-off is slated for 9 p.m. on Friday and will be broadcasted on the ACC Network.
6
Voices, pg. 5 Laurel Highlands. The class started off by focusing on South Africa during apartheid, then transitioned into more modern social justice issues such as race relations and police brutality. “Once a man told me / That being white is not a color / It’s an attitude. // I thought to myself / That being black is not a color / It’s a condition.” — “White/Black,” Tyrique Through the class, the students primarily wrote poetry expressing how they felt about various social justice topics. And according
pittnews.com
to Allison, the experience of reading and sharing poetry humanized all of the students, making them understand each other better as people. “The reason we use words like ‘inside student’ or ‘incarcerated student’ instead of prisoner or inmate is because it’s a condition,” she said. “Their identity is not prisoner — their identity is father, son, brother, friend, writer, artist.” She said she learned about the prison system as a whole, too. When she took Crime and Punishment, an urban studies class at Pitt, she got an academic perspective on the
experiences that incarcerated people have inside prisons. But this class has offered her an inside look at conditions inside prisons. “I was aware of some of it, and had heard things, but it’s crazy to really see it happening before you,” she said. “There’s a difference between reading and talking about it in the classroom and sitting and talking to people who are affected by it every single day.” As part of the rules of the Inside-Out program, outside students are not allowed to contact inside students after the class has ended. For Allison, next Monday — during finals week — is the last day that she will have
December 5, 2019
contact with the inside students in her class. “It’s hard, making these connections with people and not being able to see them and talk to them,” Allison said. “It is one of the hardest things, being like, ‘Man I’ve really made a connection with this person, and this is it.’” And as the semester comes to a close, she remembers the lives and experiences of the inside students she met. “They are interesting, passionate, emotional people,” she said. “I think it’s really, really important that everyone of us remembers that every person on the inside is one of us.”
7
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 3BR, 1‑1/2BA town house at 3826 Bates Street. Maximum of 3 tenants. Bonus study room and in‑unit laun dry. $1,600/month in cludes water, garbage and sewage. All other utilities tenants’ re sponsibility. No pets. Available August 2020. 724‑351‑1846 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.
pittnews.com
Employment • CHILDCARE • FOOD SERVICES • UNIVERSITY • INTERNSHIPS • RESEARCH • VOLUNTEERING • OTHER
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
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. Non‑smokers pre ferred. 412‑621‑0457.
Classifieds
For sale
• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS
services
• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE
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 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 416 Oakland Ave., Garden Court. Bright and spacious 2BR, 1BA. Hardwood
notices
• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER
floors, laundry. Move May 1 or August 1, 2020. $1395 includes heat. Call 412‑361‑2695. 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. 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 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 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
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
$7.50
$14.20
$20.00
$25.00
$29.10
6X $30.20 $32.30
Add. + $5.00 + $5.40
(Each Additional Word: $0.10)
Deadline:
Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978
www.jcrkelly.com 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 Gorgeous and unique 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,
December 5, 2019
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.
Rental Other Apartment for rent. Highland Park area, 3rd floor, 2BR, living room and kitchen, pri vate entrance. Close to bus stop. No pets. $750/month +electric. 412‑719‑0321.
sometimes between 11‑2. Lovely pitbull mutt. Oakland/Schen ley Farms Area. crosano51@hotmail. 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
Sublet Sublet Other SUBLET unit ‑ 1BR, shared kitchen and bath. Atwood Street. Available Dec. 1, 2019 thru July 31, 2020. $400/ mo., utilities extra. Contact Robert at 412‑889‑5790
Employment Employment Other Be Fit and Be Paid!! Our 7 year old dog needs daily robust walks/jogs. Every day for 1 hr, Mon‑Fri,
8