Rental Guide Fall 2019 (Part 1)

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RENTAL GUIDE

NOVEMBER 14, 2019 | VOLUME 110 | ISSUE 84

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STUDYING ABROAD, STUDENTS CREATE HOMES AWAY FROM HOME

Claudia Huggins For The Pitt News

Camden Town, London is the former home of Amy Winehouse. Later, Harry Styles drew attention to the town with his visits there for dinner with friends.

And now it’s home to Pitt junior communications major Jacqui Sieber, who’s studying in the city for the fall semester. Living in an apartment with three other girls, Sieber said they’ve managed to add some personal touches to their living space.

“We haven’t exactly formally decorated our apartment, but sometimes we’ll set out little toys we get from Happy Meals,” Sieber said. “But when I visited Edinburgh, which was super fun, I brought back some band posters to hang up.”

When choosing to study abroad, housing options are often one of the main points of discussion. According to Brice Lynn, deputy director of operations at the Study Abroad office, the type of housing students select often depends on the academic goals of the chosen program.

“Home-stay is the first one that came to my mind because that’s what I did as a study abroad student,” Lynn said. “You’re living with a local family who’s been selected by the provider or the university so that you’re getting that dayto-day life of the country or city where you’re studying.”

For example, a home-stay program might be more beneficial for students interested in a more in-depth experience with the foreign language and cultural engagement. According to Lynn, home-stays sometimes aren’t as popular with students if they aren’t fluent in the country’s language. Apartment stays and residencehall living, depending on the program, are more popular among students because of the convenience and cost.

“The reality is that there’s no type of housing that is the best or the worst. It just kind of depends on what students are looking for during their study abroad experience,” Lynn said.

Pitt junior MeiMei Santucci, a communications major with an Italian minor, transferred to Pitt this year. She studied abroad from January to April 2019 in Rome while she was a student at La Roche University.

“We stayed in a house that was similar to a bed and breakfast, but a little more hotel-like.

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Various murals are located near junior communications major Jacqui Sieber’s apartment in Camden Town, London. photo courtesy of jacqui sieber

We always had to get our keys from the front desk and leave them there, too,” Santucci said.

According to Santucci, after having to say goodbye to her home for a few months, the plane ride over was nothing but mixed emotions about her upcoming experience. But she was able to bring touches of home to her home in Italy.

“My best friend made me these posters with pictures of us and our other friends for me to take, too,” Santucci said. “It was really heartwarming to have those with me because I kept them by my bed so that if I was homesick or sad, I could just look at them and feel better.”

According to Lynn, about 80% of the students that study abroad at Pitt tend to choose a Panther Program, which are programs developed and run by Pitt where the housing process is run through Pitt’s study abroad office. Aside from Panther Programs, there are also Pitt-rec-

ognized programs, which are third-party organizations approved by Pitt that students can use to study abroad.

International Studies Abroad is one of the Pitt-recognized providers students can use to study abroad, which means it’s going to be choosing the housing options it thinks is best for the student’s academic goals while studying abroad. Another example would be CAPA Study Abroad, which Sieber used to study abroad in London.

Through CAPA, Sieber found out her housing about a month before her departure. She said Camden Town is “pretty authentic” since many locals hang out around there.

When choosing housing for students, Lynn said that above all, the safety of the student is the main concern.

“There are so many different factors that go into choosing housing. Obviously, we always

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want to make sure that students are housed in locations that are safe. Health and safety is our primary concern for students, so it takes precedence over anything else,” Lynn said. “From there it kind of just depends on what the program demands and what makes the most sense.”

For example, when students study abroad with Pitt in London, they are housed in apartments “to live like a Londoner.” A 30- to 40-minute commute and shopping at local stores for groceries is all part of the London experience when studying abroad, according to Lynn.

When students show interest in studying abroad, the advisers at the study abroad office do everything in their power to take the stress out of the equation, Lynn said.

“We want students to trust that when they do a program that’s on our website, that housing is included and it’s going to be relatively seamless for them,” Lynn said.

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PITT STUDENT ALLEGES INSTITUTIONAL MASTER UNIVERSITY HOUSING PLAN DRAFT DETAILS THE DISCRIMINATION OAKLAND OF THE FUTURE

Pitt is facing a housing discrimination complaint regarding emotional support animals. tpn file photo

Benjamin Nigrosh Staff Writer

A Pitt student filed a housing discrimination complaint in September with the federal government, claiming their request for an emotional support dog for their dorm room was subject to “invasive requirements and obstacles as a deterrent” by the University.

The student filed the complaint against the University alongside the Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh, a local non-profit that focuses on housing discrimination cases in western Pennsylvania.

“It felt like, instead of looking for a reason to grant it, they were looking for a reason to deny it,” the student, who requested anonymity due to privacy concerns, said in an interview.

The student submitted a copy of Pitt’s Emotional Support Animal Request form as well as a Housing/Dining Accommodation Request form to the University’s Office of Disability Resources and Services in late July, the complaint said. They also provided a letter from a licensed mental health counselor that verified the need for the accommodation.

“I initially had a letter from my therapist briefly going over what it was, how the dog helps me go about my day-to-day, and that was what I understood as being sufficient enough to qualify,” the student said.

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But the complaint said DRS Director Leigh Culley told the student in an in-person meeting in early September that the “third-party verification didn’t provide the required nexus.”

“She contacted my therapist again, and then she asked for another letter being more explicit about how the dog helps, and claimed that it didn’t have a diagnosis in the first one when it clearly does say both of the things,” the student said. “The environment … did come off as hostile and disbelieving.”

University spokesperson Kevin Zwick declined to comment on the meeting between the student and Culley, or what she requested of the student.

While housing providers are permitted under the federal Fair Housing Act to create their own accommodation forms for tenants, the law states that a tenant requesting an emotional support animal only needs a medical provider’s recommendation to receive the accommodation.

FHP Program Director Megan Confer-Hammond described several questions on Pitt’s Housing/Dining Accommodation Request Medical Verification form as invasive. She pointed to one question, “Is the impact of the disability life threatening if the accommodation request is not met?” as problematic.

“My quality of life versus my death is not the bar that accommodations are met with,” Confer-

The Institutional Master Plan says that the Music Building should be maintained. Uncertainty about plans for the building has previously been met with pushback from the community. Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor

Natalie Frank Staff Writer

The University released a draft of its Institutional Master Plan on Oct. 15, with proposed campus improvements to be rolled out over the next 10 to 25 years.

The 434-page plan includes pictures and detailed descriptions of renovations and additions planned for housing, recreational and departmental buildings on campus, as well as highlighting Pitt’s commitment to sustainability with new practices and resources. The IMP, which must still receive See Discrimination on page 7 approval from both the City Planning

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Commission and the City Council, is based on Pitt’s February release of its finalized Campus Master Plan.

Changes to Pitt’s infrastructure include a new campus recreation center on O’Hara Street, an addition for the Petersen Events Center, new chiller plants, improvements to Litchfield Towers and new housing hubs across Oakland, amidst other small and large projects.

The IMP includes most of the CMP’s proposed projects, but some CMP developments are excluded.

The IMP does not include the CMP See Draft on page 8

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PITT PLANS TO ADD 1,000 BEDS TO CAMPUS WITH MASTER PLAN Sarah Berg

Staff Writer Pitt’s ambitious new Institutional Master Plan may change the way that students live, leading more of them to stay on campus.

The demand for on-campus housing options has grown alongside Pitt’s student population, with many turning to off-campus housing or rooming at third-party locations with Pittowned leases like the Wyndham and The Bridge apartments. In response, the Institutional Master Plan, the final draft of which was released in October, includes several projects which, if carried out, will create about 1,000 new on-campus beds.

A product of more than a year’s worth of work, the plan details proposed construction projects taking

place across campus over the next 10 to 25 years. These include various additions and renovations to existing Pitt buildings as well as developments which will create entirely new buildings.

Alyssa Chonko lives off-campus in proximity to a proposed site for housing redevelopments, the apartmentstyle Pitt housing building Bouquet Gardens. The IMP describes the addition of beds and new amenities at this location.

Chonko, a senior finance and marketing major, said she has mixed feelings about the redevelopment.

“I think that it’s good, since everybody wants Bouquet Gardens in the first place and there’s only a limited amount [of spaces], but having a lot of construction would be bad,” Chonko

said.

Along with the changes coming to Bouquet Gardens, housing redevelopments and developments are set to occur at various other locations.

The base of Towers may become home to added student spaces, enclosures and an atrium, with plans to “de-densify” it to combat overcrowding. While this, along with the closure of Lothrop Hall to make room for an Integrated Health Sciences Complex and the closure of Forbes Hall for further redevelopment, will result in the loss of beds, other projects are meant to make up for this. The redevelopments taking place at Oakwood Apartments and Franklin Apartment Complex will also add more beds. The Fraternity Complex and Forbes-Craig Apartments mark other sites for rede-

velopment.

Meanwhile, development of two brand new residence halls has also been proposed, with an Upper Hillside Housing Site to be located between the Falk School and Fraternity Complex and a Lower Hillside Housing Site above the O’Hara garage.

Pitt held a number of meetings for community input on the master plan, and the IMP dictates Pitt’s continued involvement in various forms of community engagement, such as participating in community meetings and in the Oakland neighborhood planning process, throughout the implementation of the plan. Along with this, a stressed aspect of the IMP is its flexibility, so none of the projects are completely set in stone, pending further approval and See Plan on page 9

LISTENING TOUR TO BE HELD FOR ‘MY PITT’ REDESIGN Erica Guthrie

Assistant News Editor Pitt IT is hosting a “listening tour” to get student feedback and insight ahead of an upcoming redesign of the University’s student portal, My Pitt. The University announced Tuesday that it is looking for student input and will be hosting in-person sessions as well as webinars, according to a press release.

According to the event’s webpage, some specific topics that are being covered are what features would make My Pitt “a more useful website,” and features that students would like to see in a mobile app for the site.

“Attendees are invited to share feedback, offer suggestions and brainstorm ideas with other students,” the press release said.

The listening tour has 12 different dates, times and locations for interested students to choose from, starting on Nov. 18 at 11:30 a.m. in Benedum Hall and concluding with a session on Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. in the William Pitt Union. Interested students must register through the link on My Pitt.

Monday, Nov. 18, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Benedum Hall, room 102) Monday, Nov. 18, noon - 1 p.m. (WPU, room

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540) Monday, Nov. 18, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. (WPU, room 540) Monday, Nov. 18, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. (Benedum Hall, room 102) Tuesday, Nov. 19, noon - 1 p.m. (WPU, room 540) Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. (Benedum Hall, room 102) Tuesday, Nov. 19, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. (WPU, room 540) Tuesday, Nov. 19, 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. (Cathedral of Learning, room 717E) Wednesday, Nov. 20, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (WPU, room 827) Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. (WPU, room 827) Thursday, Nov. 21, 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. (Benedum Hall, room 102) Thursday, Nov. 21, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. (Benedum Hall, room 102) Thursday, Nov. 21, noon - 1 p.m. (WPU, room The University announced Tuesday that it is looking for student input regarding an upcoming redesign of the student portal, My Pitt, and will be hosting 540) in-person sessions as well as webinars. image via pitt information technology Thursday, Nov. 21, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (WPU, room 540)

November 14, 2019

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Discrimination, pg. 4 Hammond said. “If my bar is looking at granting these requests only if I would die if not, then we have a massive middle ground of students with various disabilities who wouldn’t have their requests met because it doesn’t meet the ultimate bar.”

According to the complaint, Culley denied the student’s accommodation request in a Sept. 10 letter. She said the documentation submitted did not “establish” the need for an emotional support animal as a reasonable accommodation.

The student said the denial could seem

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“small” to other people, but was very disappointing to them.

“How do you deal with them being like ‘You can’t have this thing that you know helps you.

We’ve decided that this does not help you, and so we won’t allow it,’” the student said.

Confer-Hammond said this is an example of the University asking for more information than it is allowed to, possibly in violation of the FHA. “They are not your family member, they are not your doctor, they are in no way required to know what your treatment is, what your interaction with your therapist is like, what your conversations consist of,” Confer-Hammond said. “Get-

ting into the severity and duration is much more than a landlord, including a university, is obligated to know.”

Zwick declined to comment on Confer-Hammond’s statements.

According to the student, DRS approved their accommodation request once the student’s therapist submitted the longer explanation of the disability.

Zwick said the University aims to create an inclusive environment where all students have access to equal opportunities.

“Requests for accommodation on the basis of disability are evaluated through a well-established

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interactive process, which includes a discussion with the student and review of medical documentation, as appropriate,” Zwick said.

But the student said the University’s actions contradict themselves — hosting a variety of events in October for Mental Health Awareness Month, but putting up barriers when they tried to request a reasonable accommodation to ensure their own mental health.

“It was definitely frustrating saying that optically we are a University that cares about mental health, but logistically and policy-wise, we are not always on the side of mental health awareness,” the student said.

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Draft, pg. 4 development of the BK Lot on Fifth Avenue between Oakland Avenue and Bouquet Street. This development of this lot, which consists of open space and surface parking, was a part of the CMP’s aim to “enrich student experiences.”

The CMP also mentioned “significant” renovations to chemistry facilities in the Chevron Science Center, but the IMP only mentions expansion for the building and does not address

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any renovations.

The CMP stated that widely used student facilities like the CrawfordLangley-Clapp Complex will also undergo renovations to improve the function and efficiency of the buildings.

Jeffrey Lawrence, the chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, said he is in favor of the proposed changes to Crawford Hall. He said teaching practices have changed since the Hall’s construction, so modernizing the building is necessary to help improve the department.

“Renovated teaching laboratories will greatly benefit students,” Lawrence said. “More modern research laboratory facilities will increase the impact of our research programs.”

Other buildings utilized by STEM students at Pitt will also see improvements under the new plan.

The CMP includes renovations for Salk Hall, which currently houses the schools of Pharmacy and Dental Medicine. But the IMP mentions the possibility of relocating the School of Dental Medicine and redeveloping the

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site of the Hall’s annex.

Bernard Costello, the dean of the School of Dental Medicine, said he is in favor of the proposed changes to Salk Hall.

“We need more space,” Costello said. “We have a complex workflow, and we need teaching areas for students and teachers to create learning environments.”

While some departments hold a more favorable view towards the upcoming renovations in the IMP, Mathew Rosenblum, the chair of the music department, is not confident the plan considers campus arts programs.

The CMP includes demolishing either all or part of the historic Music Building, located at the corner of Fifth and Bellefield avenues, resulting in community backlash. The IMP states that the building should remain and that any possible renovations will retain the original building.

Rosenblum said the University has not openly discussed plans for the location of the music department with him or his colleagues.

“The new Bellefield plan has not been discussed with the music faculty or the chair,” he said. “We therefore do not believe that this plan is a priority or that it will ever come to fruition.”

Pitt spokesperson Kevin Zwick said the University has been diligent in listening to student and faculty needs during the planning process.

“The planned renovations under the campus master plan are aimed primarily towards enhancing the student experience,” he said. “They were developed after a long period of listening — to students, faculty, staff and members of the community.”

While the IMP aims to “enrich” the lives of students and the facilities used on campus, Rosenblum said he wonders if the University will fulfill the needs of its many different departments.

“This is a shameful situation, and in the ‘Year Of Creativity’ it seems even more incomprehensible,” he said.

“When will Pitt actually take the arts out of the basement and celebrate creativity in a sustained and substantial way and truly support the departments on campus who are dedicated to the arts and creativity year in and year out?”

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Plan, pg. 6 community feedback, which can be submitted until Dec. 2.

“The by-products of our size and growth can create challenges for residents who live close to us. They can also create benefits, if our programs and services that are open to the community are well publicized, accessible and thoughtfully engaged with our neighbors,” a section of the IMP reads.

Domenico Andreoli Sr., a 1986

Pitt graduate, said he’s faced numerous challenges living close to Pitt’s campus. Andreoli, who cares for his elderly parents at his Oakland home, said he has had incidents in which college students have urinated on his property, cursed at him and thrown a bottle through a window, making him eager to sell the home once his parents pass on.

“I don’t want to live here,” Andreoli said. “Kids like that have no respect for their elders.”

Andreoli said he has received of-

fers on the house before and does not expect that selling it will be very hard. To prevent further conflicts between generations, he said he thinks the best thing for Pitt to do moving forward would be to buy out the remaining private homes like his, as most of the original population has already left.

However, Andreoli also said the University expanding changes the feeling of Oakland.

“This was a melting pot … we had a multicultural thing here, it was great,”

he said. “[But now] it’s lost.”

Chonko also mentioned the greater need for respect between Pitt students and surrounding neighborhood residents and the challenge that addressing the tensions presents.

“I know a lot of times they have a lot of issues with people being too loud and stuff like that … they hate that students live here and are loud sometimes, but we all go to school here, so there’s not much you can do about it.”

Along with housing changes, the IMP outlines many other proposals which focus on creating or improving spaces for student life, academics, athletics and the streets around campus.

Chonko was hopeful about the implementation of the IMP, saying that the Pitt campus is in need of some attention.

“I think it’s great that they’re trying to expand it and update it because I think it’s so outdated, so hopefully they can do it in a timely manner,” Chonko said. “I’m sad I won’t be here to see it all.”

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‘RENT,’

23 YEARS LATER

The original Broadway cast of “Rent” from 1996 poses for a group photo.

JessnKat | wikimedia

Sinead McDevitt Staff Writer

“Rent” is, in many ways, the “Hamilton” of the ’90s. Like “Hamilton,” “Rent” contained themes of rebelling against a corrupt system, featured a purposely diverse cast, and was an incredibly popular show, with “Rentheads” waiting hours outside Nederlander Theater. But now, more than two decades later, what is the legacy of “Rent”?

The Broadway musical began its run in 1996 and lasted until 2008, making it one of the longest-running shows to date. It was well received during its initial release, taking home Tony awards for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score and Best Performance by a Featured Actor, and winning a Pulitzer. “Rent” had a large impact when it was first released, but looking back it is very much a product of its time.

Written by Jonathan Larson, “Rent” is based on Puccini’s 1896 opera “La Boheme,” but the story has been updated so the ensemble goes from a group of artists

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in Paris’ Latin Corner against the backdrop of tuberculosis to an ensemble of struggling artists in an HIV-afflicted New York City. The AIDS crisis is an important backdrop for the show. Half the main cast is HIV-positive, there’s a support group for people living with HIV that forms a Greek chorus at points and one of the main characters, Angel, dies because of it.

For people who did not grow up during that era, it can be hard to understand both how serious of an epidemic HIV/AIDS was and the extent to which it went ignored by the government. Lawmakers saw that HIV/AIDS largely affected gay men and attempted to moralize it. At one point, Ronald Reagan’s head of White House communications, Patrick Buchanan, wrote in the New York Post claiming AIDS was divine punishment.

“The poor homosexuals. They have declared war on nature, and now nature is exacting an awful retribution,” Buchanan wrote.

See ‘Rent’ on page 14

HOW TO DECORATE WHEN YOU’RE A RENTER Delilah Bourque Culture Editor

When it comes to decorating a rented space, many college students fall into the classic decor scheme of empty Natty Light cans, a sinkful of dirty dishes and furniture they picked up off the curb.

But there are many easy and inexpensive ways to decorate an apartment without losing a security deposit. Though it can be easy to get into a “I’m only living here for a year, why should I decorate?” mindset, plenty of students have well-decorated homes — and they get their deposits back at the end of their leases.

Decorating a rented space can be difficult, since options are often limited by the confines of a lease. Many landlords don’t allow tenants to paint walls, and using nails to secure shelves or decorations to the wall cause damage that may prompt a landlord to withhold a security deposit when moving out. Victoria Cycak, a senior English writing and psychology double major, said that she likes to use alternative methods of adhering tapestries and other wall hangings.

“Command hooks everything,” she said.

“Tapestries? Command strips. It sticks to everything and is also easy to take down.”

There are many different ways to get around the issue of not being able to paint or put holes in walls. From hanging multiple tapestries to hide blank walls to stringing white holiday lights across the ceiling for ambient and functional decor, there are many approaches to decorating a new place. Cycak said she starts with a theme, then builds a design around it.

“The one apartment I had like a mandala tapestry and then kind of like a zen theme,” she said. “So then I found some cheap decor at T.J. Maxx, and then also painted myself some buddha stuff.”

Brinda Vaidya, a junior neuroscience and psychology major, has a different approach. She said she likes to start with a few base pieces, staples that will be functional and fashionable when decorating a new home, then build from there.

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“I usually start with the basics, like, get like some kind of tapestry or wall art to tie it all together,” she said. “A rug, some throw pillows, a throw blanket and then you’ve got yourself a decorated room.”

Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive, either. As tempting as it may be to look toward high-end stores like Anthropologie and Arhaus, where a dresser may run you almost as much as $2,000, for inspiration, many students look more towards budgetfriendly stores. Senior political science major Hailey Roh said she typically shops at less expensive stores after scouring the internet for design ideas.

“First I go on Pinterest for some inspiration, just to see a color scheme I should follow, and then after that I go to T.J. Maxx or Target and buy like, fake plants,” she said.

Some students even make some of the decor for their apartments, relying on their artistic talents or skills with a hammer and nails to create custom pieces. Not only is custom art an extra personalized touch, it is also less expensive than buying decorations straight from a store. According to Cycak, creating her own art is a way for her to be more budget conscious. She said she likes to recreate high-ticket items using her own DIY skills.

“I paint canvases all the time,” she said.

“I always try to do it myself before I buy it.

Otherwise the art that I’m trying to buy is like $70, when I can just go to Michael’s and pay like $5 for a canvas.”

Pitt even offers a few ways for students to buy new decorations right on campus.

University of Thriftsburgh, the Universityowned thrift shop in the O’Hara Student Union, often accepts donations of furniture and decorations to re-sell to students at budget-friendly prices. Roh said she likes to shop the annual poster sale on Towers patio at the beginning of fall semester for more ways to decorate without ruining walls or breaking the bank.

“I go to the poster sale at Towers, and then I buy a couple things to tape on the walls, and then I sort of buy, like the only See Decor on page 11

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Decor, pg. 10 things I can do since it’s rented, I buy bed sheets that could match,” she said.

A lot of inexpensive decor is also personal, especially for those who have special momentos they wish to display, like tickets from performances and nice notes and cards from loved ones. For someone who is missing home, having pictures of friends and family members on their wall can help them feel more at ease in their college environment.

Students can put pictures on walls in a number of creative ways, like arranging them in a gallery wall or searching for different frames to prop up on furniture or hang using thumbtacks to prevent putting large holes in the wall. Personal effects are what help Vaidya feel at home in her offcampus apartment. She said that decorating helps her express herself, just like how she chooses to dress.

“I feel like decorating and just like fashion in general, that overlying thing, it’s just very representative of who I am,” she said.

“I love expressing myself in that way and I feel like if I don’t have that I feel kind of lost.”

Many students’ apartments are loosely held together by Command-brand adhesive products. Delilah Bourque | contributing editor

2019 pittnews.com

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column

FROM THE OTHER PERSPECTIVE: LANDLORD ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE TENANTS

Loretta Donoghue Staff Columnist

College comes with many firsts — one of the most exciting is renting your first apartment. Yet, if you are unprepared, the renting process can quickly become a dreadful source of stress.

Several individuals in the local landlord community have offered valuable advice about how to keep that excitement alive as you venture into this new phase of independence. Pitt’s Student Government Board hosted two nights of tenant workshops this week to help students navigate the renting process, with panelists representing all aspects of the renting process, from Oakland landlords to Pitt police.

Every panelist stressed the need for open communication with your landlord. Through every step of the renting process — from the first day you view the apartment to the final days you live there — you need to have a working relationship where you can openly communicate your questions and concerns.

Panelist Lizabeth Gray, neighborhood quality consultant for Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, a nonprofit community development organization, stressed the need for communication about any questions regarding the terms of the lease.

“Read your lease,” Gray said. “Actually read it, from the top of the first page to the bottom of the last page. Then go back and read it again.”

As Gray stresses, the lease is a legally binding contract between the renter and the landlord, so you want to make sure you understand and approve of the terms. If you have any questions or concerns, ask your landlord to clarify.

Since it is common for prospective tenants to meet landlords and discuss these elements before signing the lease, tenants can be tempted to skim the lease and assume everything that was discussed previously won’t change. However, it is still necessary to thoroughly read the lease because what is communicat-

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ed in casual conversation is not legally binding. The lease may reflect changes in rights and responsibilities that you were not aware of when speaking to your landlord in person. The lease is how the landlord communicates your rights and responsibilities as a tenant — it is up to you to maintain that channel of communication by reading the lease and sharing any concerns you have.

When thinking about specific aspects of renting, there are a few that panelists emphasized, namely utilities. Utilities,

for. Yard maintenance is a key part of any renter’s experience. Property care can include anything from mowing grass to snow removal, with the amount of responsibility placed on tenants varying from landlord to landlord.

Taking care of your yard may seem like a small chore, but when you’re busy cramming for a final or heading off to a club meeting, the small task quickly becomes a huge task. For college students, finding the time, money and energy for property care can feel overwhelming —

David Akintola | staff illustrator or the services you use while renting, include everything from electric to internet. Costs add up quickly, with the average cost of utilities in Pennsylvania coming in at more than $400 per month.

Most landlords will usually cover some utilities in the rent payments, like water, but what is covered can vary with each apartment. Clarify with your landlord which utilities they cover so you can get a better idea of how much your living costs will be.

Understanding the basics of utilities is a good starting point, but there are several other items that you need to fully comprehend when it comes to what you and your landlord are each responsible

especially if you were not aware of this responsibility when you moved in. Yard maintenance can be a real hassle, so be sure to start a conversation with the landlord about what your responsibilities would entail if you rent from them.

Without proper communication with your landlord, there’s no way to know what protections you have as a tenant.

Another important right you need to understand is when your landlord can and cannot enter the property. There are certain instances where landlords are allowed to enter the property without notice, like if there is an emergency.

However, in most situations the landlord must give reasonable notice before en-

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tering, in accordance with the covenant of quiet enjoyment. The details of when and how your landlord can enter the property should be clearly communicated in order to create a safe living space.

Additionally, this line of communication should continue to be used, as your landlord should give you notice before entering.

Communication is key in deciding on an apartment, but even after you sign a lease, this channel of communication with the landlord should continue. Although you are officially a tenant and the lease is already signed, there will still be questions you have. Whether it’s letting your landlord know that your porch light is out or clearing up any discrepancies in rent payments, communicating your situation with your landlord keeps them in the loop and prevents any misconceptions from taking root.

Even in situations where you are worried about the consequences — say you broke a term in the lease or accidentally caused damage to the property — communication should still be respected. As panelist and local landlord Bob Kelly explained, landlords value honesty.

“If you’re honest with them, they’ll work with you,” Kelly said.

Kelly shared an anecdote about a tenant he had who broke a window in one of his properties. Although the tenant was responsible for the damage, Kelly was willing to pay the replacement costs because the tenant had been honest about what happened. He emphasized that instead of trying to cover up the damage or deny responsibility, you should just explain what happened to your landlord.

Renting an apartment can be a newfound source of freedom, but in order to get the most out of your time as a tenant, take these messages from landlords seriously — after all, they know better than anyone what it takes to have a successful renting experience.

Loretta Donoghue primarily writes about politics for The Pitt News. Write to Loretta at LMD120@pitt.edu.

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November 14, 2019

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‘Rent,’ pg. 10 By the time the Reagan administration even started speaking about AIDS and ways to combat it publicly, more than 20,000 people had died. Characters in “Rent” periodically take the medication AZT, an early potential solution to AIDS that was incredibly expensive for those living with it.

In that sort of environment, it’s easy to understand why “Rent”’s portrayal of gay and straight characters with AIDS who were sympathetic, complex and, most of all, hopeful in the face of a death sentence appealed to people in the East Village.

A common motif in the show is “No Day But Today,” sung by the support group and other characters throughout the show as a part of the response to AIDS. The message is that even though they could die tomorrow, they should still appreciate life today. This hopeful message struck a chord with people like Sherri Weyent, a Renthead interviewed in 1998 for “The Philadelphia Gay News.”

“The story line has AIDS, but unlike a lot of other things using HIV and AIDS as a storyline, ‘Rent’ surrounds it all with a very positive message, ” she said. “‘Rent’ sends a message of optimism and is really about survival.”

Over time, though, “Rent”’s popularity has begun to wane. Some critiques of the play argue it is a relic of its time, especially the hard rock and grunge that is is much less prolific in 2019. In fact, the hard rock numbers have turned out to be not nearly as memorable as the more traditional Broadway numbers like “Seasons of Love.”

Others have simply looked at the musical from a more mature perspective.

Teens who spent their highschool and college years listening to Rent in the ’90s and ’00s and siding with the main characters rejecting the system have grown up to become adults in 2019 and argue from the perspective of the antagonists, namely the landlord asking the main characters for the titular “rent,” saying that the main characters are actually lazy freeloaders.

There have also been critiques from queer activists — including accusations of plagiarism. Sarah Schulman, an author and AIDS activist, claimed Larson stole the plot of his show from her book “People in Trouble.” Schulman’s 1984 novel was the story of a bisexual performance artist who

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dumped her male lover for a lesbian activist and caused a riot with her performance art that targeted a local landlord, which is remarkably similar to the plot of “Rent.”

Schulman had spoken with lawyers about suing Larson’s estate for plaigarism, but ultimately chose not to and has since expressed more frustration in how Larson “straightwashed” her work by making the central character the straight man as opposed to the lesbian couple. Furthermore, Schulman critiqued “Rent”’s lack of focus on the organization and activism done by gay men against AIDS. “To have those pieces depict alone, abandoned gay men with AIDS who had no political movement and no community support was absolutely the opposite of what had already occured,” Schulman told the queer news site “them.us” back in January.

The death of Angel has also received accusations of being an example of the infamous “Bury Your Gays” trope, wherein LGBTQ+ characters would be killed off by the end of a story. Critics have argued that Angel’s death isn’t a true example of this trope, but can still leave a sour taste in one’s mouth, especially given that it is a modern retelling of “La Boheme.”

In the opera, it is not Angel’s counterpart, Schaunaurde, who dies, but Mimi’s counterpart. This is one of the show’s largest departures from the story of “La Boheme,” which just so happens to create a story where the gay couple suffers a tragic ending while the straight one perseveres.

These are all legitimate critiques of “Rent.” Given the increase in queer voices and AIDS activism, “Rent” would probably not have been as well received had it come out in 2019. The second it came out, people would be decrying it on Twitter for being yet another example of the “Bury Your Gays” trope, portraying a bisexual character who is unfaithful and focusing on the straight members of the cast more than the queer ones. We have had better queer representation in our media since 1996.

However, that doesn’t change the fact that “Rent” did a lot to humanize LGBTQ+ people and people suffering from AIDS in a time when they were feared or ignored.

“Rent” touched a lot of people, gave them hope and paved the way for shows like “Hamilton.”

Like renting itself, it seems that “Rent” and its impact is neither wholly good or wholly bad.

November 14, 2019

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