Vol. 105 Issue 48
@thepittnews LOVE IS FOREVER
Pittnews.com
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Anthony Jeselnik
Comedian talks about Twitter, death
page 7
Game, Set, Match Volleyball wins twice over weekend
Meghan Sunners | Staff Photographer
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Lovebettie performs at Oakland Forever in Schenly Plaza on Saturday. Meghan Sunners | Staff Photographer
Statue raises concerns over Columbus Day legitimacy Abbey Reighard Senior Staff Writer Its hands are now clean, but they were once the color of blood. The statue of Christopher Columbus in Schenley Park, just outside of Phipps Conservatory, is a monument many Pitt students pass by as they enter the park. The statue, which has been a feature in the park since 1958, has been a target for vandals in the past few years who have defaced the bronze and Barre granite statue’s
hands and body. This Columbus Day passed without incident. In the past few years, there were multiple incidents of vandalism according to reports filed by Morton Brown, Pittsburgh’s public art manager under the Department of City Planning’s Public Art Division, with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. In 2010, vandals painted the statue’s hands red and sprayed words and phrases such as “Butcher” and “Death to civilization.”
Brown reported the incidents, which occurred on three separate occasions, to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. He said although the police took the reports “very seriously” and staked out the area surrounding the statue during that time and in the following years, the police never identified the culprits. Brown said he hasn’t filed any reports of the statue being vandalized since 2010. The monument in Schenley Park is one of many across the country that have been vandalized every year, especially around
Columbus Day, which, Brown said, may relate to the controversial nature of the statue and Columbus Day. Though nearly all Americans know Columbus to be the “discoverer” of America, many also know him to have enslaved and killed many indigenous people in the West Indies, where he landed in 1492. Four U.S. states — Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon and South Dakota — do not celebrate Columbus Day, according to Hawaii.gov. Seattle, Wa., Brown said,
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October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
NEWS
Students vote to change Board term lengths, Saturday finals Danielle Fox Assistant News Editor
Two Student Government Board referenda passed last week, aligning the Board’s term with the academic year and supporting a proposal to eliminate Saturday finals. Out of 1,348 students who voted on the first referendum, 1,132 students — 84 percent of voters — supported basing SGB’s term on the academic year rather than the calendar year. Out of 1,720 students who voted on the second referendum, 1,530 students, or 89 percent of voters, supported the elimination of Saturday finals. The referenda went live online through Pitt Portal at midnight last Wednesday, and it closed at 11:59 p.m. on Friday. SGB President Mike Nites dis-
tributed the results via email to student groups Sunday night. To make up for the remaining half of the academic year, the 2015 Board will serve from January 2015 to April 2016 instead of ending its term the day before spring semester 2016. The 2016 Board’s term will then follow the regular academic year, beginning the end of April after the spring semester closes and end at the conclusion of the following spring semester. The change will align SGB with the University’s schedule, specifically University governing bodies such as the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Council and the Board of the Trustees. SGB annually appoints student representatives to both bodies, which already follow the academic year. Nites
said there were problems in ensuring that students appointed to these positions by the previous Board were still attending meetings after a new Board took office. The realignment will allow for more accountability as only one president will preside over the appointees, Nites said. Nites said the new term length is also closer to SGB’s fiscal year, which starts July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year. A memo in the election applications alerted candidates for the upcoming election about the possible year-anda-half term length, Nites said. Nites said since students graduating in December 2015 would not be able to run, the number of people who qualify for candidacy is lower, but the Board agreed that a year-and-a-half-long term
would be preferable to a six-month term, an option the Board briefly discussed. The Board will incorporate the results of the second referendum into a proposal to the University to eliminate Saturday finals. Nites said the Board does not yet have a timeline for when they will make the proposal. Nites said he is meeting with Kathy Humphrey, dean and vice provost of students, this week to discuss appointing a student to the Academic Calendar Committee, the University committee that determines the academic calendar every year. “We are going to try and get more student input on the committee and have our proposal go through that mechanism because they ultimately make the
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October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
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SGB recommendation to the Provost Office,” Nites said. If the University accepts the proposal, finals would occur only Monday through Friday during finals week. Each referendum needed three percent of the student body — roughly 600 students — to vote and then a simple majority of roughly 301 students voting
October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com affirmatively to pass. Approximately six percent of the student body voted in the first referendum, and approximately nine percent voted in the second referendum. Nites said he was pleased with the voter turnout. “I know it represents less than 10 percent of the student body, but I was personally pleased because they were not held during the normal election, so I didn’t expect to see 50 percent of the student body vote on them,” Nites said.
Because there was a strong majority voting in favor of the referenda, Nites said he was confident the results accurately represented the student body’s opinion. “I’d be a little bit more nervous if it was 55/45, but since it was so overwhelming, I’m okay with the results,” Nites said. “At the end of the day, I know voting on constitutional changes isn’t the most interesting thing, so I’m glad about the amount of students who voted.”
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STATUE celebrates “Indigenous Peoples Day” each year instead of Columbus Day. “I think nationwide there has been a lot of public opinion shifting away from what we were all taught in school [about Christopher Columbus],” Brown said. Brown said there is a need to recognize the indigenous populations of America but said there are more productive ways of making statements than vandalization of public property. “It forces taxpayers to have to pay for destructive tendencies,” Brown said. “It doesn’t reach the folks they want to get to. It’s not the way I would spread the message for any cause.” The 2010 repairs to the statue cost the city $15,000, according to Brown. Ann Follette, communication coordinator for the Native American Student Organization, said Columbus reminds her about “the genocide of an entire group of people.” Despite her feelings about Columbus, Follette, a College of General Studies student majoring in the humanities, said she and other members of NASO try not to dwell on the past. “We focus on the positive things,” Follette said. “We try to make people aware that we’re still here.” Follette said the statue of Columbus should not be in Schenley Park and that Columbus should not be celebrated in schools. “He is not someone who should be admired,” Follette said. The Pittsburgh chapter of the Sons of Columbus began raising funds for the statue in 1909. In 1951, the Sons of Columbus held a national convention in Pittsburgh, according to Brown. Italian-born sculptor Frank Vittor — who settled in Pittsburgh — completed and unveiled the statue in Schenley Park in 1958. Scott Roller, senior manager of marketing and communication for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, said the statue sparks discussion, but serves its purpose. “We understand how complicated the issue of Columbus Day is. It instills a lot of passion in people,” Roller said. “Art like that is supposed to do that: Spark passion and start a discussion about important issues.”
October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
EDITORIAL
5
OPINIONS
Peace Corps still relevant for millennials
Reforms can make a difference. The Peace Corps has realized this. This year, the nation’s signature volunteering service has received more than 17,000 applications — a 70 percent increase from 2013. The soar can best be attributed to a significant removal of red tape. According to the Washington Post, last year more than 30,000 applicants dropped out before finishing the application. Now, the agency has made improvements to ensure applicants a less burdensome experience. The application packet completion time has been trimmed from eight hours to one, and the overall application process has been reduced from one year to about six months. According to USA Today, some changes include the elimination of one essay and other redundant questions. Additionally, applicants can now choose their country of service and apply to specific programs, rather than the agency placing them. The revisions and the subsequent rise in applicants are advantageous to international peace and cooperation. Created through executive order by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961, the Peace Corps’s primary purpose is to encourage mutual understanding between Americans and people of other nations and cultures. It showcases American commitment to serving less fortunate global citizens. While speaking to University of Michigan students exactly 54 years ago today, Kennedy asked, “How many of you, who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers, how many of you are
willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world?” Students must continue to answer these questions. Although we live in a globalized, technological world, no device or connection can replace in-person interaction between peoples and cultures. Attracting young, qualified individuals to do so must remain a national priority. The removal of red tape has proven beneficial to keeping individuals interested in volunteering. But could there be more to this growing interest in the Corps? Possibly. The last time applicant interest was as high as today was 1992. Additionally, Peace Corps interest peaked in 1979. The late 1970s and early 1990s both saw recessions, and similarly, today’s job market is certainly not the brightest in U.S. history. So perhaps altruism is not the only incentive for Peace Corps applicants. Even still, organizations like the Peace Corps are excellent winwin situations. Young people are given work and purpose, while impoverished countries are provided aid and support. Moreover, American charity can be used to positively influence others abroad, reflecting well on the motives and priorities of the United States. Today, the world is in a volatile state. Whether in response to terrorism or disease, the international community must work to combat conflict and crisis. Americans must continue to serve the global community, leading through peace and volunteerism embodied by the Peace Corps.
Cartoon by Dylan Fisher
COLUMN
Pride and prejudice
An atheist attends a seminar on Christian sexual ethics Andy Boschert For The Pitt News First, I would like to betray my normal sensibilities and discuss my religious affiliation. It’s not something I do often, as private beliefs can often unfairly shape one’s reputation. But here goes: I’m an atheist. If I’m in a church, it’s definitely for a wedding or funeral. I’m staunch in my atheism, and, literally short of a miracle, it’s unlikely you’ll catch me in the pews on Sunday. I say this not out of pride, but because I want to make known my biases and presuppositions. Therefore, it’s infrequent that I give much credence to particular religious philosophies. In some ways, I have thoroughly boxed myself into my beliefs. Having turned
these problems over in my mind time and again, I’ve seen no reason to revisit. That is, until I was walking along one day and saw a poster for a seminar hosted by the on-campus group Off the Hook. The title read: “One Body: Love, Sex and Christianity.” Philosophically, my strongest opposition to Christianity is its views on sexuality. It’s something I’m convinced the faith has gotten wrong — the “sinful” nature of our sexual desires, the opposition to contraception, the importance of marriage to sexual relationships. It irks my hedonistic, instant-gratification worldview. My brain began to formulate ideas. I could be the fox in the henhouse, the fly on the wall, Nixon’s tape recorder. The inner circle of
Christian dogma was open to me, and I intended to expose all of it. I had the story written in my own head before I even attended the event. I left the event steeped in embarrassment. Off the Hook held its event on Oct. 3 in the O’Hara Student Center. I felt extremely nervous — there were way more people than I anticipated. Besides, the intention to lampoon the group from behind a screen seemed cheap and dishonest. Jarred by this revelation, I set out anew to earnestly listen to what the speaker — Alexander R. Pruss of Baylor University — had to say. He did draw quite a crowd after all, and his Ivy League background in math and philosophy piqued my interest.
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October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
FROM PAGE 5
BOSCHERT As Pruss took the podium and began to speak, I knew this wasn’t the fire-and-brimstone sermon for which I was secretly hoping. Pruss was a soft-spoken and gregarious man, with the thin wispy hair expected of academics. And he immediately said some surprising things. “I just want you to know that this is not a dogmatic ideology,” Pruss said. “Christian sexual ethics offers a framework, not rules.” In two sentences, he cooly destroyed the my preconceptions of Christian sexual beliefs as mandatory. Armed with the permission to
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disregard everything he said, I listened on. “Christianity is a religion of love,” Pruss continued. “Love has three aspects and it needs all three: appreciation, good will and striving for union.” I started to realize that this wasn’t a seminar about how Christian sexual ethics fits into the world. It was about how sex fits into the Christian idea of love. And honestly, I agree with most of his interpretations. Although I didn’t agree with everything Pruss said, overall, Christian principles seem firmly grounded in common sense, and I found myself giving real consideration to the ideas presented. For instance, Christian beliefs stress the importance of real compatibility when choos-
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ing a partner, not just sexual attraction. The frank and encouraging nature of the advice struck me as being applicable to those of all faiths. Without knowing it, Pruss had beaten me. His talk made me realize I was more prejudiced than most believers. He taught me an important Christian virtue: humility. I don’t think he’ll ever win me over on the core of Christian sexual ethics. I firmly believe that sex means a lot of things to a lot of people. But in the same way I believe in birth control and free love, Christians have good reasons and strong convictions like anyone. And I respect it more now than ever. We all should try to be more open. Philosophy will never be a science. Our lives will
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T P N S U D O K U
never come with a manual, though people will compete to interest you in one. With all these competing worldviews, we probably will find one that suits us best. In my mind, this is only a start. Ideas have to evolve over time. Knowledge brings complexity. Some people will believe the same things for the same reasons for their whole lives. Don’t be one of them. Talk to a Buddhist monk. Read the Qur’an. Hell, take a personality test at your local Church of Scientology (do not actually do this one). Strive to incorporate more information into whatever worldview you happen to have. I’ll promise if you promise. Maybe one day you’ll see me in the pews on Sunday. Write to Andrew at amb306@pitt.edu advertising@pittnews.com
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October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
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ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT
COMEDY
Pittsburgh Supervillain
Anthony Jeselnik talks evil persona, death and Twitter Shawn Cooke A&E Editor Anthony Jeselnik, the man, couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to perform in front of an audience. But, Anthony Jeselnik, the performer, wants that same group to hate his guts. “The persona onstage is a complete villain, who has nothing but complete disregard for the audience,” Jeselnik said. The Upper St. Clair graduate — and his evil stage alter ego — are set to return to Pittsburgh at the Byham Theater this Thursday, to perform an all-new set of material. You might know Jeselnik from his short-lived 2013 Comedy Central series, “The Jeselnik Offensive,” which skewered the most twisted and absurd news stories of the week through his pitch-black comic lens. He zoomed in on the broader topics that dominate his stand-up material, such as cancer, AIDS and death but found overlap in current events. It shocked by the minute — but only if you hadn’t seen Jeselnik before. “If I say the word cancer during a joke, the tension just ratchets up, because people can’t imagine what I’m about to say that’s going to make them laugh at cancer,” Jeselnik said. Aside from the dark material, Jeselnik is also known for paring jokes away to concise one-liners. “I almost kind of write my jokes out like a haiku, so I can see every single word — I can see any extra word and where it should be taken out,” Jeselnik said. “[I want to] be like the Ramones of comedy, where every chord matter[s], and you just [go] through it as fast as
you [can].” Jeselnik spoke with The Pitt News over the phone about how people react to his material, the importance of Twitter for comics and why he’s doing people a favor by joking about death. The Pitt News: What’s been your least favorite reaction to a joke? Anthony Jeselnik: I get everything from laughs to boos, and they’re all fine by me. They’re all just as good. I like to have a mixture — I like to entertain half the crowd and have half going, “What is going on?” The worst thing that can happen to me is either silence — if there’s no reaction whatsoever, if they’re just bored by it — or if they groan ... That will make me never use a joke again, if the audience groans at it. But boos, hate, laughter are just great. TPN: You used to be more prolific with tweets about current events and tragedies. So were those intended to be from your stage presence or from you? AJ: I think the thing that got confused about Twitter is it’s a little bit of both. It’s a little bit of the persona and me. I know a lot of famous people that I’m friends with have secret accounts where they have one under their name, and then they have one that’s not tied to them at all. And they can say something offensive on that Twitter and not have to worry about it being a public declaration. Like people think you’re doing a press conference. And I think that’s why I fell out of Twitter a little bit — I stopped enjoying it. Because when I was coming up, I could kind of make these raw jokes that were almost a parody of the outpouring of people getting on
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Photo credit to Robyn Von Swank
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October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
FASHION
Changing clothes: Pittsburgh shops and shoppers adjust to fall Megan Wholey For The Pitt News
The time to buy is now. Just before the leaves turn, student shoppers flock to clothing stores in search of the perfect fall and winter wardrobes. But just how do Pittsburgh’s clothing stores approach the fall season? It takes a lot of preparation. The process of acquiring fall inventory is an extensive one. Generally, boutiques purchase their inventory six to eight months in advance. A trip to New York to view showrooms usually suffices. Occasionally, two or more trips are required. After shops have decided what to inventory, the clothing arrives midsummer, and the merchandising begins. By September, summer merchandise is on sale, and fall fills the stores. For any fashion enthusiast, it’s an enticing sight. Dina Ellen, a boutique on Walnut
Fall fashion doesn’t have to be sweatpants and leggings. Theo Schwarz | Visual Editor
Street, is an ideal place to experience this abundance. Baggy cashmere sweaters, distressed “boyfriend” denim and a full collection of cozy coats line the walls.
Cherie Sanders, manager of Dina Ellen, advises students to have a plan to fully capitalize on fall fashion. Students should educate themselves and know what they like, and also decide what type
of clothing items they are looking for. “Purchase a few nice pieces and interchange them. But, if you want to buy the current trends that will last six months: Think cost. Buy cheap,” Sanders said. When looking for high-quality pieces, Pittsburgh’s boutiques are a great place to start. Many of the city’s most popular boutiques have been in business for decades and exclusively carry tried-and-true brands. Purchasing from these stores essentially guarantees that your just-purchased item won’t fall apart within five washes. These pieces, while initially expensive, can save money in the long run, because you probably won’t have to replace them anytime soon. That being said, many college students — considering today’s college price tag — cannot justify the hefty
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October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com TIME CAPSULE
Twenty years later, ‘Clerks’ the definitive workplace comedy Shawn Cooke A&E Editor
Who ever said that the ultimate workplace movie had to be set in an office? For many millennial college graduates, their first job out of school might be behind a counter — not suffocating in a cubicle. Even though it might seem like we’re all headed toward a sea of TPS reports, migrating desks and finicky, stapler-obsessed coworkers, sometimes there’s a steppingstone or two before that inevitable nightmare can be realized. And that’s why “Clerks” is the ideal workplace comedy for those of us who would rather crawl than waltz into the real world. Kevin Smith’s debut, which celebrates its 20th anniversary next week, almost perfectly captures this mind-set through a day in the life of a convenience store clerk, Dante (Brian O’Halloran), and his best friend Randal ( Jeff Anderson), who works at the video store next door. They both favor the deadend life over anything that resembles commitment, even though the mundanity of their jobs grows tiresome. The film begins when Dante finds out that he has to cover a few hours for a sick coworker at Quick Stop. A few hours turn into the whole day when Dante eventually finds out that his boss went to Vermont, leaving Dante with the store to himself. For a while, he bemoans dealing with moronic customers and the petty tasks of his job, but Dante and Randal kill the time by discussing the end of “Return of the Jedi,” temporarily closing the store for a roof hockey game and experiencing halfhearted catharsis after attending the wake of one of Dante’s ex-girlfriends — only to scurry out after Randal accidentally knocks over her casket.
From a narrative standpoint, “Clerks” seems to be primarily concerned with Dante’s romantic woes. He’s stuck in an unsatisfying relationship with Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti), but longs for his ex-girlfriend, Caitlin (Lisa Spoonauer), who’s back in town with her new fiance. Despite her relationship status, Caitlin gives Dante reason to believe that her marriage won’t happen and that things could work out for them — until one of the most darkly hilarious scenes in memory. But, at its core, “Clerks” isn’t about romance — it’s about the immortal friendship between Dante and Randal and their indifference toward — rather than dissatisfaction with — their career rut. Tempting as it may be to throw around lazy genre tags like “buddy comedy” or “slacker comedy,” these labels are more misleading than convenient when dealing with a movie like “Clerks.” Though Dante and Randal certainly live by the “Lazy But Talented” mantra — which can be commonly found on a series of recent Nike athletic T-shirts — they’re smart, articulate guys, especially when it comes to discussing touchstones of geekdom. But, they don’t have any initiative to bring that knowledge outside of the convenience store. As the sequel confirms, their notions of upward mobility and motivation consist of taking a job at the local fast-food joint. Even though Dante experiences pressure to take college classes and not remain a lifetime clerk, he values the strength of his relationships more than his professional career. Many of us wouldn’t dream of working at a convenience store right after college. But then again, you probably couldn’t play a daytime hockey game with your best friend in an office, either.
“They’re smart, articulate guys, especially when it comes to discussing touchstones of geekdom.”
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FROM PAGE 7
JESELNIK Twitter after something horrible happened. Everybody kind of does the same thing on Twitter. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be kind of funny if I tried to make a joke about this horrible thing?” — that everyone seems to be mourning right now. But I think that was almost a mistake because people see my name next to it, and instead of seeing it as a joke, kind of see it as an endorsement of the tragedy ... And I think a lot of people don’t tweet as much as they used to. It’s just not a format that I’m that interested in anymore. TPN: Does joking about death every night desensitize you to tragedies in your own life, or does it become easier to cope with? AJ: You know, I understand the question, and it used to be a fear of mine when I started out — What if something horrible happens and these jokes aren’t funny to me anymore? But that worry is gone. I think it’s just a way that my
October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com mind works. People say, “It’s such a negative thing to talk about death,” but I don’t think so. For me, it’s a very optimistic and positive thing to talk about. Because when you’re talking about death every night, then you’re kind of aware that life seems that much
“For me, it’s a very optimistic and positive thing to talk about.” Anthony Jeselnik, on death — sweeter seems like a lame way to put it, but it does. You seem more alive when you keep death close like that. So I really feel like I’m doing people a service, and I don’t believe I’m hurting anyone. Some people might get upset, but that’s not my problem. I talk about
dark subjects, but I don’t believe that I’m a dark person. TPN: There’s a sound effect on your first album, Shakespeare, that’s hard to identify. It sounds like a rubber band. AJ: There was one moment where I say, “What’s your name? I’m going to make you famous.” And she goes, “Kelly.” Then you hear a boom. What I used to do, is sometimes if I was doing crowd work and someone was being really difficult, I would ask them a question, and then I would hit them on the head with the microphone. It’s covered with foam, so it doesn’t hurt them, but it sounds really loud — like I just clocked somebody. But I had to stop doing that, because one night, I was doing a show where there wasn’t a foam covering on the microphone, and I did it to someone, and I like really hurt them. And I thought, “Oh, this is a mistake.” That was the last time I hit someone with the mic. TPN: Is that the one joke you might apologize for? AJ: Oh, I would never apologize — even for that.
The Pitt News Crossword, 10/14/2014
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ACROSS 1 Part of 10/29/14 6 With the bow, to a violist 10 “The Godfather” novelist 14 Its strings are tuned in perfect fifths 15 Gulp (down) 16 Alternative to Windows 17 Geometric products 18 Patron saint of Norway 19 Evening, informally 20 Classic country song with the lyric “I’ve lived my life in vain” 22 Pass the welcome mat 23 Gambler’s method 24 Image handlers, for short 26 “Clueless” actress Donovan 29 Ice cream treat 32 L x XLVIII 35 Support for a weak joint 37 Deforestation remnant 38 __-Locka, Florida 39 Manners expressed in letters 41 Queen Victoria’s realm, e.g.: Abbr. 42 Kibbutz teacher 44 Steady fellow 45 U.K. mil. awards 46 Buzzard’s grippers 48 Big name in appliances 50 Les __-Unis 52 California wine region 56 Newsletter choice 58 Writer/director known for his coming-of-age films 61 Genesis son 62 Golden rule word 63 Showy flowers, for short 64 “Deadliest Catch” narrator Mike 65 Not quite dry 66 Eagle’s hideaway 67 Place for private dining?
FROM PAGE 8
FASHION boutique prices. Sarah Dalo, a senior at Pitt, tries to seek out more budgetfriendly options. “While I have not gone shopping yet, when I do, good prices will be [an] important factor. I often shop at Plato’s Closet and TJ Maxx,” Dalo said. A low clothing budget allows students to explore and have fun with clothes. So, if you’re looking to rock this season’s fast fashion on a budget, you may be better off heading to the high street. Forever 21, Zara and H&M provide affordable trendy pieces. Regardless of the budget, every student should base his or her wardrobe on a simple platform: Make yourself presentable. It’s a fairly attainable goal. Cara Moody, co-owner of Lawrenceville’s Jupe Boutique, advises shoppers to prepare their dress for any type of encounter. “Be presentable wherever you are. It is easy to become lazy when it comes to your appearance, but you never know who you will run into,” Moody said.
10/29/14
By Allan E. Parrish
68 First name in mysteries 69 Political essay DOWN 1 Picket line crossers 2 “Bad, Bad” Brown of song 3 A’s and Jays 4 Not on the level 5 Inexpensive lodging 6 Missing reveille, perhaps 7 Chewy candy brand 8 Purse fastener 9 Bids 10 Strong-smelling 11 Deduction on many paychecks 12 Rigatoni alternative 13 Field team 21 Drops 25 Rumple, with “up” 27 “Born From Jets” automaker 28 Sleep __ 30 Arsenal supply 31 “Love & Basketball” actor Omar 32 Media mogul Zuckerman
Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved
©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
33 Film-rating org. 34 24/7 information provider 36 Mild cheese 39 Colada fruit 40 Suppress 43 Pop holders 45 Pendant earring, say 47 Children’s hosp. co-founded by Danny Thomas 49 Chewy candy
10/29/14
51 Sub tracker 53 “BUtterfield 8” novelist 54 Physician at the front 55 It’s a good thing 56 Growing concern? 57 Double-reed woodwind 59 Standard Web page code 60 “You wish”
October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
FOOTBALL
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SPORTS
Notebook: Conner could see defensive snaps Thursday Jasper Wilson Senior Staff Writer
After a week and a half off, the Pitt football team returns to action against Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Heinz Field in a nationally broadcast game on ESPN. While the team is on a three-game losing streak, sophomore running back James Conner says the season isn’t lost for the Panthers. “[We’re] just 1-1 in ACC play, so our goal is still attainable. Our record doesn’t look too great right now,” Conner said. “But we still have a goal to achieve, and we’re going to try our best to do that.” Conner also said he may take snaps at defensive end this week in addition to playing on offense. The team brought the possibility up before the season began, but Conner has only played at running back in games so far. He spent some of Monday’s practice working with the defensive group. The game against Virginia Tech is the first Thursday night game for the Panthers since
Paul Chryst and Pitt play Virginia Tech, which beat Pitt 19-9 last year, on Thursday Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor
the 2012 season when they lost to Cincinnati 34-10, and the first home game of the sort since a 44-17 victory over South Florida in 2011. Pitt head coach Paul Chryst is focused on the game. “I’m more concerned with how they’re preparing for Virginia Tech,” Chryst said. “But they’re aware of it, and I think that’s one of the reasons you come to a place like Pitt. In
many ways, Thursday night football is [like] the Monday night of the NFL.” Conner said the added pressures won’t distract from the team’s goal. “It’s nice that it’s prime time,” he said. “But we just wanna get back in the win column. These couple weeks have been ridiculous. So it doesn’t even matter if it’s on ESPN or not, we gotta get this. It’s a must win. We need the
victory.” Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith finds the national stage exciting. “In the locker room, everybody’s talking about it. Can’t wait,” Jones-Smith said. “Definitely looking forward to coming out Thursday night and kicking some butt.” Another offensive lineman, redshirt sophomore Adam Bisnowaty, will start against the Hokies (4-2 overall, 1-1 ACC) after serving a one-game suspension last Saturday against the University of Virginia for disciplinary reasons, according to head coach Paul Chryst.. The player running behind these linemen, Conner, leads the ACC and is fifth in the country in rushing yards with 874. The defense he’ll face this week is 16th in rushing defense, with 108.8 yards allowed per game. The Hokies also rank 21st in total defense. “Pressure. Pressure. A lot of pressure, a lot of blitzes,” Jones-Smith said of the Hok-
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VOLLEYBALL
Panthers continue hot start to ACC season over weekend Caitlin Hinsey Staff Writer Lately, the Pitt women’s volleyball team has seemed unbeatable, dropping only one of its last 11 matches, including this weekend’s sweep of Notre Dame and Syracuse. Fans have noticed. Friday’s home game featured a large pinked-out crowd for breast cancer awareness, and it was marked by an appearance from men’s basketball head coach Jamie Dixon. Pitt (15-2, 3-1 ACC) dominated the Irish Friday evening at home 25-23, 25-18 and 25-13. “We really needed a win after UNC and that close game,” senior libero Delaney Clesen said. “This brings us one step closer to our goal and getting to that NCAA tournament.” A quick turnaround took the Panthers on the road as they travelled to Syracuse and
defeated the Orange 3-1 Sunday. The scores were 25-13, 17-25, 25-23 and 25-23. Despite the win, the Panthers appeared frenzied against Syracuse, and they didn’t play as well as they have previously. “We’re looking at the positive: This is a good team that we beat on the road, and any time we get a road win in the ACC, we’re pretty happy,” head coach Dan Fisher said. Notre Dame The Panthers started each set securing the first point. Senior opposite Mechael Guess led Pitt with 10 kills, and junior teammate Amanda Orchard continued her scorching season. The junior middle blocker recorded eight kills and hit an extremely impressive .727 for the match, which Fisher said is so high it’s “almost laughable.” “She just seems to be finding a way to kill balls no matter what the set or situation is,”
Fisher said. “Mechael came in and gave us a nice lift. Her and Kate [Yeazel] had nice nights offensively.” Pitt beat the Irish (4-13, 1-5) with the help of aces, with four players tallying two or more aces. Setter Jenna Jacobsen led the team with four. Pitt held Notre Dame’s top hitter Jeni Houser to eight kills. In set one, the teams exchanged points early before Notre Dame attempted to pull away from the Panthers. With the score tied at 13, the Irish scored five straight, thanks to three attack errors committed by Pitt. After swapping points, Pitt rallied from 15-20 to 20-21. Kills by senior outside hitter Jessica Wynn and senior opposite Yeazel tied it at 22 before winning set one. Although Notre Dame never held a lead in set two, the Irish tied the set twice. Eventually, the Panthers built a lead. Despite having
set point, Notre Dame scored three straight before Pitt finished off its opponents. The final set exposed the Irish defensive weaknesses, and Pitt took advantage of them. Pitt took a commanding 12-3 lead thanks to kills from Wynn, Yeazel, Guess and Orchard. Notre Dame struggled to find a way to score as Pitt added to its large lead before ending the match with strong momentum. “This is a good win. This was one of our goals. We really wanted to beat Notre Dame so we came out and did that tonight,” Guess said. Clesen added, “We’re super excited. We’re both seniors, and this is the first time that we have beaten Notre Dame since we have been at Pitt.” Syracuse In its first conference road-match of the
Volleyball
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October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
FOOTBALL
Pitt in the NFL: McCoy, Fitzgerald win with star performances Chris Puzia Sports Editor
Sunday was part of a week of bouncebacks for former Pitt players in the NFL: LeSean McCoy and Larry Fitzgerald, at times considered among the best at their positions, have had mostly weak showings so far this year. But Fitzgerald scored his first touchdown of the season on Sunday for the Arizona Cardinals on a 24-yard strike. His 98 yards were also a season high, and although he has yet to top 100 yards in a game so far, much of that can be attributed to shaky quarterback play. Rookie Logan Thomas was forced to take the field last week due to injuries to other quarterbacks, and the wide receivers suffered as a result. Fitzgerald caught only three of his seven targets last week, but he hauled in all six of his targets this week. Although he is not the dominant, overpowering threat
he once was, Fitzgerald is still an elite route-runner and can use that with his savvy to create separation and produce for the Cardinals. Arizona beat Washington 30-20 in the game and is now 4-1 on the season. McCoy’s season has mirrored Fitzgerald’s, in a way. He, too, has underperformed so far, but the team seems to be plowing ahead regardless. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants 27-0 on Sunday Night Football, improving their record to 5-1. McCoy’s season-high for rushing yards coming into the contest was 81 yards, but he rushed for 149 yards on 22 carries this week. “Shady” still only has one rushing touchdown on the season, but the running back’s abilities to find running room on the outside and constantly create first downs for the offense propelled the Eagles to a dominant win against their divisional rival Sunday. After the team’s bye week next week, McCoy will face Fitzgerald and
the Cardinals for a week-eight matchup. Cornerback Darrelle Revis of the New England Patriots tied his season-high with four tackles in the team’s 37-22 win over the Buffalo Bills. The former first-round pick has not intercepted a pass since week two against the Minnesota Vikings, but he has helped the Patriots this year by simply staying on the field. Linebacker Jerod Mayo left the win on Sunday with a knee injury, which team officials are calling “significant.” Cornerback Brandon Browner and linebacker Dont’a Hightower did not practice last week for the Patriots and were listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. With so many injuries swirling around the Patriots’ defense, Revis staying in as a consistent force for the team is a help in itself. He matched up on Bills’ rookie receiver Sammy Watkins and held him to only two catches in the game. Rookie defensive back K’Waun Williams currently has 12 tackles and one
sack for the Cleveland Browns and has had a hand in multiple important defensive stops. His growth as a player seems to be mirroring that of the team: The Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-10 on Sunday to improve to 3-2 on the season. However, Williams left the game early with concussion-like symptoms. Teammate and former Panther Jabaal Sheard tallied three tackles in the game and now has 20 tackles and two sacks on the season. Rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald and the St. Louis Rams matched up against veteran punter Andy Lee and the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. Donald had eight tackles and one sack coming into the matchup, but his role might soon grow within the defensive unit. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said Donald “had a really, really good week of practice. Looking forward for him to ... have opportunities to play the way we want him to play.” Photo by MCT Campus
October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 11
VOLLEYBALL year, Pitt was scrappy in beating its opponent, which hasn’t won a conference game yet this season. Three Panthers had 10-plus kills — Wynn (15), Maria Genitsaridi (13) and Orchard (10) — while Clesen added a match-high 22 digs. Syracuse’s Silvi Uattara had a matchhigh 21 kills. “They definitely came out ready to play,” Wynn said. “They pushed us, but we were ready to push back. It wasn’t our best day but we got the job done.” The team’s momentum from Friday’s match carried over to Sunday in set one, with the Panthers taking a 10-3 and 19-10 lead thanks to solid hitting from Wynn and sophomore Genitsaridi before capturing a set victory. A letdown happened in set two when Syracuse forced Pitt to play catch-up for the whole set. Despite Pitt tying the score multiple times, Syracuse (7-11, 0-6 ACC) never relinquished its lead and dominated the Panthers in the later half. The Orange went up 17-11 before winning their only set.
The Panthers bounced back in set three as stats for the two teams mirrored one another. Back-and-forth play occurred before Pitt jumped out to a 14-10 lead credited to a Wynn kill and Orange attack errors. Syracuse evened the score at 23, but Pitt held on to win the set. “There were a lot of back-and-forth plays, so we tried to stay calm but urgent at the same time instead of freaking out and hitting out of our comfort zones,” said senior Lindsey Zitzke. Both teams struggled in the fourth set, hitting below .100, but Pitt managed to win. The Panthers found themselves down early but tied it at nine and traded points until finally winning the set and the match. “We did a really good job of having each other’s backs,” Zitzke said. Fisher agreed with his starting setter. “The real key was us being a great team,” he said. “It got really sloppy [at the end], so there was a lot of time for people to get frustrated, but we didn’t. Whenever there was a problem, we stuck together and looked each other in the eye and figured it out.” Pitt has almost a week off before the team travels for a Friday night match at Georgia Tech and a Sunday afternoon match at Clemson.
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NOTEBOOK ies’ defense. Chryst thinks the approach that longtime Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster will take will be similar to what the Panthers saw in a 19-9 loss last season in Blacksburg. “It’s a pretty good formula. This week we’ve got to be able to handle it,” he said. “That was one thing, if you look back to last year’s game, we didn’t do a good job of handling Virginia Tech’s pressure. They have some very good guys on the back end and linebackers, so that’ll be part of the challenge. Conner isn’t fazed and said he just needs to continue to trust the coaches and the offensive line. “We know defenses are gonna try to key on me, with stacking the box and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “But I’ll just keep trying to execute and run hard.” “They’re not going to try to trick us. We know what they’re going to come to do,” Conner said. “We’re ready for them.” Penalties have caused the Panthers problems all season, but especially against Virginia,
13 with seven penalties for 60 yards called in the first half alone. On Monday, Chryst pointed to the effect of miscues, stating that on three drives where pre-snap offensive penalties occurred for the Panthers, they had just two yards or less to go after that third down, killing the drive’s momentum. “The negative plays set us off track quite a bit, and that’s something you’d like to, say, eliminate, but you’ve got to first minimize it,” he said. He then explained how they’ve tried to go about decreasing those errors during the bye week. “[Show] there’s consequences. Today, we jump offsides, move the ball back, sticks change. They’ve got to understand what they just did to our team. No one wants to [commit them],” he said. “Guys just see that it does matter.“ Of greater importance then is how players learn from it going forward. “Really the ultimate thing is how you respond from it,” said Chryst. “That’s the same thing we’re talking about with our team right now: How are we going to respond? It hasn’t gone exactly how we want it, how will we respond?”
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October 14, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com