the pitt news
volume 109|issue 11
WELCOME BACK EDITION
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Letter From The Editor Welcome back to campus for the 2018-2019 school year. Part of our responsibility as The Pitt News is to provide you, our readers, with accurate, truthful information. It’s more important than ever that our news institutions are trustworthy – which is why we let our work speak for itself. We are committed to serving our community by aggressively seeking and printing the truth. Over the summer at The Pitt News, we’ve been hard at work preparing for the near year – we have a new website, a whole new team of editors and brand new positions in our editorial department. Stay tuned for new and exciting digital and video content on our website, pittnews.com -- and if you’d like to be a part of our team, come find us on the Fourth Floor of the William Pitt Union. Whether or not you read the news, it affects you – be a part of creating it. Christian Snyder Editor-in-Chief
welcome back!
News page 6 Opinions page 28 Culture page 52 Sports page 66 Cover by Anna Bongardino | visual editor
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NEWS upmc
10 nationality rooms
12 icymi summer news
14 international student organizations
16 scoobi
17 therapy dog training
19 monica henderson pittnews.com
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UPMC MERCY EXPANSION APPROVED DESPITE COMMUNITY OPPOSITION Kieran Mclean Staff Writer
Pittsburgh City Council voted 7-2 in a crowded session July 31 to approve UPMC Mercy’s controversial expansion plan — council members Deb Gross and Darlene Harris voted against the measure. The vote followed two hours of searing public comments against the expansion by over 35 local activists, UPMC staff members and patients of the $16 billion health care giant. No one spoke in favor of the bill during the public comments portion of the session. “Wellness is only afforded to those [UPMC] deems worthy,” Dwayne Thomas, of the PA Alliance for Retired Americans, said to applause from the crowd. Mayor Bill Peduto, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Allegheny County Labor Council President Darrin Kelly sent in written support of the expansion prior to the meeting. In his statement, Peduto supported the expansion due to
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A Pittsburgh resident speaks against the UPMC Mercy Expansion at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Council passed a motion to let the hospital expand shortly afterwards. Kieran Mclean | contributing writer what he claimed would be “world-class and heels of a public hearing two weeks prior an addiction medical specialty clinic, investunparalleled vision and therapeutic services to the vote, after which city council mem- ment and growth of UPMC Mercy’s primary it will provide critically ill patients” and the bers agreed to delay a vote until local groups care and stroke care programs and requires “transformative effect it will have on Up- could craft a binding community benefits that UPMC will hire more African-American nurses and work with more “qualified agreement with UPMC. town and the Hill District.” Sixth District Councilman Daniel minority community service providers.” The bill approves an amendment to But Pittsburgh United, a pro-union adUPMC’s institutional master plan that Lavelle released a Collective Bargaining would allow them to build their $400 mil- Agreement with UPMC Mercy on Monday vocacy group, argued that Lavelle’s CBA lion Vision Rehabilitation Center on a park- night, less than 24 hours before the Tuesday didn’t go far enough. It demanded that a ing lot at UPMC Mercy. It follows on the vote. His deal includes the development of See UPMC on page 20
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IRANIAN, FINNISH AND PHILIPPINE ROOMS COMING TO THE CATHEDRAL
Noah Manalo Staff Writer
When Nader Ardalan began designing the Cathedral of Learning’s new Iranian room in 2015, this wasn’t just a new task for the architect — this was about fulfilling a dream from his college years. Now, at the age of 79, he jumped at the chance. “[Ardalan] was happy to give input,” Nationality Rooms Director Maxine Bruhns said, “because he lived with the belief and trust that they’d get permission to build the room one of these days.” The Iranian room, along with the Finnish, is the latest to join the current 30 Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning. Committees have not yet begun construction on the Iranian or Finnish rooms and no date has been set for their completion. Iranian room committee chair Ali Masalehdan said he is hoping it will be within five years, which, compared to how long they’ve waited to create the room, isn’t long at all.
The Philippine nationality room which is currently under construction on the third floor of the Cathedral has a dedication date set for June 2019. Jon Kunitsky | staff photographer Ardalan was an architecture student at Carnegie Mellon University in 1959 when he accompanied his uncle, the Iranian ambassador to the United States at the time, on a tour
of the Nationality Rooms. He determined then that there needed to be an Iranian room among them. But since the City lacked a vibrant Iranian community, the resources to create and fund a
room didn’t exist. It remained a dream for Ardalan. A new Philippine room is also scheduled to join the list of Nationality rooms. A dedication date of June 9, 2019, is set for the Philippine room, which is currently under construction. Funding for the Philippine room began back in 1999 before being halted in 2010 due to infighting among the Philippine room task force. Fundraising restarted in 2015, and between 2015 and 2017 the task force raised another $300,000 to reach their funding goal. Construction on the new room began in May. Though creating a Nationality Room takes many years of fundraising, designing and construction, Bruhns said no one can create a Nationality Room without a strong community to surround them. “There was no community [at the time], Ardalan never forgot that,” Bruhns said. “Now that [Iranian] people have formed good community See New Rooms on page 21
The Pitt News SuDoku 8/20/18 courtesy of dailysudoku.com
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ICYMI: A summer of news JUNE 6
Find the full story online at
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JUNE 19
Former Pitt head wrestling coach Jason Peters filed a lawsuit against Pitt June 6, citing wrongful termination and racial discrimination. Peters was fired in 2017 amid controversy surrounding an incident that took place while the wrestling team was traveling during winter break.
Antwon Rose Jr., a 17-year-old black Woodland Hills High School student, was shot and killed during a traffic stop by East Pittsburgh police officer Michael Rosfeld, a former Pitt police officer, June 19. The ensuing weeks saw the streets of Pittsburgh filled with protests. Rosfeld will face a jury trial for homicide.
JUNE 29 The Pitt Board of Trustees saw a shake-up in the middle of summer as former Boston University Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dr. Ann E. Cudd was appointed new provost June 29, replacing Dr. Patricia Beeson in the fall. Five new trustees were also inducted to the Board.
JUNE 29 The Board of Trustees unanimously voted June 29 to remove Thomas Parran’s name from the Graduate School of Public Health’s main hall. The push to take the former Pitt dean of GSPH’s name off began earlier this year after information came to light tying him several controversial medical experiments. The Board has not yet decided on a new name for the building.
JULY 16 The Pitt Board of Trustees passed an operating and capital budget for 2019 on July 16. The budget also stipulates that, unlike last year, Pitt’s in-state tuition will not increase for the 2018-19 school year. Tuition for graduate and out-of-state students will.
JULY 20 A two-decade-long heist of some of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s most precious materials was put to an end July 20. John Schulman, the 54-year-old owner of the Caliban Book Shop on North Craig Street and Greg Priore, the 61-year-old primary archivist for CLP, turned themselves in to police for stealing rare books from the CLP archives valued at $8 million.
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AUGUST 5 Several freight cars came off their tracks Aug. 5 near Station Square. No injuries were reported at the scene of the derailment, although East Carson Street had to close for a week before being reopened for traffic Aug. 11.
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GLOBAL TIES LINK INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO PITT Madeline Gavatorta Staff Writer
When Jiaming Wang came to the United States in 2008 during middle school on a three-month exchange program from China, he learned about fortune cookies, General Tso’s chicken and the language barrier. “When I first go here, there was a lot of things I needed to get familiar with. Like at the beginning I didn’t know when you walk into a restaurant you have to wait until the waiter comes to you to seat you. Back in my country, you just walk in and take a seat,” Wang said. This experience prepared him a bit for the next time he visited — as a Pitt student. According to the 2018 Pitt Factbook, there were 3,236 international students attending Pitt’s school system in the 2017-18 school year. Out of these, most came from one continent — eight of the top 10 countries that international stu-
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for the past three years, so I think that really helped me.” Mentors answer any questions their mentees have and get them connected to social events. When he became a mentor, Wang said his mentees frequently asked him about how to get a job, a social security number and where to make friends. “I would say if you have an international student whose mentor is from the same country, you will have a lot of things in common to where you can just talk to each other about the same experience you had when you first came here,” Wang said. Global Ties mentors help Pitt’s new undergraduate international students acclimate to Wang explained that international stulife as a student in the United States. dents are also concerned about the lanphoto courtesy of kyoungah lee guage barrier and want to know where dents come from are in Asia, the other in Spring 2018 with a degree in actuary they can make friends to practice the lantwo being Brazil and Canada, according science and economics. guage. “When I got admitted to Pitt, I reto Global Ties. About 1,850 students came “I know a lot of people come in for two from China alone. One of these transfer ceived this email from the previous or three years and only have friends from [Global Ties Mentors],” Wang said. “They students was Wang. their own country and don’t speak EngWang is a Pitt alumni who graduated also assigned a mentor, the job I just had See Students on page 21
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SCOOTER STATIONS COME TO PITTSBURGH SIDEWALKS Sam Weber
ditional minute. Capable of reaching speeds of around 30 miles per hour, Scoobi lets users learn Rideshare programs like Uber and to ride a motorized bike on public roads zTrip have new competition in Pittsfrom 5 a.m. until midnight. A fullyburgh. charged Scoobi lasts around 30 miles, The Pittsburgh-based company Scooand features a regenerative braking sysbi — no relation to the mystery-solving tem that allows for incremental charging cartoon dog — is here to get more people while riding. on the road and cut down on emissions In the few weeks since its opening, with its new fleet of rentable electric Scoobi has already racked up over 10,000 scooters. miles and saved over 3,000 pounds of “Something was missing,” founder carbon dioxide, according to Moran. The and CEO Mike Moran said. Moran, a company plans to add a major charging station on Pitt’s campus, letting multiple scooters charge at the same time so more people can use them for their commute. Moran sees Pittsburgh as a first step in Mike Moran a large-scale urCEO and Founder of Scoobi ban undertaking that will spread across the country. 2015 Katz Business School graduate, be“So far, the response to Scoobi has gan working on Scoobi in August 2017 been overwhelmingly positive” Moran after experiencing the congestion in says. “It really added something differcity traffic. “Biking can’t get you everyent to the mix and is letting people have where and cars are expensive for people fun on their commute.” to buy and use every day, and there’s no Students and adults alike have begun awkward conversation like there is with trying out Scoobi for both enjoyment Uber and similar programs.” and to shake up their commute. Senior Scoobi opened its first 100 scooters civil engineering major Andrew Dawson for public use July 21, offering the ensees Scoobi as innovative and different. joyment of electric transportation in Dawson has used Scoobi three times the city, though they are restricted from since the service began. any roads above 35 miles per hour. The “It’s a way to get people outside in the scooters display distance, speed, time fresh air,” Dawson said. “It’s a great way spent riding, battery life and how much to bond with friends too.” carbon dioxide was not produced as opSenior chemical engineering student posed to driving during the length of a Rico Romeo used Scoobi as an outing ride. It costs $5 to ride for the first 15 Staff Writer
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Biking can’t get you everywhere and cars are expensive for people to buy and use every day, and there’s no awkward conversation like there is with Uber and similar programs.
minutes, then 25 cents more for each ad-
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HEALING HOUNDS: THERAPY DOGS TRAIN AT PITT
Kieran Mclean Staff Writer
A young boy leapt at a dog in a corner of the Cathedral of Learning. He massaged its face a little too enthusiastically, and the dog drew back in consternation. The dog’s owner, Marsha Robbins, picked up on her pup’s discomfort and gestured kindly to the boy. “I think he’s done for the day,” she said, guiding the boy toward another dog. The boy went for the dog’s face once more and it turned its back until the boy left. “That happens sometimes,” Robbins said afterward. “You need to train the dogs to control their impulses and communicate with you.” That training characterizes much of Robbins’ work. When students go into the Cathedral to pet one of her therapy dogs every Tuesday and it doesn’t bite or bark, its behavior can seem natural. But it’s really the product of a rigorous 30-week training
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program that Robbins, a 70-year-old former special education teacher, developed from scratch over the past decade. It includes a 90-minute certification test, diversity training and environmental conditioning specific to Oakland. “There’s buses with air brakes, helicopters, fire trucks, motorcycles and all other kinds of stimuli that can be very overwhelming to a dog,” Robbins said. “Dogs can be afraid of people who look different than what they’re used to.” Robbins’ program consists of five sixweek periods and has trained over 350 therapy dogs in the past 16 years. These dogs service several local universities, hospitals and nursing homes. Her program focuses on teaching humans to understand their dogs. She teaches canines to express their discomfort to their humans, and she teaches the owners to pick up on those cues.
“These guys are learning to read the sentences the dogs are giving them,” Robbins said. During a July training class, while someone walked around the room with a stuffed dog in their purse, Robbins revealed a littleknown fact — dogs are often afraid of people holding babies or other dogs. “They think it’s a human with two heads,” Robbins said. A terrier named Fallon barked at the volunteer with the stuffed animal. “That’s him saying ‘What is going on? Make it stop!’” Robbins told the class, laughing. Owners’ desire to share their dogs’ capacities for unqualified acceptance inspires most of the people who attend the trainings. Arleen Salerno, 63, from Sharpsburg, was motivated by news of student suicides to train her 23-month-old golden retriever Polly as a therapy dog.
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“I want to show people that dogs are dogs, and that it doesn’t matter who you are — they’ll still love you,” Salerno said. Robbins’ path to leading the Pitt therapy dogs program began in 1988 when she came to Pitt to pursue a master’s degree in education. While attending an educational psychology class, she discovered that the University fed the lab rats used for behavioral experiments to snakes after the course ended. Feeling sorry for the rats, Robbins smuggled one back to her kindergarten class at Pioneer Valley, where she taught children with special needs. One day, Robbins was startled when a boy with elective mutism — a condition where a child refuses to speak in any social situation — asked the rat if it wanted more food. After that, the boy began to talk to the rat every day. It was a short step from the rat to fellow classmates and finally to his teachers. See Dogs on page 24
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Monica Henderson poses with her medal that reads “4k for cancer finisher” after finishing her 4,000-mile run on Pier 2 in Brooklyn. Anna Bongardino | visual editor
COAST TO COAST
MONICA HENDERSON COMPLETES HER CROSS-COUNTRY RUN Hannah Schneider Contributing Editor
Monica Henderson has always been a fighter. After a summer of battling IT band syndrome in her right leg and bursitis in her right hip, Henderson fought to finish the last 20 miles of a coast-to-coast 4,000-mile marathon on the morning of Aug. 4. She and 25 other runners — who ran with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults through their 4K for Cancer program — crossed the finish line in the rain in Brooklyn, New York. “I couldn’t physically run for about two and a half weeks, I was more doing a hobbley run-slash-walk. But I was still determined,” Henderson said. “I’m on this journey, I’m going to do it, I’m going to run for cancer patients, I came here to run, I’m not going to sit out.” The 4K for Cancer program is an annual trip organized by the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults — an organization that aims to raise funds and awareness for the unique needs of young adults affected by cancer. From late June to early August, three teams run over 4,000 miles from the West Coast to the
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East Coast — up to 16 miles a day in two-mile increments. Though many of her teammates don’t have a personal connection to cancer, Henderson does. The now 19-year-old rising sophomore survived rhabdomyosarcoma — a rare, aggressive soft-tissue sarcoma — at age two. After her mother and two aunts were diagnosed with breast cancer, Henderson was motivated to make a difference. “I didn’t like to think that anything had changed,” Henderson told The Pitt News in April. “I wanted to do so much more than I could.” After seeing an online advertisement for the 4K for Cancer program in the spring of 2017, she decided to apply on a whim in September and was accepted to the program a month later as a part of Team New York. From the start of the race June 17, runners had opportunities to visit patients and their families in hospitals across the nation, bringing them meals, leading activities and providing company and comfort. Along the way, Hender-
son and her team ran through historic landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and Niagara Falls. She finished her journey by crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on Aug. 4. “People would always say, ‘you’re an inspiration,’ and I never really knew what that meant,” Henderson said. “Seeing how big of a difference we made to patients and people, that’s what really mattered. It’s humbling to hear you’re an inspiration, because you’re just one person.” Throughout the summer, each member of the team ran with one partner, trading off every two miles with a different pair. But on the last day, the entire team ran the last 20 miles all at once, all together. The day started off with pouring rain as the team ran over the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan. Over the course of their trip, this was the first and last time they endured rain on a run. After almost 18 miles, the group reached their last rest stop at City Hall in Lower
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Manhattan. After regrouping, they headed out for the final push across the Brooklyn Bridge, where more than 50 friends and family members of the runners gathered at the end of the second pier at Brooklyn Bridge Park, waiting with noisemakers, bells, homemade signs and banners. Some runners held hands and cheered as they crossed the finish line. Others were visibly emotional — including Henderson. “I feel like it’s almost not happening. I’ve waited 49 days, and day 49 just seems like it wasn’t going to come,” Henderson said. “Just the feeling of seeing everyone across the finish line and saying goodbye, it’s really hard, and I didn’t think the tears would come. But they’re honestly happy tears.” Henderson went directly to her family — her twin sister, 10-year-old brother, parents, grandparents and many other family friends — who were waiting for her close to the finish line. Though her parents, Carolyn and Stephen Henderson, See Henderson on page 26
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UPMC, pg. 8 benefits agreement require UPMC facilities admit all Pittsburgh residents regardless of their insurance carrier, build more primary care facilities in low-income areas, pay living wages to their employees and guarantee those employees the right to unionize. Jennifer Raffanan-Kennedy, the executive director of Pittsburgh United, said in an email statement July 30 that Lavelle’s Community Benefits Agreement did little to meet protesters’ demands. “The agreement makes very little progress on the core demands that our city’s patients, advocates and workers brought to the Planning Commission,” Raffanan-Kennedy said. “Those demands include access to UPMC hospitals for every resident who subsidizes them, accountability to reducing shocking health inequality in our city and living wages and an end to union-busting in UPMC facilities.” Speakers were critical of Lavelle’s CBA the day of the vote, citing UPMC’s history of union busting, the closure of its Braddock hospital and its separation with Highmark as reasons that the healthcare giant needed to be bound to a more stringent community benefits agreement than the one Lavelle provided. Multiple speakers also called him out for a perceived conflict of interest in this situation. “Are you married to Rachel RileyLavelle ... who’s listed on [Mercy’s] 990 forms as being on the board of directors for UPMC?” Mel Packer of the Community Power Movement asked. “Is that not a conflict of interest?” Lavelle sat in silence in response to Packer’s question. He later clarified after public comments that he didn’t believe his wife’s position constituted a conflict of interest for him. “[Her membership on the UPMC Mercy Hospital board] is a non-paid position. She has to sign a yearly conflict of interest policy,” Lavelle said. Multiple speakers praised council members Gross and Harris, who stated their opposition to the bill before the public comments portion. “I want to thank Councilwoman Harris and Gross for standing up for us,” Alan Hart, a resident of Stanton Heights, said. “No issue is more important to me than the right to unionize.” Council members criticized their critics
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during the voting portion of the meeting, after public comments closed. “These insults back and forth are childish,” 2nd District Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, who voted for the expansion, said in response to the criticisms. She cited the Allegheny County Labor Council’s written statement in support of Mercy’s expansion as evidence that council was receiving “different messages,” and claimed that activist groups at the meeting were politically motivated. “You want to think that this isn’t a political move,” Kail-Smith said. “[Activist groups] stay away when they want to stay away, and jump in when they want to jump in.” Council President Bruce Kraus also responded to criticism that the vote was rushed in the voting portion of the meeting. “I don’t want anybody to leave feeling like this decision was made in haste,” Kraus said. “This is hard. We either have to vote yes or no ... we don’t have the luxury of maybe.” Councilwoman Harris proposed a motion to recommit the bill and push the vote to a later date directly after Kraus’ comments. Kraus and five other council members immediately voted against Harris’ proposal, effectively guaranteeing a vote on the bill that day. Strassberger, Gross and Harris voted in favor of tabling the motion for a later date. Gross later said that she was disappointed with the council’s decision not to delay the vote. “I’m disappointed that council members didn’t take the full amount of time allowed,” Gross said. “We have a three week recess coming up, and sending it back to committee would’ve allowed us to get public feedback until October.” Council voted to pass the bill shortly after Harris’ motion to recommit it failed. UPMC Chief Communications Officer Paul Wood released the following statement directly after the vote: “UPMC appreciates today’s 7-2 City Council vote after their careful consideration. We look forward to moving ahead with construction of the UPMC Vision and Rehabilitation Hospital at UPMC Mercy and continuing our work on initiatives to benefit the Uptown and Hill District neighborhoods and residents.” Wood declined to answer questions.
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New Rooms, pg. 10 here, [the room committee] counts on them to do this room.” Ardalan credits the 1979 Iranian revolution with bringing most of the present Iranian community in Pittsburgh to the City, and said he met many members of the community in recent years who are interested in funding the room’s construction. Masalehdan and Bruhns both agree that the local community of each culture is indispensable in funding rooms. Masalehdan said they plan to hold local fundraisers and ask members of the Iranian community in Pittsburgh to contribute to the room’s production. The committee also plans to advertise the room on national Iranian television to gather needed funds, which Bruhns said will likely reach $1 million. “[They] need to beat the bushes,” she said. “You don’t raise a million just by playing around.” The Finnish room committee is in a similar situation. Bruhns said the idea for a Finnish room began about 25 years ago and that it remains in the drawing stages until they collect enough funds. Nationality Rooms assistant Maryann Sivak estimates the room’s budget at approximately $400,000, while the cost of the Philippine room sits at about $475,000. Construction materials make up a signifi-
Students, pg. 14 lish at all outside of the classroom,” Wang said. There are some specific student organizations for students from other backgrounds including the Egyptian Student Association, which was started this January. The vice president of the Egyptian Student Association, Mohamed Bayoumy, is a fourth-year graduate student. He came to Pitt as a transfer student in 2014 and started the association with a few colleagues after noticing the Egyptian community increasing in size. “We’ve noticed that the Egyptian community is growing here at Pitt (and in Pittsburgh in general),” Bayoumy said in an interview. “We should have an association that brings us together, comforts international students with the good feeling of camaraderie, and organizes our efforts to gather and engage the bigger Pitt community.” While only a semester old, the association was able to organize holiday gatherings for Egyptian students in the spring.
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cant portion of the difference in respective budgets. Each Nationality Room’s design architecture must pre-date the style in 1782, the year of Pitt’s founding — though Ardalan’s design includes elements from centuries far earlier, some from Iran’s pre-Islamic period. Masalehdan said the room’s design reflects mostly architectural elements from the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as display cases with pre-Islamic artwork, glassware and woodworking. The room will feature a half-dome with blue tiling, and — much to Bruhns’ delight — a large, stained-glass peacock. “I said, you’ve got to appeal to children! What’s wrong with a peacock tail?” Bruhns said. “[Committees] sometimes forget little kids and that they need something to focus on [when touring a room].” Room committees strive to depict their culture, historically and authentically, using traditional materials. That means hundreds of intricately patterned, deep-blue tiles to cover the Iranian room — and for the Finns, hauling in loads of traditional lumber logs. Seija Cohen, the Finnish room committee chair, said they plan to recreate a traditional Finnish smoke house in their room design. “The immigrants arriving in the 1800s and 1900s had made impressive history in this country, cultivating land for farming and build-
ing their traditional log houses which stood and had made progress on the development strongly against weather and time,” Cohen said. of the beginning of the independent United Cohen also noted many local Finns were States did not have a room in the Cathedral unsatisfied with the first room design, saying of Learning.” its architecture was too modern. It wasn’t until Masalehdan feels similarly about the Iraan Idaho-based historian specializing in Finn- nian room — saying Iranian culture has been ish log houses, Frank Eld, got involved with the influential in history and architecture. project that room plans reflected the colonial“I think it would be a disservice to not let era log cabin construction. They will build the students know about another flourishing culroom under Eld’s guidance using original 100-year-old Finnish cabin logs using traditional Finnish tools, according to the Nader Ardalan project website. Architect and president of Ardalan Associates, LLC Also included in building plans are elements of the traditional Finnish sauna, ture like Iran,” he said. which for Finnish pioneers, Cohen said, even Both rooms, when complete, will be part predates the log cabin. It’s her hope that this of an attraction that already houses cultures room will educate more Americans on Finnish and heritages from far-flung corners of the history and culture. world. “It was and still is like there is something “[It’s] the only attraction of our kind in the missing,” Cohen said, “When the country who world,” Bruhns said, “where the immigrants had pioneered most of the West and the East build their culture into a classroom.”
Bayoumy said the events attracted nonEgyptian students as well. “If we’re successful, we will at least help make an Egyptian student proud of their heritage,” he said. “Also, we have lots of non-Egyptian international students join us in our events, share the fun and instill a good friendships.” International Programming Coordinator and Advisor Kyoungah Lee heads the Global Ties program. She said some activities GT offers, such as the first event of international student orientation and Football 101 (where they explain the U.S.-exclusive sport) help students adjust to American culture. They also have Thanksgiving dinner, Black Friday shopping and culture immersion trips. Mentors submit a mentee report every month on how their mentees are doing, such as socially and academically. Mentors are required to meet with their mentee twice a month. “That’s how I know. So if they’re depressed I can provide the proper resources. I can meet them one-on-one and direct them to the counseling services,”
Lee said. “It is very critical. Like social events, sometimes they hesitate to go a big event like Fall Fest because they are overwhelmed.” Lee was an international student from South Korea when she attended State University of New York at Buffalo for economics and finance in 2009. She explained the struggles she faced when getting acclimated to the United States. “I was a former international student and one thing, from day one, I saw a lot of my local friends’ parents coming to help them but I had to do everything by myself cause I couldn’t ask anything of my parents cause they don’t know the system,” Lee said. “I had to open a bank account by myself, I had to find a cell phone carrier by myself. I literally had to figure out everything by myself.” She said when she had problems and had to call the bank or her phone company, she would run into issues like long waiting times and the language barrier. “There is a lot of trouble, everyday life is not easy anymore,” Lee said. “Basic stuff isn’t simple anymore.”
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Now that [Iranian] people have formed good community here, [the room committee] counts on them to do this room.
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Sally Lin, a senior biology major, is a domestic student and current GT mentor, but has origins in China like Wang. She came to the United States when she was 8 years old. “When I first came to America, I was not used to having strangers saying hi to me, I was not used to walking in my friend’s house with my shoes on,” Lin said. Lin also compared the struggles of international students to the standard struggles of all college students. “International students face many challenges. They experience common struggles as a domestic student such as homesickness, academic stress, loneliness but their struggles are further magnified because they are thousands of miles away from home,” Lin said. “On top of those challenges they also face culture shocks, language barriers, racism, et cetera.” However, Lin agrees that international students are excited to come. “They are always excited to explore the city, taste different foods, making new friends and the freedom of leaving home,” Lin said.
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Scooter, pg. 16 with some friends in early August, riding from South Oakland to Downtown. After watching the instructional videos provided by Scoobi, Romero said that he was able to ride right away without any issue. But for now, Romero only sees Scoobi as a recreational service, citing their cost. “Right now they’re fun to ride for like a half hour at night,” Romero said. “If the price went down a little I think a lot more people would consider using them more practically.” The riding experience was one that some had not expected to be as enjoyable as it was. Senior computer science major Brandon Kowalecki has been riding motorcycles for the past five years and was surprised how much fun Scoobi was. Kowalecki has used Scoobi twice to see how usable the service would be from Polish Hill to campus. “It can be a little complicated to figure out at first,” Kowalecki said. “Especially without any experience on a motorcycle or moped.”
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One of 100 Scoobi electric scooters placed around Pittsburgh July 21 sits on Penn and Roup avenues in Friendship. Anyone 18 and older with a valid driver’s license can rent the electric scooters using a smartphone. Anne Amundson | staff photographer Kowalecki said that he expected the scooters to feel slower than motorcycles. But the electric power in the scooters surprised him. The lack of engine noise could be dangerous, he said, if people aren’t paying attention to their surroundings.
Kowalecki said the biggest drawback he sees with Scoobi is that it can’t be used in all forms of weather, being open to the elements unlike other services like Uber and Lyft. He views Scoobi as a service for entertainment at this point in its develop-
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ment. “I see it as a fun way to get where you need to go or as a last-resort mode of transportation, but I definitely think it has a potential market in Pittsburgh, regardless,” Kowalecki said.
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