4-6-22

The Pitt News

T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | april 6, 2022 ­| Volume 112 | Issue 84

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Cover by Clare Sheedy | Assistant Visual Editor

Ruckus brings improv to campus pittnews.com

Through the binoculars: Pitt ‘birders’ find friends, passions and fun

Punya Bhasin

Assistant News Editor On a campus full of stressed-out college students worrying about finals and post-graduation plans, Pitt’s birdwatching and ornithology club finds joy in the simple things of life.

The birdwatching and ornithology club hosts outings to popular birdwatching sites around Pittsburgh, including Frick Park, Schenley Park and the National Aviary in the North Side.

The club aids in the conservation of birds, and goes on scenic birdwatching outings where members eagerly wait for glimpses of their favorite birds.

Garrett Sisk, the club’s president, said his first memories of birdwatching go back to elementary school. His grandmother gave him his very first bird feeder which sparked a passion that has followed him through college and beyond.

“My grandmother gave me my first bird feeder and I put it outside and the very first bird that landed on it was the American Goldfinch, which is a bright yellow bird, and I just thought it was so cool so I kept buying more bird feeders and eventually I bought binoculars and gear and was traveling all over to look for birds,” Sisk, a junior environmental engineering major said.

Sisk said when he first got to Pitt, he was happy to find that a birdwatching club already existed, and soon he took over as president during his sophomore year. He’s now commonly referred to as the “birdwatcher” on campus. He added that while people can join the club by emailing birdclub@pitt.edu, most members join through word of mouth.

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“I always get excited when people join the club because it's fun seeing them learn about birds and slowly become more and more into birdwatching, and it really is such a unique hobby,” Sisk said.

“A lot of times people now know me as the bird guy or the birdwatcher on campus because they know I birdwatch and it is such a different thing that people just associate me with that now.”

Sisk said while birdwatching can be quite peaceful, he’s excited everytime he hears the flap of a wing, rustle in the leaves or familiar bird call.

“It definitely is calming getting to be outside and take in the fresh air, but I also think it can be really thrilling especially when you get really into birdwatching because when you hear a certain bird call, everyone gets really quiet and excited and there is an adrenaline rush to birdwatching,” Sisk said.

The tranquil environment on birdwatching outings creates many “meditative” moments for members. Hannah Jones, a junior studio arts major, said birdwatching has made her life richer.

“Once you start learning your birds and being able to identify them, then when you walk in the world you see a bird and you instantly can identify it, the world becomes a lot more rich and detailed for you,” Jones said.

Fo r Jones, birdwatching has found a place in her other hobbies, as well. As a studio arts major, she enjoys painting and drawing and birds have become the subject of many of her pieces.

“I have always been interested in painting animals and birds just have everything I was looking for when it came to a subject,” Jones said. “I think they are

beautiful evolutionary examples and they have just taken over for me as the subject of many of my pieces.”

Jones also said she enjoys being able to teach different identification processes to new birders, and is proud when they are able to identify their first birds.

“It's really exciting to be able to teach people to have that appreciation and it's really fun when somebody gets excited about their first brownheaded cowbird,” Jones said. “For an experienced birder that might not be exciting, but seeing somebody else get excited about something you have become accustomed to makes you reconsider it and realize the beauty that was always there, I think.”

Matt Symnoski, a junior mechanical engineering major, said like many fellow members, he first joined the club during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to get outside and meet new people. He said the outings can get a little “dramatic” at times, but are always very fun and a way to enjoy nature on campus.

“I think what I like most about the club is that I get to go on hikes and be in nature and learn about birds that I would never have really noticed if I hadn’t joined the club,” Symnoski said. “I think it’s just a great way to be able t o relax and just take a break from everything.”

Symnoski said one specific outing that stood out to him was when he saw red-tailed hawks hunting for food last semester.

“Sometimes we see birds literally

April 6, 2022

hunting, and the one time we saw red-tailed hawks attacking their prey and that was really interesting,” Symnoski said.

“I think it’s pretty interesting to see the birds do their thing and see the different ways they interact when they’re in their element.”

Jones said she wants people to know there’s something for everyone when it comes to birdwatching, and recommends that everyone try it at least once in their life.

“I mean, I think everyone should just try it at least once,” Jones said.

“Even if you don’t love birds there is so much more to birdwatching than watching the birds, you get to experience nature, you get exercise and fresh air and really what I have found to be the best part about the club is you get to make amazing friendships.”

2

Jack Troy

Oakland Plan nearing adoption as official City policy

Senior Staff Writer The Oakland Plan, touted by the City as a vision for a more livable, accessible and equitable neighborhood, is nearing the end of its journey toward adoption as official City policy.

“We want to continue to build on Oakland’s heritage as a place where generations of people have found opportunity and a home,” Andrew Dash, director of the Department of City Planning, said. “Oakland is a great place to live, work, learn and play in addition to being a center of innovation, healthcare and education.”

Within four main sections — development, community, mobility and infrastructure — the plan outlines a hierarchy of goals, policies and projects.

The 10-year plan sets out dozens of goals, and some notable ones include improving food access, challenging institutional racism, creating more affordable housing opportunities, advocating for cleaner air and maximizing the value of public transit.

Though it has been in the works since fall

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2019, the plan “did not start from scratch,” according to Stephanie Joy Everett, project manager for the Oakland Plan.

Everett said it incorporated ideas from several past and ongoing visions for the neighborhood, such as the Oakland Planning and Development Corp.’s Oakland 2025 plan, the Oakland Business Improvement District’s Strategic Plan and a host of institutional master plans from nearby universities and UPMC. The City Planning Commission initially slated the plan’s public comment period to run from March 7 to April 6, but it has since been extended to May 1.

“After starting the public review process and the public comment period, we did hear from a number of Oakland organizations that there was a desire to get a little more time as they were starting to dig into things,” Dash said at the Planning Commission’s March 22 meeting. “I’ve seen some pretty robust commenting and feedback already.”

This phase of the planning process has brought a new flurry of input on the proposal,

with community stakeholders voicing their thoughts in anticipation of a Planning Commission hearing and vote on May 17.

At an OPDC meeting last Tuesday, Executive Director Wanda Wilson expressed several reservations about the plan’s development section.

She said OPDC is particularly concerned about the absence of a specific goal toward “restoring, preserving and fostering homeownership” in the neighborhood, a focus of their Oakland Community Land Trust program. The CLT leases parcels to low-to-moderate income permanent residents, who then own the house on the lot.

Wilson said while inclusionary zoning is a valuable addition, the plan fails to address potential overflows of undergraduate students into pockets of single-family homes within the neighborhood.

Andrea Boykowycz, OPDC’s assistant director, said the community section is underdeveloped and “legit hard to read,” noting that much of OPDC’s work centers around this topic. The section seeks to make Oakland a more inclusive,

April 6, 2022

healthy livable community, while preserving cultural heritage.

“This chapter is the least finished of all the plan chapters,” Boykowycz said. “The connections between the goals, the policies, the projects and the programs are the hardest to navigate and understand of all of the chapters.”

Representatives from both OPDC and OBID sit on the plan’s steering committee, which includes a wide array of community stakeholders and representatives from Pitt to several City councilors. The committee has worked with City officials to help develop the plan, solicit feedback and outline ways to implement projects and programs outlined in the plan.

OBID has yet to provide extensive public feedback as OPDC, but CEO Georgia Petropoulos said the organization has formed a working group to review the plan.

“Even after three years of hard work developing the draft, our OBID stakeholders continue to

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April 6, 2022

4

Opinions Will Smith did the right thing

Grammys need to appreciate all award winners pittnews.com

Harsh Hiwase Staff Columnist

The best form of comedic expression, in my opinion, is jokes about misery — it’s an art form that brings light to deeper issues.

But comedy can also be controversial.

There aren’t any precise rules that dictate what a good joke is or when the right time to tell one is. Sometimes comedians get it wrong, such as Chris Rock’s GI Jane joke about Jada Pinkett Smith at the 2022 Oscars last week.

Rock deserved backlash after the distasteful joke — maybe not as harsh as a slap in the face on one of the most anticipated annual events in Hollywood, but definitely a prompt condemnation of some kind. The joke wasn’t funny or acceptable because it crossed lines into misogynoir and ableism.

This joke poked fun at Pinkett Smith’s hair, and after years of “anti-Black hair sentiment” shrouding society, some people still continue to discriminate against natural hair. Women of color have constantly abided by unreasonable beauty standards which often disenfranchise their appearance.

Misogynoir — a term coined by Moya Bailey, an assistant professor at Northeastern University — describes the discrimination of Black women. It describes the subordinate treatment of women of color in the U.S. that persists in all facets of life. Seeing the context of this joke makes it so much more offensive.

The case of Chastity Jones, a Black woman from Alabama, comes to mind regarding this issue. Jones’ interviewers for a new job claimed that her dreadlocks “tend to get messy” and violate company grooming policy — leading them to ultimately rescind the job offer.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission brought up a lawsuit, but the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Jones’ case. The court ruled that banning an employee from wearing their hair in dreadlocks isn’t racial discrimination — a decision deeply rooted in prejudice, one that puts women of color down for wearing their

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hair naturally or in cultural styles.

Rock made an unwarranted joke about a Black woman’s appearance at her expense, in order to incite a laugh out of a majority white audience at the Oscars. This is misogynoir. Allowing this joke to slide could further enable existing stereotypes and discrimination, especially on such a prominent

do to fix it. Alopecia in particular has a very obvious outwardly manifestation, unlike other autoimmune diseases, which makes it difficult to hide.

As a public figure, Pinkett Smith could have made great attempts to hide her disease from the world, but was brave enough to share her struggles with the world. This

Jada Pinkett Smith, left, and Will Smith hold hands in the audience at the Oscars on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello international stage.

The joke gets worse when we learn that Pinkett Smith’s choice of hair was a result of an autoimmune disease — alopecia. Alopecia is not a life-threatening disease, but it can throw someone’s life, particularly their self-esteem, into disarray. Dealing with such a disease is daunting and Pinkett Smith probably went through a lot when coming to terms with her condition.

An autoimmune disease forces one to come to terms with their own mortality as body systems start failing that they’ve spent years keeping healthy. Imagine waking up one day to your own cells attacking your body because of a rare mutation in your genetic code — and there’s nothing you can

disease has definitely changed Pinkett Smith’s and her family’s pace of life as they adapt to the physical and emotional de-

April 6, 2022

mands of the disease. To have all this effort and struggle be disrespected for the sake of a joke must have been disheartening.

The root of ableism is the discrediting and at times complete ignorance of the hardships that someone is forced to go through just because of who they are — all for a bad joke. Allowing this joke to be tolerated would perpetuate notions of apathy toward people with medical conditions and disabilities.

Will Smith did the right thing standing up against this joke by intervening, even if it was physical. Smith admitted that violence was not the right way to respond, but I think the swift and firm condemnation he gave was necessary to set a precedent for what we should and shouldn’t joke about. If not for the outburst on a global stage, I think we wouldn’t have had a chance to reflect on the implications of jokes that degrade people because of their identity and medical condition.

Smith may have been penalized for his conduct at the Oscars — and has surely received criticism for it — but I firmly believe that the principle behind his actions was warranted. In some sense, Will is still the Fresh Prince, a character navigating through a society ingrained with prejudices, even if it means getting into trouble for it.

Harsh Hiwase writes about ethics and his favorite show is “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Write to him at hah143@pitt.edu.

5

Jessica Snyder

It’s OK to like country music

Senior Staff Columnist When I was growing up in the semirural town of Sellersville outside of Philadelphia, country music was abundant.

I remember dancing to Taylor Swift at homecoming, the sound of Kenny Chesney coming from my dad’s radio on the way to go fishing and the drone of Jason Aldean in the stable when I was learning to ride horses.

Not everyone likes country music the way I do, though. For the most part that’s okay, but when it comes to the “I like all music except country” trope, I think it’s an overplayed belief. How can you possibly enjoy most types of music, but ignore the fact that some of these genres have evolved from country? The sentiment can make sense, but I think it’s time to start looking at music as something that is fluid.

I’m not going to try and convince you to be a country music lover, but I don’t think anyone can be — or should be — a rigid country music hater.

Sometimes, I think what turns people off about country music is what it turned into after 9/11. The genre became something that was excessively patriotic, leaning more generally toward Republican views. Country music is often presented as a genre solely about girls, beer, trucks, the American flag and guns.

Not that it matters, but I find that I’m generally left-leaning on the political spectrum. There are other liberals that enjoy country music too, with the term “Y’Allternative” coming to popularity on TikTok. In fact, I found a great Spotify playlist called “You Grew Up With Country Music But Now You’re A Gay Leftist” by Bec Ember from this trend.

My point is that listening to country music doesn’t have to align with a political agenda, despite its stigma.

Country music artists have proved this point time and time again, as well.

For example, Tim McGraw’s song “Red Ragtop” caught a lot of flak for normalizing the process of getting an abortion and then falling out of love. Dolly Parton, a well-known country music artist, financially supported the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the beginning.

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Country music isn’t made for one political party, even though it might seem that way at face value.

With the aforementioned Tim McGraw song as a good example, most country songs tell really rich stories.

Songs like “Love Story” and “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift further illustrate this point, telling detailed stories about love and heartbreak. Yes, Taylor Swift was a country artist before she became a pop superstar. Oddly enough, she grew up relatively close to me in Reading,

be the last place you would expect to find country music when the genre first came out, but now we have country music artists growing up there. So, “outside of Philly” kids, I know your secret.

You probably grew up with a little bit of country music just like I did.

Country music is an undeniably American genre, just as other countries have developed their own respective genres. I know we as Americans like to be embarrassed by our mother country, considering all of the irresponsible

The best example of this is some of the more recent developments in country music. Chris Stapleton has begun to meld folk and country music together, marrying two genres that have fed off of each other for decades. Kacey Musgraves and The Chicks continue to make music inspired by country. Morgan Wallen makes pop country — songs that even my friends who don’t enjoy country have heard of.

You don’t have to go screaming from rooftops that you’re a country music fan.

But if you ever end up at Tequila Cowboy or Jam on Walnut, and country music is playing, don’t be ashamed to dance a little. Country music is “Something to Be Proud of,” to quote Montgomery Gentry.

Jessica Snyder primarily writes about controversy in art and politics. Write to her at jes341@pitt.edu.

Kenny Chesney during a performance in Jacksonville, Florida. Image via Craig ONeal, Wikimedia Commons Pennsylvania.

While this won’t apply to everyone, country music is nostalgic. Country music surrounded me at a time in my life where I was just learning about the world. I remember clearly climbing into my dad’s big Dodge truck on hot summer days, listening to country music with the smell of cigar smoke in the air that he told me was to, “keep the bugs away.”

While country music may have originated in the southern United States, it has since spread to every part of the country. Pennsylvania would probably

things that she’s done since her beginning. But I just don’t think that hatred has to translate into country music.

It’s music, and most people enjoy music. It can be politicized, stigmatized and used as propaganda, but it only has as much meaning as you give it.

I think we should be proud of country music, in some ways at least. The ability of country music artists to tell a story is commendable. The aggressive patriotism that has infiltrated the country music scene in the last 20 years may not be ideal, but the genre can and will be able to heal from this.

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Culture ‘It’s kind of a rush’: Student bartenders talk life behind the bar CMU Film Fest pittnews.com

Grace Hemcher Staff Writer

Whether you are enjoying a $5 pitcher from Hemingway’s, sipping cocktails on the dance floor at Phat’s Bar or attempting to make it into the Beer Cult drinking competition at Fuel and Fuddle, Oakland is swarming with places to grab a drink. And the person serving you from behind the bar could be a fellow Pitt student.

Kaeleigh Karetas, a junior psychology major, has bartended at Hemingway’s Cafe since last August. Karetas works up to 45 hours at Hemingway's every week, in addition to balancing the coursework of a full-time student.

“I work 45 hours a week, probably,” Karetas said. “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays aren't terrible. I'll usually get home around one in the morning. But then Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, that's when I get home at like two in the morning usually.”

Balancing this busy schedule is difficult, according to Karetas. But with some effective time management skills, she is still able to stay on top of her school work.

“I try to get most of my assignments done a week in advance so that I don't even have to stress. And then that's why I can work 40 to 45 hours a week,” Karetas said. “I can get school and everything out of the way, I can go to the library in the afternoon and then spend my night at Hem’s. And I feel like I balance it pretty well.”

Mary Pitz, a fifth-year applied mathematics and psychology double-major, has worked at Fuel and Fuddle for more than three years. She said she is familiar with the difficulties of working and going to school full time.

According to Pitz, who is taking a semester off school, it can be easy to burn out while trying to find the right balance.

“I ended up working almost full-time while I was in school, so that's why I'm taking this se-

mester off,” Pitz said. “Balancing school and work gets to be pretty hard because I do want to make money and pay my rent and stuff, but obviously school is very important.”

Sierra Scott, a senior studio art and English literature double major, also bartends at Fuel and Fuddle. She said bartending can be one of the most financially stable jobs you can get as a college student, especially if you are financially independent.

“You get a lot of money for the amount of work that you do, especially bartending. You can finish your shift probably at $700 on a busy night, or a steady night. And when it's super busy, sometimes you can make like up to $1,000,” Scott said. “And as a student, if you're paying for your own tuition, or you're paying for anything, it's really valuable.”

But money isn’t the only potential perk for student bartenders. Karetas, who has worked various jobs in both the retail and service indus-

tries, said chatting with regulars is one of the best parts of her job and helped develop her interpersonal skills.

“I have regulars that come in every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and I know them on a firstname basis,” Karetas said. “I know about their life and they know about mine. And being a psych major, it's also great being able to build all those social skills with people that come in.”

Pitz had a similar experience getting to know patrons and said even though there’s a significant age gap between her and her customers, it’s refreshing to talk to them about what goes on in their lives.

“I know [the regulars] pretty well. Even though they're 40 and I’m half their age, we still vibe pretty well, and I like chatting with them,” Pitz said. “It's a lot different from chatting with

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‘Lot of pieces to put together’: Narduzzi looks for players to stand out in Blue-Gold Game

Dalton Coppola

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Sports Since winning the ACC Championship last December, head coach Pat Narduzzi has stayed busy.

The eighth-year head coach has been hot on the recruiting trail, utilized the transfer portal, put his team through months of spring practices and signed a contract extension to keep him in Pittsburgh until 2030. The Panthers will look a little different in 2022, from a coaching and roster perspective. But Narduzzi said that’s what spring is for — constructing the best possible roster.

“We’ve got a lot of pieces to put together,” Narduzzi said. “That’ll be the big thing of spring ball.

Finding out who the 2022 offense, defense and special teams are going to be.”

Pitt fans will get their first glimpse at the 2022 team this Saturday at Heinz Field for the annual Blue-Gold game at 1 p.m. Team captains will draft their teams to decide who is on which team.

While much of the team is returning, two of the most pivotal pieces in the program departed following the ACC Championship — quarterback Kenny Pickett and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple. Pickett and Whipple led the most prolific offense in the ACC last season, but both moved on. Pickett is heading to the NFL and Whipple is taking the same position at Nebraska.

But when you win your conference championship and play in a New Year’s Six Bowl, it isn’t hard to find someone to fill these roles. Narduzzi decided to bring in someone with deep ties to Pittsburgh to replace Whipple — Frank Cignetti Jr. Cignetti brings with him more than 30 years of coaching experience, including serving as quarterback coach to Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers in the NFL. The longtime coach is known for running a “pro-style” offense, and it’ll take time for the Panthers to install the new play calls. Cignetti likes to employ 12 personnel in his offense, which bodes well for the tight ends and the running game.

Narduzzi is confident in how things are progress-

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ing, and said Cignetti’s offense should help the Panthers improve their running game.

“I’d say we’ve probably got about 80% of it in,” Narduzzi said. “Some of the new stuff that we’ve added in is going to really help us, especially our run game … just some of the things we have in for the run game will help us get some better runs. Install is going great.”

Compensating for the loss of Pickett — a potential top-10 NFL Draft pick and Heisman finalist — will not be as easy. Pitt leaned heavily on Pickett in 2021, as he threw for an ACC singleseason record 42 touchdowns and amassed more than 4,000 yards passing.

Narduzzi capitalized on Pickett’s success and lured Southern California transfer senior quarterback Kedon Slovis out of the portal.

Slovis was a standout performer in his first year at USC, receiving Freshman All-American honors as well as PAC-12 Newcomer of the year.

He regressed a bit in the following years, but brings pedigree and proven ability. The knee-jerk reaction from most fans and media alike was that Slovis would start. But it doesn’t seem Slovis has the job locked up.

Senior quarterback and Peach Bowl starter Nick Patti is returning to the Panthers and, if things go the way he hopes, he’ll be under center against West Virginia in week one. In his introductory press conference, Cignetti said whoever gives the Panthers the best shot to win will play.

Narduzzi didn’t give any indication if either Patti or Slovis were winning the position battle.

“It’s too early to be discussing that so I’ll probably just stay away from it for now,” Narduzzi said. “Nick Patti’s done great things. Slovis has done great things … it’s a work in progress.”

It’s worth noting that whenever reporters ask coaches or players about Slovis, they are usually quick to add that Patti is doing a solid job at spring camp as well. While the quarterbacks will

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8

Pitt volleyball showcases depth in scrimmage, will have competition at outside hitter

Richie Smiechowski Senior Staff Writer

Outside hitter Kayla Lund and right-side hitter Chinaza Ndee were centerpieces of the Panther rise to becoming a volleyball powerhouse from 2017-21. The two stars, alongside transfer outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh, led Pitt to its first ever NCAA Final Four appearance in 2021, capping off their legendary careers in the blue and gold on a historic high note.

The graduated players have moved to the next stages of their lives, leaving collegiate volleyball in the past. Head coach Dan Fisher must now find and develop new players who will replicate their All-American level production if they want to yet again reach new heights in 2022.

On the current roster, there are several athletes who have patiently waited and will get their chance to prove themselves worthy of a starting spot this season. While the Panthers still boast several familiar faces on the court, competition within the team for the starting outside hitter positions will be fierce this offseason between both veteran and transfer players.

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Fisher has already recruited three new players that will surely bolster the Panthers’ net presence in the 2022 season this offseason. Sophomore outside hitter Julianna Dalton, a transfer from Washington State, was the first athlete to enroll and begin practicing with the team this January.

Graduate student right-side hitter Courtney Buzzerio, a transfer from Iowa, and incoming first-year middle blocker Rachel Jepsen are Fisher’s two other roster additions made in the offseason. Both players will join the roster following graduation from their respective schools this spring.

For the Panthers, each of their three new athletes are over 6-foot-4, which in addition to their skillsets, is a massive addition to the team’s net presence. Senior middle blockers Serena Gray and Sabrina Starks were the tallest players on the court for Pitt last year, each of them standing at 6-foot-2.

Junior middle blocker Chiamaka Nwokolo said even with added height and new personnel at the net, the team won’t change their play style and will do what has worked best for them the

past few years.

“I don’t think it’ll change anything,” Nwokolo said. “We’ll run our systems like always, but height always helps. We do have a lot of depth in the middle.”

For the first time since their defeat against Nebraska in the Final Four last December, the new-look Panthers took the floor against Ohio State for their first spring scrimmage of the offseason. The Buckeyes finished last season ranked No. 11 in the AVCA coaches’ poll, and lost in the Sweet Sixteen to Georgia Tech.

While the game was just a scrimmage with no rankings or standings implications, the matchup offered an opportunity for players to improve their position within the team for next season. Some players who hardly saw time on the court last year got significant playing time in the friendly, showing Fisher what he has to work with, particularly at the outside hitter position.

For the Panthers, all eyes were on Dalton, who made her first game-appearance ever for the Panthers against Ohio State. Standing at 6-foot-5, her presence on the court was clearly noticeable,

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both at the net and in the backcourt.

Dalton looked sharp overall in the scrimmage, and showed her versatility. She ended with eleven kills over four sets and notched nine block assists in the contest. The abbreviated final frame was her most prolific attacking-wise, as she tallied five kills on a .429 attack percentage.

As the stats indicated, Dalton shined brightest when she was aggressive at the net. She seemed to block especially well when paired with Gray or Nwokolo in the middle. With improved consistency and chemistry with the setters, she has all of the potential to be a force for the Panthers on the outside in the coming seasons.

Fisher said he was happy to see Dalton get live game action, not realizing how important it was to her to shake some of the dust off from not playing last season.

“It’s probably more important than I thought initially because she didn’t have a fall season,” Fisher said. “She did a really nice job on servereceive this week, she’s been working hard on

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Jeff Capel’s portal to a winning 2022-23 season

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While athletic director Heather Lyke has repeatedly affirmed her support for the Pitt men’s basketball program and its head coach, make no mistake — the 2022-23 season is make-or-break for Jeff Capel.

The Panthers ended their disappointing 2021-22 campaign on a five-game losing streak, and fell to a final record of 11-21 with a 20-point loss at the hands of Boston College in the ACC Tournament. Since that loss, seven Pitt players have entered the transfer portal, leaving just five scholarship players on Pitt’s active roster.

From these facts alone, the outlook for next season appears grim to the outside eye. But with the landscape of college basketball constantly changing, and the NCAA transfer portal emerging as a main catalyst for that change, there is a legitimate path to a winning season for the Panthers as soon as next year.

First, it is essential to note that while Pitt will only return five scholarship players, this group includes the three most talented players in the program. Star sophomore big man John Hugley earned All-ACC honorable mention honors this year. He will be joined by super-senior guards Jamarius Burton and Nike Sibande, both of whom eclipsed 1,000 total points in their respective college careers.

While neither have officially confirmed anything, sophomore forward William Jeffress and first-year guard Nate Santos currently round out the group of projected returners. While Capel undeniably retained a talented foundation for 2022-23, he still entered the offseason with less than half of a full roster.

Consistently abysmal offensive performances plagued Pitt’s season, as the Panthers ranked in the bottom three teams of the ACC in points per game and field goal, 3-point and free throw shooting. Capel clearly needed to reinvent the team’s offensive identity and, at the conclusion of this past season, he quickly made the top priority clear –– finding his point guard.

Enter Nelly Cummings.

The 6-foot guard from Colgate entered the transfer portal shortly after his season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and the Pitt staff immediately prioritized him. Cummings, a native of Midland, Pennsylvania, averaged 14.7 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 36 percent from three-point range this

April 6, 2022

season. He announced Friday that he would utilize his final year of eligibility to play for his hometown Panthers.

The addition of Cummings, especially so early in the offseason, immediately addressed a colossal need. While Burton and Sibande are both capable ball handlers, Cummings is a natural point guard who thrives at creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He brings long distance shooting and shot creating ability that the Panthers desperately lacked last season.

While the Panthers can now feel confident in their backcourt of Cummings, Burton and Sibande, there are still a multitude of holes to fill.

The primary focus now turns to building up an entirely new frontcourt around Hugley, along with adding several more outside-scoring threats.

Pitt’s most immediate need is a starting power forward. Capel will likely heavily feature threeguard lineups, and therefore needs a forward who can not only stretch the floor, but also defend big men and rebound effectively. This player will likely not be called on to score very much, but will need to be at least a threat to face up and knock down open shots.

Oregon graduate transfer Eric Williams fits that mold. Williams holds averages of 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game across his four-year career, while shooting 36.1% from three-point range. The Panthers recently reached out to Williams, who formerly played just a few minutes away at Duquesne University.

Once Capel is able to find a starting power forward, the remaining additions will be for depth.

Capel is currently prioritizing Class of 2022 wing Noah Batchelor and The Citadel transfer Jason Roche, both of whom would immediately make a major impact with their shooting ability.

Roche is a familiar name for the Panthers, as he scored 27 points on eight three pointers in his Division I debut against Pitt this season.

In the frontcourt, Pitt has targeted several players, namely California University of Pennsylvania transfer Philip Alston and Old Dominion transfer Kalu Ezikpe. Both players would provide high-level athleticism and rebounding for the Panthers in significant minutes off the bench, and these are the qualities Capel should

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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Alaska’s flag includes the best-known part of it 10 Stop orders 15 2002 Emmy winner for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 16 Caribbean sorcery 17 Bagel-shaped confection 18 First Japanese tennis player with a WTA #1 ranking 19 Cute 20 Shrink 22 Get it, in slang 23 Blinking aids 24 Fugu danger 26 Ars __: chiromancy, e.g.

29 Feline defense 31 Jewish month after Av 32 Go-ahead 35 Clay, beginning in 1964 36 Thingamabobs 37 Verbal shrug 38 Means of filling up for less?

40 Swain 41 Attacked en masse 42 Puts on a coat 44 Dazed 45 Guaranteed, as a victory 46 Surly sort 47 Like Oz, but not Kansas 50 Banana Boat no.

53 Ram among the stars 55 Its formal name includes “Patient Protection,” informally 57 Sanjay of CNN 58 Kept track of 59 Literary work that sounds like two of its letters 60 Doves DOWN 1 Bing results

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4/6/22

By Debbie Ellerin

2 Something to travel by 3 “Resident Alien” network 4 I won’t use it, but you will 5 Assembled artwork 6 “The Hill We Climb” poet 7 Diner cupfuls 8 Torts taker 9 “Gilmore Girls” girl 10 Birds named for their sounds 11 Six-pack makeup 12 Phoenix and Washington, e.g.

13 Subjected to flak 14 Uneven do 21 Rock or Rivers 23 Word in some rap handles 25 Letters atop a face 26 Lake formed by the Hoover Dam 27 Utah’s state fossil 28 Unpleasant journeys 29 Turned over

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

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30 Tend 33 Sports radio host Jim 34 Conclusion beginning 36 “IMHO ... ” 39 LAPD unit?

40 Nod, at times 43 Deal with lawn thatch 45 Glazer of “Broad City”

4/6/22

46 Batting practice setting 48 Freebie 49 The duck, in “Peter and the Wolf” 50 It’s a wrap 51 Head Start class 52 DEA agents 54 Flight board abbr.

56 Scam

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April 6, 2022

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