1-08-2019

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 | January 8, 2019 ­| Volume 109 | Issue 79

EXPERTS OFFER TIPS ON MEDIA LITERACY

PITTSBURGH GUN OWNERS RALLY

Maggie Young Staff Writer

During the 2016 presidential campaign, an article with the headline “Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Donald Trump for President” appeared online.

People shared the titillating story hundreds of thousands of times on social media — though it has since been revealed to have been produced by a fake news site.

The spread of purposely false information on Facebook and Instagram happens daily, thanks in part to a lack of content regulation paired with the social media sites’ algorithms and cookies. These allow large companies and organizations to spread misinformation freely and target unaware individuals with advertisements and information based on their browsing history. Blind trust in social media can easily lead users to digest one-sided or unreliable information.

Media literacy, the ability to access, analyze, create and evaluate different media forms, can be used to help consumers parse through the information constantly being presented on various platforms — including misinformation they encounter partially because of techniques like those used on Facebook.

Cindy Skrzycki, a Pitt senior lecturer of English, said media literacy skills allow users to handle the way social media invades their privacy without them knowing, including learning how to manage privacy settings on different sites and ensuring they are receiving their news from valid sources.

See Literacy on page 2

Many of the protestors gathered outside the City-Council Building carried firearms during Monday afternoon’s demonstration. Janine Faust | managing editor

PROPOSED GUN LEGISLATION TRIGGERS PROTESTS Emily Wolfe

Assistant News Editor Several hundred gun rights supporters gathered at the Pittsburgh City-County Building on Grant Street Monday afternoon to protest proposed legislation that would restrict gun ownership in Pittsburgh.

Many of the attendees carried their own guns to the protest, and some held signs that read “We will not comply,” a phrase later taken up by the crowd as a chant. Co-organizer Shawn Thomas estimated that the protest, which was planned through Facebook in the days following the announcement of the proposed legislation, numbered between 500 to 700 in total.

Mayor Bill Peduto announced the proposals at a press conference on Dec. 14, 2018, where he was joined by Gov. Tom Wolf. The proposed legislation consists of three bills that would ban the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and certain ammunition, and would prevent people deemed at risk of causing harm to themselves or others from owning a gun.

The gun rights activists who spoke at the event pointed out that the proposed restrictions would violate a state pre-emption law that has prevented Pennsylvania cities from regulating the sale of firearms since 1972.

“No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the

lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth,” the law reads.

The event began with a moment of silence in recognition of the victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting and protest organizer Justin Dillon read a statement from the organization Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership.

“You can’t arm slaves and expect them to remain slaves,” the statement read. “Similarly, you can’t disarm free citizens and expect them to remain free See Protest on page 2

News Protests, pg. 1

citizens.”

Dillon wants to pass his passion for guns on to his 9-year-old son one day, and he hopes his son won’t have to fight for it anymore, he said.

“If we keep sitting idly by, our rights will keep being infringed on,” Dillon said.

Speaking to the crowd at the protest, State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-Ellwood City, called the proposals a “political stunt.”

“This mayor, his council and the district attorney are breaking the law,” he said. “These proposals will not work.”

There were few counterprotesters at the event, though one woman who carried a sign that read “Keep your guns away from our kids” made her way to the front of the crowd while Bernstine spoke.

“We will keep our guns away from your kids until they need protecting,” he said to a roar from the crowd. “Then these people will be right here, ready to protect them!”

Kaitlin Bennett, the protest’s most recognizable

Media Literacy, pg. 1 Audiences that don’t pursue reliable news outlets, such as The New York Times or other local newspapers, can become far more easily misinformed when social media becomes their only source of information, according to Skrzycki. This increases the risk of encountering and resharing unreliable sourcing.

“If you are looking just at the things posted to you on social media, you are a passive consumer,” Skrzycki said.

According to Skrzycki, the reason information on platforms like Facebook is less trustworthy is because unlike news outlets, they don’t send media appearing on their site through an editor for fact-checking and verification the way reliable sources do.

The key to navigating information presented on social media is to read carefully and all the way through, said Maria Polinsky, director of marketing and communications for Literacy Pittsburgh, over email. Literacy Pittsburgh helps with basic education for adult populations in Allegheny and Beaver counties.

“The headline or the summary presented in social media only tells part of the story and may be presented in a sensationalistic manner to drive interaction,” Polinsky said. “We are bombarded with information and

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speaker, rose to Internet prominence last year as the “Kent State gun girl” when she posed with an AR-10 rifle in her college graduation photos. Addressing the crowd, Bennett mocked Peduto as “Mayor Potato Head” and criticized his proposed laws as “bullshit.”

“They’re supporting an agenda that aids criminals that don’t follow laws. If you think another gun law is going to change anything, you have not been paying attention,” she said. “Rapists, murderers and thieves are all on the mayor’s side today. They’re thanking him.”

Kelly Ann Pidgeon of the gun rights group Armed and Feminine told the protesters she would not comply with the legislation if it was passed.

“I’m angry about this proposed legislation because it will force me to choose between being a felon and putting my life at risk,” Pidgeon said. “Who does that?”

The crowd shouted back, “A tyrant!”

Past attempts by Pittsburgh and other cities to pass gun restrictions in spite of the pre-emption law have prompted lawsuits from the National Rifle Association. Most recently, the NRA sued Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Lancaster in 2015 over laws that

regulated gun ownership.

Later that year, the state Commonwealth Court struck down a law that had allowed “membership organizations” like the NRA to challenge the restrictions in court. Without that law, individual opponents of the proposed regulations must demonstrate harm done by local ordinances in order to challenge.

Chad Ligouri of State College travelled to Pittsburgh to support the protest and brought his permitted conceal-carry weapon with him.

“As a gun owner, I shouldn’t have to have a law degree to understand where I can carry and what the laws are in each municipality,” Ligouri said.

Though some gun owners plan not to comply with the “illegal” legislation if it is passed, others say they will — they just won’t be happy about it.

Bloomfield resident David Indino, 54, said he would go “state to state” to protest for Second Amendment rights if he had to.

“Us being law-abiding citizens, we would have to comply,” Indino said of the proposed legislation.

“But we’re not going to take it lying down.”

opinion, much of it conflicting.”

Readers would gain a more appropriate understanding of this presentation of information if they read the entire story behind it and assess its reliability. Michelle Lipkin, the executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education, said people need to be willing to take the time to apply the fundamentals of media literacy — accessing, analyzing, creating and evaluating — and critical thinking to sift through information.

“We need to take our time with how we process information, we really need to think before we retweet and share and post,” Lipkin said. “If you’re questioning the source, don’t post it before you can really verify that this information is out there in other places also.”

Media literacy has become such an essential skill because of the amount of information readers can access, according to Lipkin. News is being provided more than ever before at a faster rate only made possible by technological advancements.

Because readers are exposed to more unreliable information than before, Lipkin and Skrzycki said media literacy needs to be taught at all ages.

“It should be mandatory that all students take a media literacy course. The skills taught in such a course prepare students for the technologies pervasive in society,” Skrzycki said. “I tell my students if you read the NYT every day, and not just skim headlines, you will be

the smartest and broadest thinker among your friends.”

Lipkin said NAMLE focuses on critical thinking and engaged responsiveness to media across all platforms.

NAMLE works with the Pre-K to 12th-grade age group, as well as higher-level education and community members willing to learn. It encourages learners to ask questions about the information and technology they interact with every day. “[Media literacy education is] teaching students and learners of all ages how to make media,” Lipkin said.

“From how to use social media, how to make films, how to make video content and teaching media literacy through media production skills. Then acting, how do we advocate through media, how do we respond to media.”

The need to teach media literacy skills has not been recognized by the public until recently, Lipkin said. Fake news caused a shift in focus. While the field continues to expand, so does the recognition of its importance.

“If you think about what it meant to not be literate and what it continues to mean to be illiterate, that’s what we’re talking about,” Lipkin said. “That’s the risk here, if we’re not teaching our students how to be media literate then they’re going to go into the digital world, into the workforce, into leadership positions without the knowledge they need to succeed.”

January 8, 2019

Janine Faust contributed reporting to this story.

Photo: Thomas Yang | ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR

2

Opinions

EDITORIAL: Trump needs to compromise on wall pittnews.com

SGB PICKS EMPTY TALK OVER DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS

Jeremy Wang

Assistant Opinions Editor The University of Pittsburgh Student Government Board released a letter this past December in response to the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in October, calling for “stricter regulation on the sale of assault weapons, including but not limited to” a background-check expansion, the closure of the gun show loophole and a bump-stock ban.

But an apparent failure to properly research the subject led SGB to neglect more effective policies while advocating for ones which experts have little confidence in and SGB itself lacks the understanding to defend. Even the wording of the letter suggests a misunderstanding of the policies supposedly meant to regulate “the sale of assault weapons.”

“None of the proposals deal with assault weapons,” Adam Winkler, professor of law at UCLA and nationally recognized expert on gun policy, wrote in an email after reading the letter. “Bump stocks are related to assault weapons, but it isn’t clear why the letter focuses on bump stocks. They are rarely used and the Trump Administration has already decided to ban them.”

Assault weapons are a politically defined category of guns based on aesthetics and ergonomic features like bayonet mounts or adjustable shoulder stocks, which don’t change a gun’s function. A gun could be considered an assault weapon — or not — simply due to its appearance rather than function.

A 2004 Justice Department-funded study on the nationwide assault weapons ban from 1994 to 2004 found no clear evidence it saved lives.

“Should it be renewed,” the report concluded, “the ban’s effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement.”

Leading gun control groups have moved away from supporting an assault weapons ban to focus on policies that will save more lives.

Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, emphasized a move away from assault weapon control in a statement to ProPublica. Instead, background checks were a more valuable strategy to the Brady Campaign.

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SGB released a letter addressed to lawmakers last December calling for stricter regulations on assault weapon sales. Sarah Cutshall | visual editor “We’ve very much changed our strategy to focus ed the letter by mentioning the bipartisan support on public safety measures that will save the most for background checks from Republicans like Sen. lives,” Shannon Watts, head of Moms Demand Ac- Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. When asked about tion for Gun Sense in America, said to ProPublica, assault weapon regulation at a SGB meeting Dec. adding that an assault weapons ban is a “non-starter.” 4, 2018, Shaiken also claimed it enjoyed bipartisan SGB attempted to address background checks but support.

“Well, as I said before, the bipartisan support didn’t elaborate on a call for them to be “comprehensive, stringent and intrusive.” Where SGB did get spe- comes from people like Pat Toomey,” he said.

Toomey has never voted for regulations on ascific, it focused exclusively on the “gun show loophole.”

The term “gun show loophole” is a misnomer. sault weapons.

Nothing about gun shows suspends background “[Pat Toomey] is skeptical of legislation that limcheck requirements. The term refers to unregulated its the ability law abiding citizens have to purchase private sales with no background checks that can oc- popular firearms,” Steven Kelly, press secretary for cur anywhere, not just at gun shows. Despite that, SGB Toomey, wrote in an email.

The missteps by SGB to fact-check raise eyethrew its support behind H.R. 1612, a bill that would require background checks for private sales — but brows. Yet the most disappointing failure is the aponly at gun shows and their “curtilage,” legal jargon parent lack of emphasis on the most important part for the land around a structure such as the parking lot. of gun violence prevention: evidence for lives saved.

When SGB was asked at the same meeting to In effect, H.R. 1612 would allow ill-intentioned individuals who met at a gun show to conduct a per- cite any research study on any of the listed proposals, fectly legal private sale with no background check not a single one could be named.

“Not specifically,” Maggie Kennedy, president of just a block away.

Even if SGB wanted to focus on gun shows, it’s SGB, said. “I couldn’t tell you exactly what it was that unclear why they warrant special attention over the we were looking at.”

Shaiken claimed SGB had “sought advice from broader issue of private sales. A 2011 study found no evidence that gun shows had an effect on gun vio- the experts,” but instead of dedicated academic relence “in both Texas and California, despite the fact searchers, these “experts” turned out to be Demothat California arguably has the strictest gun show cratic Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania’s 14th Disregulations while Texas’s regulations are among the trict, gun control lobbying group Ceasefire PA and least stringent.” student organization Students Demand Action at Jon Shaiken, operations director of SGB, defend- Pitt.

January 8, 2019

There are many bipartisan proposals that are more effective at saving lives. At least three highprofile mass shootings have occured when perpetrators should have failed their background checks but missing records in the system let them slip through.

The bipartisan Fix NICS Act of 2017 was introduced to add accountability measures to improve the background check database but when it was packaged with other gun legislation, it stalled. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has called for Fix NICS to be passed on its own.

Domestic violence is a major source of gun violence, but there aren’t enough federal measures that target abusers. Disarming individuals subject to restraining orders is linked to a 22-percent reduction in intimate partner firearm homicides. Even the National Rifle Association helped write state laws to address this.

Suicides make up the majority of gun deaths in America and research shows that public health messages about reducing firearm suicides are more successful if they acknowledge the values of gun owners like gun rights and responsible gun ownership. States like Vermont and New Hampshire have partnered gun owners and public health experts to identify suicide risk while destigmatizing mental health treatment.

The questionable research done by SGB missed these promising solutions and demonstrates an apparent failure to fundamentally understand the issue at hand. But that doesn’t seem to be something SGB is willing to admit.

“We don’t pretend to know or say that we have all of the solutions or that this is the extent or that this will solve all of the problems, or that even putting these in place would have necessarily prevented all of these different acts of gun violence,” Kennedy said.

This was more than a waste of letterhead. This was a wasted opportunity to promote promising and badly needed solutions to gun violence. The result is a list of proposals that leading experts are reluctant to place any confidence in. This lack of confidence is something SGB seems to share.

3

Culture

NETFLIX’S ‘BIRD BOX’ CREATES SOCIAL MEDIA CRAZE Shahum Ajmal

Contributing Editor

taking inspiration from specific scenes in the movie where Marlorie has to find ways to survive while wearing a blindfold in order to avoid seeing the negative force. One scene in particular features Malorie boating down a river seeking shelter, all while wearing her blindfold.

Numerous Youtubers have jumped on the challenge, filming themselves trying to complete their daily activities blindfolded. Famous British Youtuber @Roxxsaurus posted a 30-minute-long video where, alongside her random daily activities, she went canoeing while blindfolded. This was likely an attempt to recreate the iconic scene that inspired the meme.

The #BirdBoxChallenge may have overshadowed the actual quality of the film and caused the audience to ignore its high points, such as the performances of the lead actors. The movie has created so much buzz that some celebrities have taken to Twitter to express their interest in the movie’s challenge. “Bird Box” even gained public reactions from celebrities Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen, among others.

The #BirdBoxChallenge gained so much traction on social media that Netflix tweeted an official comment concerning the challenge, asking people to ensure they remain safe while doing it.

Despite the viral social media trends, Bullock’s performance in the film is commendable, but odd for those of us who grew up

watching her in family films. The movie casts other well-known Hollywood stars, such as John Malkovich, Trevante Rhodes, BD Wong and Pruitt Taylor Vince — though Paulson’s short-lived performance stands out above the others, similar to Bullock’s.

“Bird Box” is captivating with interesting visuals effectively capturing a post-apocalyptic lifestyle. The film goes in and out of blindfolded characters’ points of view, immersing viewers into the toll each character is enduring mentally and physically in different extremes. The suspense is so intense that viewers remain uncomfortable while following every moment of Malorie’s voyage to safety.

The film’s popularity through social media is distracting. However, the movie’s look into notable life lessons by coming to understand a mother’s journey through sincere acting is deserving. Additionally, the screenplay designed around dealing with a guilty conscious and learning humility helps add to the movie’s ability to be relatable.

While it does struggle to free itself of the typical horror movie cliches, the film is worth the watch.

A deeper takeaway is an appreciation for nature and how sometimes in a busy life, you can lose appreciation for nature and loved ones. Sometimes, blinding yourself from reality is the only way you can gain inner peace — however, throwing yourself down a river blindfolded might not be the best solution.

The trending page on Twitter was littered with the #BirdBoxChallenge as Pitt students were home for winter break, featuring videos of people attempting to do everyday tasks while blindfolded.

The origin of this viral craze comes from the new Netflix thriller film, “Bird Box,” where the few humans left in the world must wear blindfolds nearly all the time to avoid an intangible supernatural doom.

“Bird Box” takes viewers through a dark post-apocalyptic setting, where an unidentifiable negative energy rushes into human society in a wind-like nature. This wind, upon being seen, forces its victims to instantly commit suicide. It can also possess them into hunting down those trying to escape its wrath.

Every movement characters take in “Bird Box” is a risk, with no one ever mentally or physically safe. The energy creeps in during climactic scenes through whisper-like dialogues, urging survivors to take their blindfolds off to either insanely die or become believers in the force and find anyone still trying to hide.

The Netflix original is based on Josh Malerman’s 2014 novel, “Bird Box,” and has scored a 62 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but broke Netflix records — reeling in more than 45 million Netflix streams in its first week on the streaming service.

“Bird Box” begins with Malorie (Sandra Bullock) and her sister Jessica (Sarah Paulson) watching new clips of the unidentifiable energy causing mass devastation in countries abroad. The pregnant Malorie and her sister choose to ignore this dangerous new reality, thinking they will remain safe in Sacramento, California.

The movie goes in and out of the past and present in a subtle manner, allowing the audience to follow Malorie’s journey. Five years after that opening scene, she has found herself alone with two children — who remain nameless until the end of the movie, simply referred to as “girl” and “boy” — trying to find a way out of Sacramento.

The story line develops while following a somewhat cliched horror movie plot, as Malorie becomes stranded in an upscale suburban house with a group of strangers. The personalities are where the horror movie cliches shine, as viewers attempt to keep up with a hero, a jerk, a sweetheart, an old person, a coward and a few other irrelevant people who neither advance nor help the situation.

Despite the horror genre cliches, the film still achieved a great amount of success, which is partially due to its viral meme. The meme of the “Bird Box” challenge has spread across the internet, Trevante Rhodes and Sandra Bullock in “Bird Box.” Saeed Adyani/Netflix

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January 8, 2019

4

Sports PITT GYMNASTICS SET TO VAULT INTO SEASON Kate Hall

the Panthers are putting a lot of focus on enjoying their time together beyond it as well, holding lip-synch battles and a Secret Santa gift exchange. According to After a nine-month hiatus, Pitt gymnastics is ready Snider, the bond the team has created is going to shine to take the floor again this weekend. The Panthers will through on the competition floor.

“This team is really, really close with our chemistry open their season on Saturday in a quad-meet at home and our love and support for one another,” Snider said. against West Virginia, Utah State and East Michigan.

The Panthers ended their 2018 season on a high “They’re positive, they’re high-energy and that’s so note, placing fifth at the NCAA Regional Champion- great in a competition to feed off of. We’re having fun.” ship after losing to four nationally ranked opponents.

Then No. 33, Pitt came within two points of beating No. 3 UCLA in regionals, displaying potential.

The Panthers were ranked No. 36 in the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association preseason poll.

“We had a great year last year,” coach Sam Snider said. “But now we expect more, so we raised the bar and set the standard a little higher.”

This is Snider’s second season coaching the team, and so far her high expectations have led to success.

Under Snider’s leadership, the Panthers appeared at the NCAA Regional Championship last season for the first time in five years.

Snider is hoping the off-season work has helped her gymnasts prepare themselves both on and off the mats to finish higher in the national rankings, and more importantly, get another shot at winning the championship.

“There have a been a few ups and downs here and there,” Snider said. “But for the most part they are ready to go, they are ready to get out there.”

The past few weeks have served as crunch time for the team as it focuses on its theme of the season — which, according to senior Charli Spivey, is “no opportunity wasted.”

As a veteran leader for the team and a player to watch this season, Spivey takes the theme seriously and is working hard to make this season unforgettable.

“This is my senior year,” Spivey siad. “So I’m just working on embracing what that brings and enjoying every moment with this team.”

Spivey, who competes in floor and vault, is coming off a career-best season in 2018.

At Pitt’s home quad-meet in early February last season, Spivey recorded a career-high score of 9.825 in her floor routine. Later that month, Spivey scored a career Senior Charli Spivy completes her floor perfor9.800 with her floor routine at the West Virginia tri- mance during Pitt’s 196.225-195.175 victory over meet. She tied that score the next weekend.

New Hampshire on Jan. 20, 2018.

While they have put in a lot of work in the gym, Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor Staff Writer

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January 8, 2019

One person the team should have no problem feeding off of is sophomore Haley Brechwald, as she was one of the most accomplished gymnasts last season. Brechwald made her mark in the Pitt gymnastics record books by tying fourth in program history all-around with a score of 39.375. She was also named the East Atlantic Gymnastics League Rookie of the Year in 2018.

In addition to being named rookie of the year, Brechwald was named to the All-EAGL First Team in the all-around and floor categories and All-EAGL Second Team in beam and vault.

Aside from Spivey and Brechwald, other key gymnasts to watch this season are returning seniors Lucy Brett, Krista Collins and Brittany West.

Brett, who competes on bars and beam, earned First Team EAGL All-Tournament Bars honors after earning the second-best score in program history as well as her careerhigh with a 9.925 at the EAGL Championship. She also tied the team’s highest beam score of the year in 2017 with a 9.875.

After breaking records and participating in every meet during her sophomore year, Collins had a quiet junior season. In the past, Collins had made noise on the vault, bars and beam, scoring a career-high 9.775, 9.675 and 9.750 in each event in the 2017 season, respectively.

West will make her comeback performance in her senior season after sitting out last year due to injury. If she picks up where she left off in 2017, she could have a big year. In her sophomore year, West was All-EAGL Second Team on beam and All-EAGL Tournament First Team for vault and beam.

While the Panthers have a number of new additions to this year’s team, first-years Lauren Beckwith, Reaia Floyd and Christina Weiss all have the talent it takes to help lead Pitt to another regional championship appearance.

Beckwith is a five-time Level 10 Region 5 Qualifier and was also a second-place finisher on beam last spring at the Level 10 JO Nationals.

Floyd and Weiss will add to the all-around component of the team. Floyd has been nationally recognized in Level 10 play in floor, vault, bars and all-around. Weiss competed at the North Carolina State Championships and won silver in both beam and all-around.

With Saturday quickly approaching, the Panthers are more than ready to show what Pitt gymnastics is all about.

“I’m so excited,” Spivey said. “This is such a family and I can’t imagine doing this without this group of girls and coaches.”

5

WWE ‘TLC’ DOESN’T TAKE CARE OF MCINTYRE, ZIGGLER Alexa Marzina Staff Writer

The other night, I had a dream that I got to meet WWE superstar Dolph Ziggler in a gas station. Even he mentioned that the feud between him, Drew McIntyre and Finn Balor was becoming drawn out and entirely boring.

WWE hosted “TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs” Dec. 16, 2018, from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. McIntyre and Balor were set to square off in a one-on-one match that fans already knew was going to have interference from Ziggler.

The tag-team-partners-turned-mortal-enemies bit is one that WWE has implemented countless times throughout history — the Hardy Boyz, The Rockers and #DIY, to name a few — and the point is usually to evoke a happy reaction from the good guy beating the bad guy.

While the occasional friends-to-enemies story can work in certain scenarios, like the Hardy Boyz breakup leading to Matt Hardy gaining WWE’s

Dolph Ziggler on April 21, 2016.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

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version of the Extreme Championship Wrestling title and a long-awaited WWE Championship reign for Jeff Hardy, it’s not as effective if the blowoff just leaves one superstar in the dust.

McIntyre was reintroduced to WWE’s main roster in April as a monster heel lackey to Ziggler.

His previous run, which lasted from 2009 to 2014, left fans wanting way more from the dubbed “Chosen One.” But he beefed up majorly, grew a beard and just overall became super hot, which skyrocketed his odds of success in the business already.

Going into December, McIntyre remained unpinned on WWE’s main roster. He brutalized all of his opponents in the ring and looked amazing doing it, and his promo game also stepped up considerably from his former Three Man Band days with Jinder Mahal and Heath Slater.

WWE CEO and creative control freak Vince McMahon is very high on McIntyre right now and wants him to be a star. He fits right into McMahon’s preferred archetype of professional wrestler: big sweaty men.

So the question remains — why is McIntyre stuck in a dead-end program like this?

Ziggler has been a reliable upper-middle-card guy for WWE since his debut. His long blond hair and cocky persona craft a guy that you just love to hate. He normally comes out looking pretty good whether he wins or loses a feud, since his mic skills make up for his lack of star power. He really isn’t the issue in this boring saga.

Within a few weeks, McIntyre has now suffered two pinfall losses, one from Ziggler on Monday Night RAW and the loss to Balor at “TLC.” While McIntyre was — and still is — hyped up to be a dominating force, his credibility got destroyed almost instantly.

And sadly, he’s the one who comes out looking stupid in all of this.

The real problem is putting a

huge guy like McIntyre — who is 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds — into a bout with Balor while still trying to maintain him as a credible future opponent for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Balor is a wonderful technical and athletic performer, and he needs to use those abilities, not outside distractions, to win matches.

Taking that into consideration, it’s strange that this three-way feud ever happened to begin with and even stranger that it’s still happening. Balor had no business being involved in this program, and should still be working his way back up to competing for the Universal title, which he only lost due to a shoulder injury.

Of course, he’s only not in that title picture because beating Lesnar would seem super unrealistic — given how, in kayfabe, Lesnar should be able to break Balor over his knee.

With no offense or complaint to him personally, Roman Reigns’ new bout of leukemia could not have come at a more inopportune time for WWE. He finally won RAW’s biggest title after a long and painful quest for it, and then almost immediately had to drop it again to fight off cancer. In a business where the physical health and safety of the performers is of the utmost importance, sometimes planning for a better future demands sacrificing product quality in the short-term.

Championship programs with Reigns would be fresh and exciting, considering he’d been stuck trying to conquer the Beast for what felt like his entire solo career. And while I’m not the biggest fan of Reigns’ on-camera persona, having him as a fighting champion would be a treat compared to dry-as-a-sponge Lesnar.

Surely, Reigns’ diagnosis threw off the “TLC” plans, and it proved to be a pretty sucky show overall. Of course, the highlight was the headliner: the triple-threat SmackDown Women’s Championship match between Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Asuka, who came out victorious.

But reporting on perfection isn’t very interesting, and I’ve been praising the SmackDown ladies a whole lot lately, so I wanted to go for a more skeptical take this time.

Hopefully, Balor, Ziggler and McIntyre can redeem themselves leading up to and during WWE’s next pay-per-view. Royal Rumble is at Chase Field in Phoenix on Jan. 27 at 7 p.m., live on the WWE Network.

January 8, 2019

6

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2BR units available now. Close to Pitt.

Parking available.

412‑561‑7964. Leave message.

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Most units on busline

more than 3 unre­lated

pittnews.com

• AUTO • BIKES • BOOKS • MERCHANDISE • FURNITURE • REAL ESTATE • PETS

and close to Pitt.

dish­washer, washer/ dryer, and parking.

Classifieds

For sale

lease, be aware that no

single unit. Check

with codes. Call City’s Per­mits, Licensing & In­spections.

412‑255‑2175.

Newly remodeled first floor apartment with 2/3 BR and laun­dry in apartment. $1500 + utilities.

412‑683‑0363 Newly remodeled sec­ond and third floor, 5 BR, 2 BA apartment with laundry room in­ side apartment. $3000 + utilities. Has a sky‑ light. 412‑683‑0363 Now renting fall 2019 various two bed­rooms units in South Oak‑ land, Bates, Coltart, Edith, Halket Place, Ward Street; rent start‑ ing from $975‑$1410 Contact: John C.R. Kelly 412‑683‑7300 www.jcrkelly.com info@kellyrealtyinc.­ com Oakland near Magee

notices

• ADOPTION • EVENTS • LOST AND FOUND • STUDENT GROUPS • WANTED • OTHER

Hosptial. 1,2,3 BR available immedi­ ately. Long or short term lease, furnished or unfurnished. By the week, month or semester. Call 814‑403‑2798 or 412‑881‑1881.

Outstanding One Bed­rooms located throughout South Oakland; Fifth Ave, Meyran, Pier, Sem­ple, Blvd of Allies, Ward; Rents Starting at: $740‑$825 Contact: John C.R. Kelly Office: 412‑683‑7300 Email: info@kellyre­ altyinc.com Website: www.­ jcrkelly.com

Shadyside Shadyside ‑ 2BR, great location, hard­ wood floors. Free heat. Immediate oc­ cupancy. Short‑term.

Call 412‑361‑2695

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

16-30 Words

1X

2X

3X

4X

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

5X $27.00 $29.10

6X $30.20 $32.30

Add. + $5.00 + $5.40

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978

bath townhouse on Murray Avenue across from Starbucks. $1395+utilities.

Washer/dryer, granite countertops, off‑street parking, dish­washer, backyard, and covered front porch. Available Au­gust 1st. Call 724‑309‑4193.

Rental Other 3BR, 2BA spacious house available in Brentwood. Fully fur­nished, recently up­dated, A/C, hard‑ wood floors, washer/ dryer in basement.

2 cov­ered porches. $1095+utilities. 8 miles from Pitt! Call 412‑884‑5792 or 412‑608‑3039.

ment Company seeks person w/ min 2 yrs. college, for upcom­ing spring semester, to interview & pro­cess rental appli­cants, do internet post‑ ings & help staff our action‑central of­fice. Part time or full time OK starting in January; full time over the summer. $13/hour. Perfect job for sophomores & ju­niors, seniors plan­ning to enter grad school, returning grad students, and first‑year law stu­dents!

The Pitt News is cur­rently seeking stu­dents to work as In­ side Sales Representa­ tives for the newspa­ per. They will pro­vide advertising ser­vice to all Student, Univer‑ sity, and Clas­sified Accounts, while also complet­ing assigned office duties. Submit re­sumes/applica‑ tions to advertising@ pittnews.­com, or stop by our office at 434 William Pitt Union!

Mozart Management 412‑682‑7003 thane@mozartrents.­ com

Employment

Part‑Time Job: Earn

Employment Other

ing and hanging out

up to $200 a day driv­ with senior citizens.

Apply here: https:­//

Squirrel Hill

OFFICE INTERN

www.fountain.com/­

4 bedroom/1 1/2

Shadyside Manage­

ap­ply/pittsburgh‑pa‑

January 8, 2019

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papa‑technologies/

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January 8, 2019

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