1-13-20

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 13, 2020 ­| Volume 110 | Issue 199

PITT’S BILL FOR ‘UNION AVOIDANCE’ LAW FIRM PASSES $1 MILLION

STICKING THE LANDING

Jon Moss

News Editor

Senior Michaela Burton finished first in bar, beam and floor during her first appearance as a Pitt gymnast at Saturday’s 194.225-193.800 loss to New Hampshire. Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor

PITT STUDENT GROUP COULD LOSE COMMUNITY GARDEN BY APRIL Sarah Berg Staff Writer

10 to 25 members of the student group Plant 2 Plate gather every Sunday on Oakland Avenue to tend to their urban garden, a plot the size of two homes hosting flower beds and produce like beets, kale, raspberries and strawberries. But after University officials told them plans to build a dorm on their garden space are likely beginning earlier than originally planned, members are uncertain about the future of their garden.

The Plant 2 Plate club, which primarily donates the produce they grow to the Pitt Pantry, has met at their plot of land across from Bouquet Gardens once a week nearly every year since its establishment a decade ago by students in the Honors College. Sev-

eral plots within the garden are rented out to South Oakland residents and the weekly gardening sessions are open to all, not just Pitt students. Members had known the University Institutional Master Plan, which includes a student housing development on the site of the garden as well as adjacent properties, would displace them and have been working with the University since October to find a new location.

Joseph Jaros, president of Plant 2 Plate, said they were originally told by Pitt that the club would have until the end of 2020 to vacate the space. But at a meeting on Jan. 10 with Aurora Sharrard, Pitt’s sustainability director, Nick Goodfellow, sustainability coordinator for auxiliary services, and Mary Beth McGrew, the associate vice chancellor

for planning, design and real estate, Plant 2 Plate was notified that Pitt may begin construction of the new dorm as soon as this semester if the Institutional Master Plan is approved in March following community feedback.

“The schedule for the construction of the new dorm in the current garden space is being accelerated,” Jaros wrote in an email.

“This came as a big surprise to us, as we were originally told we would have until the end of 2020 in the current space. This means we will not be able to plant anything in the coming season unless we have a new space.”

Members of Plant 2 Plate said they’ve felt they have been left out of the loop regarding Pitt’s proposal to build on their property, See Plant 2 Plate on page 2

A “union avoidance” law firm continues to receive a large windfall of legal fees from Pitt, recently passing $1 million, according to University financial disclosure reports.

Pitt’s Office of University Counsel paid Philadelphia-based Ballard Spahr $1,071,573 in fees between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019, to provide legal support during the separate graduate student and faculty campaigns for unionization. The amount is more than seven times what Pitt paid during the previous fiscal year and is more than quadruple what Pitt paid during the previous three fiscal years combined.

According to its website, Ballard Spahr can “advise on employer rights and responsibilities during the critical pre-election period” and “work closely with management to design and carry out an effective election campaign.”

The annual financial disclosure reports are required by Pennsylvania’s education regulations, the Public School Code of 1949, which mandate that state-related universities provide a list of all goods and services contracts which exceed $1,000 in price every fiscal year. They show the University paid Ballard Spahr $20,555 in 2016, $73,922 in 2017, $144,584 in 2018 and now $1,071,573 in 2019, for a total of $1,310,634.

The reporting period included many significant events for the graduate student unionization campaign, including a narrow April 2019 election, a proposed Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ruling in See Union on page 2

News Plant 2 Plate, pg. 1

having found out their garden would be demolished only after the draft of the campus master plan was released last February.

John Jursca, Plant 2 Plate’s vice president, said discovering the impact the proposed housing plans for South Campus would have on the club this way was an issue for him.

“We felt like we were kind of left out of that conversation. And then, we started reaching out, making contacts with Pitt admin and people who were involved in that plan, and now we’ve had meetings and we’re scheduling more meetings in the future, but we had to seek that out,” Jursca said.

Jaros said insufficient communication between the University and the club could be attributed to a broader lack of engagement between the University and all students.

“What was strange to me was that there were already meetings going on beforehand

Union, pg. 1 September 2019 that found Pitt guilty of three unfair labor practices during that election, to which the University later filed a formal exception in October 2019, and two rounds of hearings in October 2018 and May 2019.

The faculty unionization campaign also took major steps forward in their effort, submitting hundreds of signed authorization cards to show support for a union election. But the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ruled in April that the number of cards did not reach the minimum 30% needed, which the campaign promptly appealed, alleging the University sent the board an incorrect list of current faculty, packed with retirees and administrators. Following an investigation last October from The Pitt News, the University removed about 200 people from its list last December, and the board will hand down a final ruling on the list’s size in March.

Pitt spokesperson Kevin Zwick said

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about this space that weren’t including us … I think in general as a student body we’re not made aware of these institutional meetings,” Jaros, a senior linguistics and biology major, said.

University spokesperson Kevin Zwick said Pitt has been cooperating and communicating with Plant 2 Plate.

“The University is committed to finding a new location for the garden, as the campus master plan includes redevelopment of this area to support additional campus housing needs,” Zwick wrote in an email. “We are currently exploring options in collaboration with the student group who manages it, in expectation of finding placement solutions to support this campus need.”

Jaros and Jursca said Plant 2 Plate’s main priority now is finding a permanent place to move into so they can continue gardening when the time comes to leave the current space. Jursca said pausing the club could be detrimental to its future, with probable loss of interest and membership.

“It’s not good to us if they start construc-

tion on our [current] plot and they say, ‘In two or three years when we start this construction you guys will have another space over here,’” Jursca said.

According to the members, Pitt has asked Plant 2 Plate to suggest new locations to go over in meetings together. Jaros said new location options were discussed at the Friday meeting.

“We are now considering two new spaces on upper campus that we would be able to relocate to (ideally this semester).

I should know more about this in a few weeks, but there is nothing promised yet,” Jaros wrote. “I am optimistic that one of these [new locations] will work out, and either space would be larger than the one we have now, and could provide good opportunities to engage more with the Hill District communities.”

Moving out of a location surrounded by dense student populations and bars could also help avoid vandalism that Jursca said the garden has experienced, such as knocked down fences, stolen flowers and

Ballard Spahr has provided the University with expertise in many areas, including faculty and graduate student unionization, over the last 10 years.

“The University has engaged Ballard Spahr — one of many vendors in our partner network — on a variety of legal matters dating back to 2009,” Zwick said.

“Moving forward, our longstanding support for faculty and graduate students will not change, regardless of how these efforts evolve.”

Provost Ann Cudd said at the September 2019 Board of Trustees meeting that the University was pleased with Ballard Spahr’s services, despite being charged in the proposed PLRB ruling with three unfair labor practices.

“We hire outside counsel for a variety of different things,” Cudd said. “I think that, all in, they’re doing a good job for us.”

But organizers with the two unionization campaigns attacked the payments as a waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere.

Pat Healy, a graduate student union organizer and graduate student in information science, said the University’s spending on Ballard Spahr is “unconscionable.”

“The University’s grad students and faculty members simply want a say in their workplace, which is something that every worker and every educator deserves,” Healy said. “It’s a shame that Pitt continues to fight rather than cooperate with its workforce.”

Tyler McAndrew, a faculty union organizer and visiting lecturer in the English department, said he was “unbelievably disheartened” when told of the spending and wished the University spent the money instead on initiatives like raising parttime faculty salaries.

“They have the money to make the changes that a union would fight for, but they’re never going to do it without a serious push,” McAndrew said. “I think this is just further proof that the administration does not have our best interests at heart.”

Zwick did not directly respond to questions about the union organizers’ claims.

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ripped up beds.

If the club and Pitt are not able to arrange a successful relocation to a permanent location soon, Jursca said moving into a temporary location, such as using planter boxes near Hillman Library, may be necessary.

“I think there’s definitely potential for improvement, but that would have to have a strong commitment from the administration and we’d have to work that out before we get rid of our current space,” Jursca said.

Jaros hopes that the University’s focus on sustainability will include supporting the garden.

“This could be a really good opportunity for the University to take charge and … show that they’re into these sustainability initiatives that the students have been pushing, so they could really make a change,” he said. “On the other hand, I am worried that we’re going to just keep going through this chain of events and meetings and at the end of the day if we don’t have something, we have no control over the situation.”

Pitt’s Office of University Counsel paid Philadelphia-based Ballard Spahr, a “union avoidance” law firm, $1,071,573 in fees between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019, to provide legal support during the separate graduate student and faculty campaigns for unionization. Emily Wolfe | contributing editor

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Opinions

WW3 memes show a dangerous lack of understanding Julia Kreutzer

Senior Staff Columnist I was 1 and a half on 9/11 and almost 3 when the United States invaded Iraq. My generation has never known a time when we were not at war — or at least in conflict — in the Middle East.

When President Donald Trump ordered a hit on Iranian Major Gen. Qasem Soleimani on Jan. 3, it was perhaps not as shocking to my generation as our elders.

What was shocking to me, however, was that this escalatory action with one of our nation’s long-term adversaries was made the butt of so many jokes.

As news of the attack broke, while politicians and citizens alike voiced concerns over the president’s recklessness or support for the elimination of a perceived security threat, many members of my generation instead filled social media with memes and puns about the threat of war. #WW3, referencing the possibility of prolonged and deadly international conflict as a result of this escalation, began trending on Twitter.

While these memes are seemingly harmless, they display a lack of sensitivity, compassion and understanding for the complexities of a grave situation. It’s a constant debate within the comedy world — when is a joke going too far? Making memes out of political chaos is not the same as turning lemons into lemonade. It’s deterring us from holding our leaders accountable, showing empathy for the innocent people caught in the political crossfire and taking action ourselves. A chuckle is not worth it.

It’s not that memes about the draft or a questionable start to the decade are malicious, but they certainly raise the question of why war is so funny to so many. There are two sides to this coin — desensitization and deflection.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to desensitize is to “make

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Promiti Debi | staff illustrator emotionally insensitive or callous.” It’s a practice used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, yet has more broadly been used to describe a lessened reaction to typically traumatic stressors. Sara Prot and Douglas A. Gentile, psychologists at Iowa State University, discuss how this practice has a variety of applications, not all of which are intentional or positive.

“Desentization to violence can be viewed as adaptive in certain contexts (e.g., soldiers preparing for battle, medical school students becoming used to the sight of blood and gore),” they wrote. “Desentization to violence can also trigger a range of negative consequences, however, including decreased empathy for violence victims, increased aggressive thoughts and disinhibition of aggressive behaviors.”

This trend is becoming clear. A study in the journal of abnormal child psychology explored this relationship.

“Many U.S. adolescents are exposed to violence in their communities, schools and homes, with low-income and African American youth being at the greatest risk,” they found. “There is evidence that exposure to community or cross-context violence in early adolescence is associated with emotional desensitization, indicated by a pattern of lower emotional distress at high levels of exposure resulting from a quadratic relationship between violence exposure and distress.”

It makes sense that a generation of individuals who grew up seeing clips and hearing stories about violence and war would slip into this pattern. War doesn’t seem so scary when it doesn’t seem out of the ordinary.

Even within this culture of desensitization, there are still certain events that trigger an emotional response. Rather than dealing with them head on, humor

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helps us avoid the difficult conversations that issues like the Iranian crisis force us to consider. And this trend of deflection is nothing new. The term “gallows humor,” coined by the Germans in 1848, refers to cynical comedy drawing from taxing or distressing situations. Nichole Force, psychologist and sketch comic, explains that this practice can, in some instances, be helpful in overcoming adversity.

“Placing a comical spin on dire circumstances that are outside one’s control was an effective coping mechanism long before the Germans named the phenomenon, and continues to serve the oppressed, victimized and suffering today,” he said.

We, however, are not in the gallows.

While they may be upsetting, these situations are not completely out of our control.

The fundamental pillar of our democracy is that we can make our voices heard, and currently, our leaders are hearing us respond with levity and satire. We are not holding them accountable and demanding action.

It’s not that there is no way to compromise satire and activism. Political cartoons, for example, are one of the oldest means of articulating critiques instigating important discussions. But most of these Twitter memes and TikToks are not designed to encourage conversation. They’re about dancing on tanks and hiding from the draft. They’re making the lives of soldiers at war seem enjoyable or humorous.

They’re sparking debate on what the first meme of the decade really is, rather than how our leaders should respond.

Whether you’re a proponent of the attacks or fear the consequences outweigh the benefits, this situation cannot be taken lightly. Engaging in serious and important discussions regarding our security, intentions and overall foreign policy is most definitely not as enjoyable as making TikToks about going to war. But it’s not meant to be.

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FOR RELEASE JANUARY 13, 2020

from the editorial board

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

It’s too late to fix the Women’s March

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01/13/20

have attempted to make the movement more inclusive to trans and nonbinary people, but each year, the pussy chants and hats return.

People of color have had similar issues. Pittsburgh had two different rallies in 2017 because black activists felt that the march was denying queer people and people of color their voices.

It’s been such a prominent issue within the Women’s March movement that groups — in light of the overwhelming amount of white privilege — actually split from the March itself. One of the most prominent groups is March On — a platform quite similar to the Women’s March in tenet principles — which emphasizes criminal justice reform, economic justice and reproductive freedom. But it also gives a voice to marginalized communities left behind in the Women’s March by working towards fairer elections and representation, including an end to gerrymandering and other political strategies that disproportionately affect communities of color.

“We think about intersectionality in a broader way than it’s normally spoken about,” Vanessa Wruble, a key organizer of March On, said. “It’s expansive in terms of gender identification and sexuality, it’s expansive in terms of ability and the disabled community.”

The Women’s March deserves some credit for trying to address the controversies. It’s added Jewish women to its board after organizers made anti-Semetic remarks. It’s added board members who are LGBTQ+, but it doesn’t erase the problems it’s had over the past few years.

This movement that the Women’s March sparked belongs to all of us, no matter our socioeconomic status, race or gender identity. All of our voices need to be heard loud and clear. For as long as the Women’s March stays the Women’s March, that won’t happen.

The Pitt news crossword

People packed Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., for the first annual Women’s March in January 2017.

Women drove overnight and packed snacks so they could stand all day in demonstration. Now, the nation is approaching the fourth annual march on Saturday, Jan. 18. But this year, people aren’t so eager to travel and paint signs.

The Women’s March — which was founded in response to President Donald Trump’s inauguration in Jan. 2017 — has been roiled by numerous accusations of anti-Semitism, racism and only speaking for white cisgender women. It’s too late to apologize, or to fix its mistakes with a statement. The movement needs to include and speak for people who aren’t white and who aren’t cisgender — in order to do so, the Women’s March must rebranded.

Even by its sheer name, the Women’s March carries discrimination and ignorance. A fundamental staple of the Women’s March is the pink hat with points on the left and the right. It’s called the Pussyhat, and it’s supposed to resemble a vagina. The hats have become a staple of strength. Organizers say things like “pussy grabs back,” and women hold red signs about their periods. But not everyone who experinces female-like discrimination identifies as female. And not everyone who identifies as female has a vagina or menstruates at all — take for example trans women.

“Trans women’s issues are women’s issues: job and housing discrimination, street harassment, substandard health care, domestic violence, murder,” trans woman activist Evan Greer writes.

“While the Women’s March made history, it left behind one of the world’s most marginalized groups of women: transgender women.”

Which is all to say, feminism and the Women’s March shouldn’t be geared towards vaginas. The organizers

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

January 13, 2020

ACROSS 1 Hanks who plays Mr. Rogers 4 Spanish houses 9 Watched secretly 14 Dr.’s group 15 Scarlett of fiction 16 African river 17 Server of shots 18 Manicurist’s tool 20 Word with sprawl or renewal 22 Norse trickster 23 Walrus feature 24 Made stuff up 26 Like Mattel’s Cathy doll 28 Eponymous ’60s-’80s “Airways” entrepreneur 33 Like desperate straits 34 Send with a stamp 35 Old Detroit brewer 39 Like frozen roads 40 Resolves out of court 42 Paris summer 43 Spot for a friendly kiss 45 Bit of cat talk 46 Mennen lotion 47 Attacker or defender of online information systems 50 Water heater 53 Nuremberg no 54 German auto 55 Movie lab assistant 59 President #2 62 “It” novelist 65 Org. for the ends of 18-, 28-, 47and 62-Across 66 Remove the chalk 67 Muslim holy city 68 Home state for the ends of 18-, 28-, 47- and 62-Acr. 69 Monica of tennis 70 Beautify 71 Suffix with Japan or Milan DOWN 1 “Forbidden” fragrance 2 Actor Epps

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By Matt McKinley

3 Bakery item Jerry stole from an old woman in a classic “Seinfeld” episode 4 Fooled in a swindle 5 “Figured it out!”

6 Windsurfing need 7 Guthrie of folk 8 Quarterbacktackling stat 9 Biol. or ecol.

10 Toaster snack 11 Data to enter 12 Spew out 13 Not at all cool 19 Kiss from a pooch 21 Teacher’s helper 25 Ten-cent piece 27 Gas brand with toy trucks 28 Bank acct.protecting org.

29 Wealthy 30 Cake directive Alice obeyed 31 Soda bottle buy 32 Permit 36 Arrange new terms for, as a loan 37 Bart’s bus driver 38 Perceive aurally 40 Terrier type

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

41 McGregor of “Doctor Sleep” 44 “Total” 2017 event visible in a coast-tocoast path from Oregon to South Carolina 46 Very dry 48 Soft French cheese 49 President #40 50 Diamond quartet

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51 Off-the-wall 52 Perfect 56 Govt.-owned home financing gp.

57 Gave the nod to 58 Wealthy, to Juan 60 Corp. execs’ degrees 61 January “white” event 63 “For __ a jolly ... ” 64 ATM giant

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Sports PANTHERS IN THE PROS: NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS Nick Carlisano

Senior Staff Writer Panther football came to a close two weeks ago with a win over Eastern Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl, but that doesn’t mean there’s not still plenty of football for fans to consume.

Last weekend the National Football League playoffs kicked off, and it was quite the wild ride. Saturday saw the Houston Texans narrowly prevail over the Buffalo Bills in overtime in the first contest, while the Tennessee Titans knocked off the New England Patriots in shocking fashion to prevent a potential fourth straight Super Bowl appearance for New England.

In the NFC, a goal-line touchdown pass propelled the Minnesota Vikings over the New Orleans Saints in overtime

and the Seattle Seahawks escaped Philadelphia with a victory over the Eagles.

And although Pitt’s football season is over, as of this weekend four former Panthers were still suiting up in the pros for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Tailbacks Dion Lewis and LeSean McCoy were standouts as Panthers and represented the Titans and Chiefs, respectively. Offensive lineman Brian O’Neill and cornerback K’Waun Williams squared off as members of the Vikings and 49ers, respectively.

To satisfy the void that the end of Pitt’s season has left, here’s a look at how the Panthers of the past performed on the big stage this weekend.

Dion Lewis, Tennessee Titans RB The small, shifty Titans running back had himself a stellar two-year career at

Pitt, following in LeSean McCoy’s footsteps. Lewis recorded more than 1,000 rushing yards in both 2009 and 2010 and scored 31 total touchdowns over his tenure as a Panther. He also put his pass-catching ability on display here and there, catching just more than 50 passes in two years. This dual-threat skill set defined Lewis’s stints with the Eagles and Patriots before he signed with the Titans.

However, the rise to stardom of Derrick Henry has caused Lewis’ role with the team to diminish. His snap count went down from 61% to 37% from last season to this year, and his touches and production dropped as a result. Lewis saw his carries diminish by nearly two thirds and failed to record even half as many catches as he did in 2018.

With Tennessee committing to the

run and Henry morphing into an everydown back, Lewis hardly saw the field in his team’s upset victory over the Ravens.

He managed to receive only seven snaps and didn’t touch the ball on any of them, serving as a mere decoy for his offense.

Henry, meanwhile, received 30 carries and notched two catches as he singlehandedly willed his team to the AFC championship.

With Henry’s usage in the first two playoff games, it seems unlikely that Lewis will step into a relevant role this season. With the exception of an injury, expect him to continue to see minimal snaps as the Titans ride Derrick Henry as far as he will take them.

Brian O’Neill, Minnesota Vikings RT See Playoffs on page 7

SLUGGISH START DOOMS PITT BASKETBALL AT MIAMI Stephen Thompson Assistant Sports Editor

Like most college students on a Sunday afternoon, Pitt experienced a potent hangover in Coral Gables.

Fresh off a shocking comeback win over North Carolina on Tuesday, the Panthers fell flat against Miami.

Pitt (11-5 overall, 2-3 ACC) has now lost 23 of its last 24 ACC road contests after a 66-58 loss to the Miami Hurricanes (10-5 overall, 2-3 ACC).

The Canes came out firing on their home court, jumping out to a 16-0 lead less than six minutes into the game. In addition to porous defense, the Panthers turned the ball over three times in their first six possessions to aid the Miami run.

But the tide turned quickly on

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Florida’s southern coast. Pitt scored seven-straight points in 66 seconds to regain some life and used that spark to ignite a 18-2 run over 4:20 of game time to knot the contest at 18-all.

Sophomore guard Trey McGowens led the way with eight points, but Pitt’s defense — which held Miami to 1-7 shooting during the run — was the most essential aspect of the Panther comeback.

In keeping with Sunday’s “game of runs,” the Canes responded with a 13-4 run of their own over the half ’s final 9:25. Miami entered the halftime intermission up nine, but wary of another Pitt run.

The Hurricanes, in a futile attempt to finish a game before it was over, stretched their lead to 18 with just over five minutes of the second period having passed. Junior guard

Chris Lykes and senior guard Dejan Vasiljevic scored six and five points, respectively over that span to power the run.

Pitt refused to back down. Junior guard Ryan Murphy, after scoring only two points in the first half, found some success as his team pushed back.

His seven points were complemented by six from junior forward Terrell Brown, as well as smart playmaking from McGowens and fellow sophomore forward Au’Diese Toney on a 23-7 run that cut Miami’s lead to four with 5:23 left to play.

But the Panthers’ defense — a calling card of this year’s squad — was unable to come up with the stops necessary to win. The Hurricanes made tough shots, capitalizing on the Panthers’ poor shot selection to close out their second ACC win of the season.

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McGowens turned in a complete effort with sophomore backcourt mate Xavier Johnson on the bench for a majority of the game. He recorded 18 points and seven assists to pace the Panthers. Brown was also steady off of the bench. His energy and defense earned him minutes during crunch time, in which he scored 10 points to go along with four rebounds.

For the Hurricanes, redshirt junior guard Kameron McGusty was an automatic shooter and rarely left the floor.

His game-high 19 points were scored off of 67% shooting from the field and 43% from 3-point range. Vasiljevic and Lykes were the only other Hurricanes to score in double-figures.

The weary receive little rest as conference play continues. Pitt returns home for its next game, a Tuesday night tilt with No. 13 Louisville.

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TRACK, GYMNASTICS HARBOR HARDWARE AFTER FIRST WEEKEND Griffin Floyd

Staff Writer Outside of the basketball teams, Pitt athletics had a relaxed start to the semester. The track and field and gymnastics squads were the only teams with events over the weekend, with both taking home hardware.

Mostly at-track-tive start to the new semester The Panthers traveled to Happy Valley on Saturday, Jan. 10, to take on rival Penn State in the Nittany Lion Challenge. Both the men’s and women’s are ranked nationally for Penn State, No. 25 and No. 14, respectively.

Despite the talent of their opponents, it was the women’s team who stood out at the tournament. Junior Breanna Phillips was the first of three Panthers to top the podium as she finished the 600-meter dash in 1:32.52, while sophomore Eddita Pessima won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.45 seconds.

The Panthers’ best event of the day was by far the 200-meter dash. Junior Nikki Scherer came in first place (24.31s). Hot on her trail were fellow junior Jaylyn Aminu (24.88s) and Pessima (24.99) as the team swept all three medals. Each run was a personal best.

Although the month off did little to affect the women’s performances, the men’s team had a tough time across the board. Senior Shyheim Wright had the

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best performance, making the finals for the 60-meter hurdles and coming in second at 8.07.

Back in the swing of things Panthers gymnastics opened their season with a home meet at the Fitzgerald Field House on Saturday against the No. 18 New Hampshire Wildcats. Despite the elite pedigree of its opponent, Pitt nearly pulled off the upset by a final score of 194.225-193.800.

Senior Michaela Burton, the coveted transfer from Arkansas, showcased her talent for the home crowd, taking home the gold on the uneven bars with a score of 9.85, the balance beam (9.85) and the floor exercise (9.825). Senior Deven Herbine also started her season strong, placing second in the vault (9.775). Senior Alecia Petrikis finished right behind her on the podium (9.750). Firstyear Christina Weiss, in her first meet as a Panther, placed second on the bars (9.775).

Pitt is now 0-1 on the season and in EAGL competition and will remain at home against the Ball State Cardinals on Sunday.

Decorated Panthers honored at Dapper Dan Dinner Though the record-breaking season came to an early end, the glow surrounding Pitt volleyball is as strong as ever.

The team will be honored at the 84th annual Dapper Dan Dinner and Sports

Maria Doku | staff graphic artist Auction on Monday, Feb. 10, as the players have been named sportswomen of the year following their third-straight ACC title and near-undefeated season.

Beyond the volleyball team, longtime voice of the Panthers Bill Hillgrove has been selected for the lifetime achievement award. Hillgrove has been broadcasting Panthers games for 50 years,

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beginning with the 1969-70 basketball season.

Men’s basketball suffers setback in South Beach Pitt men’s basketball fell victim to a post-win hangover. After an emotional comeback win over UNC last week, the Panthers came out flat on Sunday against Miami and lost, 66-58.

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Playoffs, pg. 5 Pitt’s running game has been the focal point of its offense for as long as anyone can remember, and what rushing attack can have success without standout offensive linemen? O’Neill was an integral part of the Panthers’ dynamic ground game in his time at Pitt. He was an iron man that started 37-straight contests and seamlessly moved from right to left tackle between the 2016-17 seasons.

His success earned him a first-team AllACC selection in his final season before the Vikings drafted him with the 62nd overall pick.

O’Neill’s role in a successful rushing attack has carried over from the Panthers to the Vikings since he took over a few weeks into the 2018 season. Minnesota had one of the strongest run games in the league as Dalvin Cook finally stayed healthy and had a career year. According to Pro Football Focus, O’Neill has also been excellent at protecting his quarterback — he only allowed one sack this season.

O’Neill faced one of the toughest tasks of the season on Saturday in his team’s contest against the 49er’s suffocating defense. Facing off against No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa and the rest of the San Francisco front, O’Neill was beaten a few times by the pass rush and failed to generate any push for Cook to run behind.

Perhaps most notably, he was victim to an unnecessary roughness penalty on Bosa that many, including Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, are calling a dirty play.

O’Neill left with a concussion and did not return.

K’Waun Williams, San Francisco 49ers CB Williams had an impressive four-year career as a Panther cornerback from 2010-2013. The New Jersey native put up stats across the board in his time at Pitt and was one of the leaders of the team, earning him a selection as a senior team captain. Williams racked up 160 tackles, seven interceptions and broke up 17 passes over four seasons. Despite going undrafted, his versatility at defensive back earned him a tryout with the Browns, where he went on to play three seasons.

Williams now plays a key role as a

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member of one of the top defenses in the league. Now playing nickelback, he picked off two balls this year and made 38 tackles heading into the playoffs, but didn’t have much to do against the Vikings. Williams was on the field for 57% of defensive snaps but only managed to record one tackle as the 49ers front seven wreaked havoc behind the line of scrimmage.

Williams will now head to the NFC Championship game as the only former Panther in his conference this year to do so. Him and his team will have a tall task ahead of them facing off against future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Packer offense.

LeSean McCoy, Kansas City Chiefs RB The best tailback to come out of Pitt since Tony Dorsett, McCoy had an absurd career as a Panther from 2007-2009.

“Shady” broke records left and right, receiving countless recognitions such as second team All-American and Big East Offensive Player of the Year. He put up almost 3,000 yards in just two seasons and found the endzone 36 times, a feat that broke Larry Fitzgerald’s record for scores in a player’s first two seasons at Pitt. His speed, agility and ability to cut on a dime made him an easy pick for the Eagles in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

McCoy landed in the Chief ’s highpowered offense this offseason and stepped into a supporting role in a passheavy scheme. Father Time has started to get the best of him, but Shady still occasionally showed off his trademark jukes and burst over the course of the year. None of those skills got a chance to shine yesterday, though, as the Chiefs turned to Damien Williams for all of the work out of the backfield.

McCoy didn’t receive a single carry and wasn’t targeted in the pass game.

Williams received the goal line green light, allowing him to score twice, and also caught a touchdown pass. The Chiefs simply have too much firepower on offense to find a role for a 30-yearold back out of his prime. There’s the possibility that Shady sees a touch here and there to spell Williams, but even if he doesn’t, he’ll certainly be satisfied with a ring if the Chiefs are hoisting the Lombardi Trophy come February.

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I N D E X

Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER

For Rent North Oakland 214 N. Craig Street.

Safe, secure build­ ing. 1BR, furnished.

Newly remodeled, no pets. Rent $850 and up, including heat. Mature or Graduate students.

412‑855‑9925 or 724‑940‑0045. Email for pictures: salonre­ na@gmail.com Apartments for rent. 2 and 3 bedroom apart‑ ments available. Some available on Dawson Street, At­wood Street, and Mc­kee Place.

Newly re­modeled.

Some have laundry on site. Min­utes from the Univer­sity. For more info please call Mike at 412‑849‑8694

South Oakland ** 5 Bedroom/2 full bath; HUGE HOME‑ duplex style, three sto‑ ries. COM­PLETELY REMOD­ELED, 2 living rooms, 2 kitchens, 2 dining rooms, LAUN­DRY, DISH­WASHER and a huge yard to enjoy!

Huge Bedrooms!

Located on Dawson Street. PITT Shuttle

pittnews.com

Employment • CHILDCARE • FOOD SERVICES • UNIVERSITY • INTERNSHIPS • RESEARCH • VOLUNTEERING • OTHER

stops di­rectly in front of house, only 15 minute level walk to PITT/CMU. $3,395­+.

Available 8/1/2020.

NO PETS. Call Jason at 412‑922‑2141. Pic‑ tures‑ Info: tinyurl. com/­dawsonhome 322 S. Bouquet.

Huge 2 BR apart­ ments. Available May 1, 2020 or Au­gust 1, 2020. 412‑361‑2695 3444 Ward St. We have studios, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apart­ ments. Bright and spacious. Free heat­ ing and free parking.

Move May 1, 2020 or August 1, 2020. Call 412‑361‑2695 416 Oakland Ave., Garden Court. Bright and spacious 2BR, 1BA. Hardwood floors, laundry. Move May 1 or Au­gust 1, 2020. $1395 includes heat. Call 412‑361‑2695.

Before signing a lease, be aware that no more than 3 unre­lated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Per­mits, Licensing & In­spections.

412‑255‑2175.

Corner of Semple and Bates Street.

4 bedroom apart‑

Classifieds

For sale

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

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

ment. 2 bathrooms, central air, everything newly updated and modern, laundry included. $2400 plus utilities. Avail‑ able August 2020.

Please contact at 412‑414‑9629 or visit douridaboudproperty­ management.com Fall 2020 Rentals ‑ 1 and 2 bedroom apart­ments very close to campus, well main­ tained, 24 hour laun­ dry, secured build­ings.

Rates starting at $700 with some utili­ties in‑ cluded. Call us today at 412‑682‑7622 Hudson Oakland Apartments. 2BD 1BA Located on Craft Ave, Semple St, & Cable Pl. $1,300‑ $1,495/month +elec­ tric. Within walking distance to Pitt. Tel: (412) 407‑9001 x.1 www.hudson‑oakland.­ com Now renting for Fall 2020. Apartments and houses of all sizes.

Conveniently located throughout South Oakland. Rents start‑ ing as low as $620.

John C.R. Kelly Realty. Call to­day at 412‑683‑7300 www.jcrkelly.com

notices

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

2beds ‑ $975‑$995 3beds ‑ $1,245 412‑455‑5600 or www.pghnexus.com South Oakland Houses and Apart­ ments with Laundry/ Central Air. Call or Text 412‑38‑Lease. AMO Man­agement.

Studio, 1, 2, 3, and 4 BD apartments avail­ able in South Oak­land from $800‑$2500 M.J. Kelly Real Estate mjkellyrealty@gmail.­ com. 412‑271‑5550.

Studio, 1BR, 2BR available. Heat in­ cluded. Parking Avail‑ able. Fall ‘20. Greve R.E. 412‑261‑4620.

CJGREVE.­COM

Rental Other Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2020 & sooner. Oak­land, Shadyside, Friend‑ ship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availabil‑ ity online, check out www.forbesmanage­ ment.net, or call 412.441.1211

R A T E S

Insertions

1X

2X

3X

4X

5X

1-15 Words

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$27.00

16-30 Words

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

$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

Employment Internships OFFICE INTERN Shadyside Manage­ 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 current sopho­mores & juniors, graduating seniors set to enter grad school, returning grad stu­dents, and first year law students!

Mozart Management 412.682.7003 thane@mozartrents.­ com

Approximately 21,000 students look for housing every semester

GET A HEAD START WITH THE PITT NEWS HOUSING GUIDE!

Employment Other Personal, profes­sional masseuse needed.

Long term position.

Washington County location. Call 724‑223‑0939 any time.

Pet Friendly!!

Studios ‑ $695‑$705 1Beds ‑ $795‑$815

January 13, 2020

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