1-15-20

The Pitt News

T h e i n de p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | january 15, 2020 ­| Volume 110 | Issue 201

SGB ANNOUNCES

MOMENT OF TRUTH

APPROVAL OF NEW JUDICIAL CHAIR STEPHEN JACOBUS Anushay Chaudhry and Benjamin Nigrosh The Pitt News Staff

Student Government Board kicked off their weekly meeting Tuesday night with President Zechariah Brown announcing the newly appointed SGB judicial committee chair, Stephen Jacobus. Brown, alongside former judicial chair Grace Nelson, who resigned last week, offered the job to Jacobus after conducting interviews.

“Jacobus was the former vice chair of the committee and he has had a lot of experience with what the committee has been up to this year,” Brown said. “He has a lot of his own ideas on how to better organize the committee.”

Brown then proceeded to discuss the new Sexual Assault Prevention Grant program, an intiative being led by the Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner.

“Each individual grant can be up to $5,000,” Brown said. “The grant will be through Student Affairs and will be allocated through the Graduate Student Government, College of General Studies Student Government and SGB.” Brown said applications for the Sexual Assault Prevention Grant will open Jan. 27 and close March 31. Dean Bonner will hold two informational sessions regarding the grant — one on Jan. 22 from 4 to 5 p.m. and another on Jan. 27 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., both in William Pitt Union Room 630.

Nick Bibby, the elections committee chair, reminded inquiring students to submit their application packet to run for a po-

Coach Capel watches from the bench as penalty call dashes the Panthers’ hopes to upset No. 11 Louisville during the end overtime at Pitt’s 73-68 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday. Carolyn Pallof | staff photographer

LYKE UNVEILS VICTORY HEIGHTS PLAN FOR PITT ATHLETICS Alex Lehmbeck Senior Staff Writer

Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke officially unveiled the long-anticipated “Victory Heights” project — a $250 million transformation of the school’s athletic facilities — at a Tuesday afternoon press conference at the Petersen Events Center in front of members of the media, coaches, alumni and athletes.

Some highlights of Victory Heights — which was originally pitched in April 2018 — include a new 3,500-seat arena, an eight-lane and 300-meter indoor track, multiple practice buildings, a band facility and a strength and conditioning complex. The athletic renovations are just one major part of Pitt’s Campus Master Plan, a 20-30 year road map for the future layout of the school.

See SGB on page 3 “Victory Heights is our demonstrated

commitment to comprehensive excellence,” Lyke said. “It’s going to impact 16 of our 19 teams directly, and 84% of our student athletes, and 305 of our marching band members and 75 of our spirit squad members.”

As for how Pitt plans to pay the hefty construction bill, Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said the University is “debt-financing the project,” guaranteeing funding while the athletic department fundraises to offset the costs.

Lyke said there have been 10 individual six- or seven-figure donations made already.

The proposed arena — which does not yet have a name — will serve as the new home for Pitt’s gymnastics, wrestling and volleyball teams. The venue, as well as the strength and conditioning facility, will be built adjacent to the Pete where the grass bowl currently sits, meaning it will not impact any other current

Pitt buildings.

The first product of Victory Heights, the new arena, will begin construction in the summer of 2021 with an intended opening in the fall of 2023. The indoor track and band complex will come one year later, Lyke announced, located on the backside of the Cost Sports Center.

“Whether [the track] opens in the fall of 2024 or the spring of 2024 is yet to be determined, but it will be about a year behind the arena and sport performance complex,” she said.

Gallagher singled out one of the pressconference attendees in his speech to signify the occasion — Pitt alumnus Herb Douglas, the oldest living African-American OlymSee Heights on page 7

News

PITTSBURGH CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIVISTS PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Rebecca Johnson

Senior Staff Writer Regardless of rain, snow or even loud Christmas carols,18-year-old Upper St. Clair-native Leandra Mira and Sarah Hart, a senior environmental studies major, can be found advocating for action against climate change at the Pittsburgh City-County Building every Friday.

“The last protest we had [the City-County Building was] playing really loud Christmas music and we asked a cop whether we could turn down the music where the strike was held,” Mira said. “He was like ‘Aren’t you the climate change people? We don’t help you.’ The system isn’t our friend. Our rights are being taken from us and we’re sleepwalking toward a cataclysmic disaster.”

These protests against the climate crisis are part of “Fridays for Future,” a global movement started in 2018 by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish activist. Mira began the Pittsburgh campaign in 2019. She also organized the local branch of September’s Global Climate Strike, which an estimated 1,000 people attended, making it the largest climate rally ever held in Pittsburgh.

Now, another large-scale protest is being planned for Earth Day, though Mira and Hart say more people should be participating in protests regularly in order to effectively bring attention to the climate crisis.

While Mira said she was happy with the large turnout of the September rally, she wishes more people would join the cause full-time and alleviate some of her burden.

“I just don’t know what I can do or what I should be doing to get more people to come.

Not that six people is a bad number, but it always makes me question what I am doing wrong,” Mira said. “I’m graduating late because I took on organizing. If more young people would get involved I could delegate the work more.”

For her work, Mira was recently awarded a Pittsburgh’s People of the Year Award in

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the environment category by Pittsburgh City Paper. Lisa Cunningham, editor-in-chief of Pittsburgh City Paper, said Mira stood out from other nominees because of her ability to spark climate activism on a local level.

“Everyone knows Greta Thunberg and the impact she’s had on a national level,” Cunningham said. “Leandra has really brought this to a local level, and I think it shows other young people, or even people afraid to speak out in Pittsburgh, that they

Thunberg, was alone. One of the primary reasons Mira started protesting was in response to the health consequences she saw in residents of southwestern Pennsylvania.

Last May, 27 cases of Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, were reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Department of Health, along with the CDC, are studying whether the cases are connected to fracking.

Mira said other climate organizations

Leandra Mira (left) and Sarah Hart protest for action against climate change at the Pittsburgh City-County Building every Friday. Sarah Cutshall | visual editor can make a difference too.”

Mira said awards like these leave her feeling conflicted, though, especially when not many people show up to the protests.

“Whenever I won the award from the Pittsburgh City Paper, I didn’t even post anything on my social media because it’s mixed signals,” Mira said. “You’re getting told, ‘You’re so amazing. You’re doing amazing work.’ Then when a protest has five people show up, I go home on Friday feeling like an absolute failure.”

When Mira started protesting, she, like

taught her this and other facts that cemented her belief that quality of life is increasingly determined by zip code.

“I got really really angry when I learned about the issues impacting us locally, but I didn’t want to sit and wallow in my sadness.

So, I decided to join the strikes,” Mira said.

“Some zip codes definitely have a privilege.

Wealthier townships in South Hills would never have an ethane cracker plant or pipeline.”

Hart eventually joined Mira after seeing an article profiling her in Pittsburgh City

January 15, 2020

Paper. Hart said her work with Mira has helped shape her activism on campus.

“We need to hold Pitt accountable and have stronger green initiatives, not just the bare minimum,” Hart said. “The fact that they are still so invested in fossil fuels is ridiculous to me. They’re contributing to the climate disaster.”

According to the Post-Gazette, 15213, the zip code comprising Oakland, ranks first in total energy consumption in Pittsburgh.

For students interested in protecting the environment, Hart said she cautions against simply posting on social media or donating a few dollars to aid in the Australian fires, for example. The bushfires in Australia have killed at least 28 people and wiped out more than 2,000 homes, according to the BBC. “The amount of money going towards relief funds in Australia is great, but you shouldn’t need an entire country on fire to pay attention,” Hart said. “The money is just a band-aid.”

Mira said she believes voting and protesting are more effective and cheaper ways for people to fight climate change.

“We need legislation. We need changes in our government. We need voting. [The presidential election] is the most important election of the century,” Mira said. “If your heart hurts seeing the koalas burned alive and the people running from the fires — strike. It costs no money and it’s more effective.”

Whether people join her in protesting, Mira said, dictates which path the country — and the world — will take.

“Like the Robert Frost poem with two paths, we are literally at that junction. We can go down one path that will have people dying of cancer that is avoidable, people being displaced from disasters that are avoidable and people hurting because infrastructure isn’t what it should be,” Mira said. “Or we can take climate action and get clean water, clean air and clean soil.”

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SGB, pg. 1 sition on next year’s SGB board by Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. He also announced that several programs for students planning on campaigning for SGB positions will be held later this month, such as an information session on campus financing.

“This week the elections committee is meeting to develop some programs,” Bibby said. “Students can receive up to $600 for campaign purchases like T-shirts and stickers.”

Tyler Viljaste, the community and governmental relations chair, announced that Coffee with Cops, which was originally going to be held on Jan. 16, has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts with the Pitt police. The event has yet to be rescheduled. His committee will also host an information session on student rights to privacy in regards to room searches on campus in WPU’s Dining Room B on Jan. 22 and 23, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Another information session on student rights will be held on Feb. 6. The location was not SGB President Zechariah Brown discusses SORC’s naming guidelines that will specified.

Clara Weibel, the SGB outreach coorprohibit independent student organizations from using University trademarks like “Pitt” and “Panther” at Tuesday’s weekly SGB meeting. Caela Go | staff dinator and the co-director for the Student

Office of Sustainability, announced a field trip SOOS is taking to the Racial Justice Summit, which is being held on Jan. 25 at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Following board and committee remarks, Brown announced that Nina Duong, the wellness committee chair, was excused for the night due to illness.

SGB also provided an update on the naming guidelines SORC said it would be reinforcing for student organizations last semester, prohibiting the names of independent student organizations from including University trademarks or wordmarks like “Pitt” and “Panther,” instead encouraging clubs to use phrases such as “at Pitt” or “at the University of Pittsburgh.”

The board released three possible solutions to the problem at its Nov. 6 meeting.

Its preferred solution is to utilize SORC to approve names and marketing materials for clubs that want to “co-brand” with the University — allowing the use of University trademarks or wordmarks as long as sponsorship is not implied or stated.

Brown said after the meeting that he would meet with Director of Student Life Linda Williams-Moore and SORC Coordinator Lynne Miller next week, but would not specify a day.

photographer

The Pitt News

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pittnews.com. The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left.

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January 15, 2020

editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Committee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

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Opinions

THINGS ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW Michael Clifford Staff Columnist

If you rely only on mainstream media to get perspective on economics, it’s understandable to be worried about the current state of affairs — a lot of Americans feel that way.

Reflecting strong division along partisan lines, a new poll from the Pew Research Center finds that 70% of the public thinks that the economy unfairly favors powerful interests, corporations and wealthy people.

It’s not surprising that many people see this influence their own lives, as figures in the media, as well as Democratic politicians, often discuss the rising costs of education, health care and housing to counter claims of a booming economy.

All things considered, the 2020s are starting out as a pretty good time to be alive, economically speaking, for most people in the United States. Some might even say very good. It’s at least good enough that it’s difficult to make a case that people aren’t better off now than they were through most of the last decade.

Bear in mind that while optimism does not justify exaggerated claims of growth by President Donald Trump, even Americans themselves are believers in the economy.

Despite an aforementioned general sense of unfairness, the majority of those polled

by Gallup last year rated their own financial situation positively, a continuous improvement since the end of the Great Recession. Surveys of consumer confidence have stopped edging higher, but there is no sign of an overall decline yet.

This might paint a slightly less positive picture for growth ahead — which is likely to slow — and it is unlikely that the economy would ever reach consistent 3% growth again without major structural changes, but things are not nearly as bad as some believe it to be. Even rank-and-file employees are finally seeing the benefits of an extended

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David Akintola | staff illustrator recovery. Multiple government and private studies have found that wages are growing at increasing rates while inflation remains stable and, in recent months, this has been mostly to the benefit of low-wage workers.

With unemployment below 4% — which is usually considered to be full employment, as a certain number of workers shuffle between jobs — nearly two thirds of Americans rate today to be a good time to find a quality job. Particularly, it is still a solid time for recent college graduates to enter the labor force, even though that slice of the market is getting to be more competitive than the rest of the nation.

As far as the most well-cited economic statistics are concerned, things seem to be going pretty well. Still, there are other legitimate worries people have that need to be taken into account. For one, economic growth does not last, and there is always the threat of a recession around the corner.

Some economists and commentators believe that extended periods of growth lead to downturns, and the 2010s are the first decade in modern U.S. history to pass without a recession.

Still, recessions are generally relatively short events, and the worst ones suffered — bearing the name “Great” for a reason — have been extremely rare. Since 1945, only three downturns have lasted more than one year, and only three official recessions have occurred in almost 40 years. And, as Simon Moore notes in Forbes, there are several reasons to remain skeptical that a crash will hit this year. Leading indicators — particularly low unemployment, low inflation and a rising stock market — still suggest that markets are confident at this time.

By no means is this an insignificant point. Even while it is becoming popular on the left to dismiss market growth as meaningless for the majority of people, it is clear

January 15, 2020

that workers are seeing the benefits. It is just as unlikely that all of this growth is going to corporate profits. While the share of the economy going to profits is high by historical standards, it peaked back in 2012, and even with a major corporate tax cut delivered back in 2017, has steadied out for several years.

What about the other things we value, outside of the economic sphere? Is the overall quality of life deteriorating, or is it improving? Surveys of this type are limited in what they can tell us, but even when Americans are asked about things other than work and the economy, they almost always consistently feel satisfied in their lives, especially in their families, communities and health.

There simply is not a lot of evidence to suggest that most people in the United States are experiencing economic hardship, and it is a plague to national discourse when doomsday scenarios are invented to avoid justifying radical policy fixes. Much of that alarmism is ideological, but it is unquestionably present on both the left and the right as well, often in the form of populism, which arguably led to the election of President Trump.

Both discontentment and a general anger at elitism are gaining steam among a certain contingent of conservatives. Tucker Carlson, through his show on Fox News, has argued that capitalism, in its current state, only serves elites at the expense of the working class and rural voters — “normal people.”

He has further argued that the student debt crisis has drawn young people to socialism.

He may be right about all of this. Yet, while our long-term economic challenges need to be faced and dealt with, tearing down the institutions that make rapid progress possible is not the answer.

Michael writes primarily about politics and economic policy for The Pitt News. Write to Michael at mjc199@pitt.edu.

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FOR RELEASE JANUARY 15, 2020

from the editorial board

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Pitt is wasting its money on union battles

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01/15/20

provided they receive compensation for their work for the university in the form of stipends, waived tuition and health care benefits. This ruling seems unambiguous, and is something that Pitt shouldn’t have tried to challenge.

Instead, the University did choose to challenge Pitt grads’ right to an election, leading to a series of hearings in October 2018 where the PLRB ruled against Pitt’s argument, presented by Ballard Spahr, that graduate students could not be considered employees.

Since then, a PLRB official ruled in September 2019 that Pitt was guilty of three unfair labor practices during the failed April 2019 graduate student unionization election — a move that Pitt has contested and which will bring about a new round of hearings in front of the labor board.

Whether or not it is determined that the April election was conclusive, organizers should have been allowed from the start to carry out their unionization effort in peace.

Rather than waste so much money on legal fees, Pitt could have used some of it to address the graduate students’ demands for higher wages and more benefits. The University also could have put that money toward programs which could use more funding, benefiting a lot of students and faculty.

Pitt made an unfortunate decision in pursuing this line of attack on its own grad students. It’s salt on the wound that it spent such a large amount of money on doing so. Not only that, but it reflects badly on the University when it spends so much just to avoid meeting the needs of its students.

The Pitt news crossword

The battle between Pitt and its graduate students’ and faculty’s unionization efforts has evidently come at a cost — one of just more than a million dollars.

Until 2018, Pitt’s Office of University Counsel had paid the Philadelphia-based Ballard Spahr, a union avoidance law firm, tens of thousands of dollars annually. However, between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019, it paid the firm $1,071,573 — a good chunk of which likely went to the legal support in hearings arguing against graduate student unionization. This is an absurd amount of money that could be better spent in other places, especially considering this fight isn’t one the University should be waging in the first place.

The Graduate Student Organizing Committee kicked off its union effort in January 2016 because its members wanted higher wages, increased benefits, greater transparency and increased protections against discrimination and harassment. If these are all valid concerns on the part of members of the Pitt community, one would think the University would take them seriously and attempt to address them to the best of its ability, but the opposite appears to be true.

Pitt came out against the graduate student unionization effort in July 2017, with then-provost Patricia Beeson claiming that “The unique relationship graduate students have with their faculty, departments, and schools is not well suited to representation by a union.”

The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ruled in 2018 that graduate students at Penn State had the right to unionize under the Pennsylvania Employee Relations Act,

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

January 15, 2020

ACROSS 1 Minor misunderstanding 5 Long part of an arrow 10 Pride Month letters 14 Sticky pod 15 Grammy winner Jones 16 Channel marker 17 Letter starter 18 Speechify 19 Soda __: fountain worker 20 Dog, barking 23 “Understand?”

24 Common Scrabble tile value 25 Afflicts 27 Satisfied sigh sound 30 Dog, begging 36 Driving problem 38 Sinewy 39 Rio contents 40 Burton of “Star Trek: TNG” 41 Rhea cousin 42 Harry’s mom Lily __ Potter 43 Not buttoned, as a shirt 44 “Bummer!”

45 It flows below the Pont Neuf 46 Dog, ears erect 49 Nada 50 Steel-toe item 51 “Just a __!”

53 Southeast airport code 55 Dog, tail wagging 62 Thigh muscle, briefly 64 “Outlander” series novelist Gabaldon 65 Big name in big projections 66 Bear overhead 67 Sprinter Bolt 68 Daughter in the 2019 film “Judy” 69 Unwelcome diners 70 __ hose 71 Agenda bullet DOWN 1 Mary __ Lincoln 2 Swedish superstore

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By Kevin Christian

3 San __: Cal. city nickname 4 FX series inspired by a Coen brothers film 5 Noisy bedmate 6 Traditional group dance 7 Decimated Asian sea 8 Karma 9 Course of treatment 10 JFK-RMN link 11 “No, still not right” 12 Snooze inducer 13 Tot 21 Go in 22 Up to, briefly 26 Split 27 Luminous 28 First Hebrew letter 29 Enjoy oneself immensely 31 Fancy pitchers 32 Focus on, as a bull’s-eye 33 Alternative to dare 34 Branch of Islam 35 Watercolor prop

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

37 Totaled, as costs 42 First name in beauty products 44 Went out with someone wealthier, say 47 Amaze 48 The same number 52 __ dog 53 Teal relative

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54 Go bad 56 Legal thriller writer Scottoline 57 Scott of “Hawaii Five-0” 58 Tending to the matter 59 Exclude 60 Puzzle with dead ends 61 Checkup 63 Prosecutors, briefly

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Sports

PITT BACK V’LIQUE CARTER TO ENTER NCAA TRANSFER PORTAL

Trent Leonard Sports Editor

V’Lique Carter, who recently finished up his sophomore season for Pitt football, will enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to a Tuesday report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Carter joined the Panthers as a three-star safety prospect from West Palm Beach, Florida, in the 2018 class. But his role changed once head coach Pat Narduzzi realized the young playmaker’s speed could be utilized on the other side of the ball.

After impressing as an offensive scout team player, Carter burst onto the scene midway through his first season with 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries in a 54-45 win over Duke. He finished the season with 25 carries for 209 yards — an impressive 8.1 yards per carry.

Carter entered 2019 listed as a running back/ wide receiver but was never truly utilized as an offensive Swiss army knife. The change in offensive

coordinators from run-dominant Shawn Watson to pass-happy Mark Whipple was not kind to Carter. Rather than take advantage of his explosiveness on the edges, Whipple elected to use the 5-foot-9, 185-pound speedster as a traditional back, giving him a steady diet of carries between the tackles.

The results were mixed at best — as part of a backfield committee that included junior A.J. Davis, first-year Vincent Davis and redshirt sophomore Todd Sibley Jr., Carter finished third on the team with 65 carries. He averaged only 3.7 yards per carry and didn’t score any rushing touchdowns.

Carter did tack on 17 receptions for 183 yards and two touchdowns, including one game-winner against Duke in Week 6.

With all of Pitt’s backfield production returning — and with talented three-star prospect Israel Abanikanda being added to the crowd in 2020 — Carter felt it was in his best interest to take his talents elsewhere. He’ll sit out next season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules.

Sophomore halfback V’Lique Carter will enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor

FINAL FOUL LIFTS LOUISVILLE OVER PITT, 73-68

Stephen Thompson Assistant Sports Editor

Pitt head coach Jeff Capel refused to address the game’s unofficial headline.

“I won’t talk about any call,” Capel said. “I don’t want to lose any money.”

On the heels of what can only be described as a questionable foul call that cemented Louisville’s (14-3 overall, 4-1 ACC) 73-68 win over Pitt (11-6 overall, 2-4 ACC), the Panthers were silent.

With 21 seconds remaining in overtime and Pitt trailing by two, sophomore guard Trey McGowens missed a running layup. The ball bounced off of the rim and fell toward the middle of the paint.

Louisville junior guard Malik Williams settled underneath the ball and as he went up, so did Pitt junior forward Terrell Brown.

Replays showed Brown made minimal contact with Williams, but a foul

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was called nonetheless. Williams made both free throws. Then, trailing by four, McGowens missed a 3-pointer. The Cardinals secured the rebound and their fifth conference victory.

A home crowd that was already displeased with the first 44 minutes of officiating continued to rain down boos as the final buzzer sounded.

When asked about the foul on Brown, McGowens provided few words.

“Next question.”

But for all that was made of that one play, several others set up Tuesday’s frustrating and confusing ending.

Pitt led for 33:20 of game time, dwarfing Louisville’s 8:49 in front. The Panthers shot 48% from the field — including a blistering 50% from 3-point range.

They assisted on seven of 12 made field goals and if not for an 8-0 closing run by the Cardinals, would have entered half-

time with a double-digit lead.

The Cardinals took a brief two-point lead with 1:46 left in the half, but Pitt closed the half with confidence and poise uncommon in this year’s squad.

Sophomore guard Xavier Johnson nailed a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to reclaim the lead and graduate forward Eric Hamilton made a layup as the shot clock expired to give Pitt a three-point advantage entering halftime.

Sophomore guard Au’Diese Toney was stalwart in defending ACC Preseason Player of the Year junior forward Jordan Nwora. Nwora tallied only four points on 2-6 shooting in the opening period, as Toney’s play baffled even his own head coach.

“I don’t know,” Capel said. “I just think he does a good job … I think every time we’ve played [Nwora] … he just does a really good job guarding. I think

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Au’Diese is a heck of a defender.”

Toney’s defense was still strong in the second half, but after picking up his fourth foul with 12:11 remaining in the regulation, Nwora began to more closely resemble his true self. He only recorded eight points, but was 2-4 on 3-pointers despite being blanketed by Pitt’s best defenders.

But as the game progressed, Nwora’s eight points proved all the more valuable. The slow pace of the second half picked up after a McGowens 3-pointer put Pitt up seven with little more than three minutes remaining.

Led by Williams, Louisville proceeded to score seven straight points and tied the game at 61 with 48 seconds remaining. Another McGowens 3-pointer went wide at the horn and Pitt braced for overtime.

See Basketball on page 7

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Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke discusses the $250 million “Victory Heights” project during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. Carolyn Pallof| staff photographer

Heights, pg. 1 pic medalist. Pitt track and field head coach Alonzo Webb, a close friend of Douglas, loved that the 97-year-old legend made it to the event.

“You never know how long he’s going to be around,” Webb said, “but I just pray he’s going to be around long enough to open that place and lead those kids into their new facility.”

Gallagher addressed concerns about the construction’s impact on the surrounding Oakland areas. Both he and Lyke emphasized no neighborhoods will be touched.

“Our community and government relations team has been in our neighborhoods, sharing our plans, soliciting input from our neighbors,” Gallagher said. “Based on those reactions at this point, we think people are pretty excited about it.”

The new arena and practice facilities will replace the current role of the Fitzgerald Field House, located on top of campus. The venue, built in 1951, currently hosts Pitt’s gymnastics, wrestling and volleyball home matches, as well as coaching offices for nearly all of the teams. Lyke said the University still hasn’t decided what to do with the Field House once it becomes obsolete.

The Pitt Sports Dome, however, will come to a close with the track and band complex replacing its location. Lyke pointed out that this will time up well with the opening of a new rec center in the works that would overtake the space currently occupied on middle campus by the O’Hara parking garage.

“As that facility comes offline, the rec center will come online,” she said.

The Victory Heights design also included a lacrosse stadium where the OC lot currently

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sits, though Lyke said there is no timetable as to when construction of that portion could begin.

Many of Pitt’s coaches shared their support for the project, discussing the benefits it will have on their student athletes. Volleyball head coach Dan Fisher, fresh off signing a seven-year contract extension to start the new year, pointed out how the location of the arena helps out his team.

“There’s times in the season where we’re lifting weights in the Field House, then trudging through the snow to the practice facility [at the Pete], getting cold when we’ve already warmed up,” he said. “[Now,] we’ll have everything in the same spot. They’ll be able to go into study hall, their locker room, a training table and the weight room. Everything’s gonna be in house and they’ll be closer to lower campus, where most of them live.”

The current facilities are often overcrowded, some coaches noted, as many different teams are forced to share practice areas.

“The [current layout] just isn’t big enough,” wrestling head coach Keith Gavin said. “We’ll do practice now where we have the first five weight classes get on the mat, while the other guys are off riding the bike or something because if we do them all together they’ll run into each other and you’ll have some unnecessary injuries. It’s just going to be a lot more efficient for training.”

Pitt gymnastics head coach Samantha Snider said it would be without a doubt the sport’s best arena in the ACC. “It’s exciting because it’s a challenge for us to fill that arena, but we are definitely growing our fan base,” she said. “It’s going to be exciting for them to see how great this new facility is … To just have that atmosphere on meet day for us is something that’s going to be exceptional.”

Sophomore guard Trey McGowens (2) led the game in scoring with 24 points during Tuesday night’s 73-68 overtime loss to No. 11 Louisville. Carolyn Pallof | staff photographer

Basketball, pg. 6 The Cardinals did not miss a beat in the final five minutes. The two teams kept pace through the first 2:30 of overtime, but in the end it was Louisville’s experienced roster that buckled down when the game was on the line. Cardinals head coach Chris Mack spoke highly of his team’s ability to close out games.

“I don’t think last year’s team could have pulled it out,” Mack said. “I think we throw around the word ‘toughness’ a lot and people always equate that to physicality … but it’s the mental toughness too. Being able to come back after three or four possessions in a row where you can’t get the ball to go in the basket and still have the wherewithal to defend how you should … block out and give yourself a chance … It’s not easy.”

Both teams proved who they were in the final minutes. Louisville, a team laden with graduate transfers, seniors

January 15, 2020

and juniors, showed a much leveler head when executing down the stretch than Pitt, a team still growing into its own talent.

The Panthers made three of four from the charity stripe to enter the final half-minute down only two, but their inability to convert field goals in crunch time proved fatal. They missed their final four shots and Brown’s foul was the final blow.

Toney played a well-rounded game despite the loss. In addition to stout defense on Nwora, he scored seven points and collected six rebounds. McGowens led all scorers with 24 and first-year forward Justin Champagnie recorded an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Nwora finished with a team-high 14 points and six rebounds, while redshirt senior forward Dwayne Sutton added 13 points and nine assists.

After playing two games in 72 hours, Pitt gets three days’ rest before welcoming UNC for a noon tipoff from the Petersen Events Center on Saturday.

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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 Updated 2, 3, 4, and 5 bedroom units for a summer 2020 move in! Call today for more info and to set up your tour!

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2 living rooms, 2 kitchens, 2 dining rooms, LAUN­DRY, DISH­WASHER and a huge yard to enjoy!

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Located on Dawson Street. PITT Shuttle 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 **August 2020, Oak­land Square. We have Studios, 1, 2 & 3BR apartments avail­able. Clean, walking distance to campus. Great location. $600‑$1300 ALL UTILITIES IN­ CLUDED! Off‑street parking available.

No pets, smoking or parties. Call 412‑882‑7568 or email tsciul­li123@ gmail.com 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

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For sale

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services

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412‑361‑2695 Apartments for rent on Semple ‑ studio, efficiency and one bedroom ‑ availabil­ ity Aug 1 recently renovated and great location. Includes heat, electric is me­ tered separately. Call or text 412‑720‑5023.

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‑ 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

notices

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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

R A T E S

Insertions

1X

2X

3X

4X

5X

1-15 Words

$6.30

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available. Heat in­ cluded. Parking Avail‑ able. Fall ‘20. Greve R.E. 412‑261‑4620.

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Shadyside Luxury 2 bedroom apartments and charming 3‑4 bed­ room duplexes in Shadyside for sum­mer 2020! Beautiful and modern updates, call today! 412‑441‑1400

Squirrel Hill

South Oakland Houses and Apart­ ments with Laundry/ Central Air. Call or Text 412‑38‑Lease. AMO Man­agement.

Gorgeous and unique duplexes in the beau­ tiful neighborhood of Squirrel Hill! 2‑5 bedroom options for summer 2020! Call now! 412‑441‑1400

Studio, 1BR, 2BR

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+ $5.00 + $5.40

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

Pet Friendly!!

Studios ‑ $695‑$705 1Beds ‑ $795‑$815 2beds ‑ $975‑$995 3beds ‑ $1,245 412‑455‑5600 or www.pghnexus.com

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3 BD, 1‑1/2 BA town­house on Beacon St. Updated kitchen.

Washer/dryer on premises. Nice back­ yard. On bus line.

Per­fect for Seniors and Grad students.

Call 412‑281‑2700.

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Studio, 1, 2, 3, and 4 BD apartments avail­ able in South Oak­land from $800‑$2500

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Rental Other Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2020 & sooner. Oak­land, Shadyside, Friend‑ ship, Squirrel Hill,

January 15, 2020

Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availabil‑ ity online, check out www.forbesmanage­ ment.net, or call 412.441.1211

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

Employment Other Medical and Heart Care, Students Welcome, 155 N. Craig Street, Dean Kross, MD, 412‑687‑7666

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