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January 19, 2016 | Issue 87 | Volume 106
LASKAS STUDENTS SERVE FOR MLK JR. DAY DISCUSSES ‘CONCUSSION’ Elaina Zachos Staff Writer
Before a slew of NFL allegations, outcry over football and a blockbuster film, a journalist was chasing her curiosity to concussion research. Jeanne Marie Laskas’ GQ article-turnedbook and now film adaptation “Concussion,” didn’t start as the controversial lightning rod it is today. The story, about forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu’s discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, began as an inquiry into the science behind concussions and ended up changing how America thinks about one of its biggest institutions. The author, who is also Pitt’s Writing Department director, transformed Omalu’s research into an article for GQ Magazine in 2009. In 2015, the story developed into the full-length book and film adaptation, which was shot in the Steel City and starred Will Smith. Laskas spoke with The Pitt News about her story, her role in the film adaptation and how her relationship with football has changed. The Pitt News: Your story started out as an article and then turned into a book and now it’s a movie. What inspired you to initially take on this topic? Jeanne Marie Laskas: When I first wrote the story, the work for that was under the rubric of the stories that I do for GQ Magazine. The idea was really just a conversation with my editor about a subject that was really in the news a lot in 2009 — about concussions.
Members of Alpha Phi Alpha held a vigil for Martin Luther King Jr. outside the William Pitt Union Monday night. John Hamilton | Staff Photographer cal science major, along with 40 other stuSimilar in structure to the fall semesJosh Ye and Emily Migdal dents, traveled from the Union to North ter’s Pitt Make a Diff erence Day, PittThe Pitt News Staff Hills’ Animal Friends to pet and care for Serves’ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of R ather than sleep in on Monday, Josh abandoned animals. Service focuses on King’s legacy of activHanley bundled up and boarded a bus to “It is a little sad,” Hanley said. “But ism. Pitt students and alumni volunteered North Hills to care for abandoned anialso nice to see how appreciative the anito complete 25 off -campus projects and mals. mals are when they get some attention.” nine on-campus projects from 8:30 a.m. Similarly, Courtney Noeth and MiPittServes Director Misti McKeehen to 2:30 p.m. Monday. chelle Hayner stitched patches of old Tsaid PittServes approaches service by Volunteers met early Monday mornshirts together to make blankets. The trio asking what the community needs rather ing to either board busses to sites around joined about 650 students who braved bethan making assumptions. Allegheny County or set up in the Willow-freezing temperatures to spend their “Whether it’s painting a room or liam Pitt Union. day off from classes volunteering around See Q&A on page 6 Hanley, a fi rst-year history and politiSee MLK on page 2 Pittsburgh.