The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | october 21, 2016 | Volume 107 | Issue 61
Fifth home in Oakland burglarized Emily Brindley
Assistant News Editor For the fifth time this month, an unknown person robbed a central Oakland home, the latest in a string of robberies that police say are not connected. This time, an unknown person broke into a home on the 3700 block of Dawson Street late Wednesday evening, stealing multiple valuables. Pitt and city police responded to the incident, which they believe took place between 10 p.m. Wednesday and 12:30 a.m. Thursday, while the residents of the home were gone. When the residents returned to their house, they said multiple valuable items were missing, though they never saw an intruder in their home or in the area. According to University spokesperson John Fedele, the victims of the burglary are Pitt students. Emily Schaffer, assistant public information officer for the city’s Department of Public Safety, said in an email that an iPad, gaming console, video games and headphones were stolen from the Dawson home, which the perpetrator entered through an unlocked window. The string of burglaries began at about 4 a.m. on Oct. 9, when Pitt and city police responded to a report of a burglary on the See Burglary on page 3
Fenice Thompson works on set pieces for the upcoming Pitt Stages production of “Hair,” opening on November 10th. John Hamilton STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Pi Lambda Phi: Third time’s a charm The fraternity returns to campus for the third time, but details on its past — and its time spent away — are still vague.
After a two-year absence, Pi Lambda Phi is back on campus as an officially recognized fraternity. The fraternity has spent much of the past 20 years under University suspension — Pitt suspended the group most recently in 2014 for supplying alcohol to a minor. National recruiters came to recolonize Pi Lambda Phi on campus
this year with the intention of starting fresh, with new brothers, new leadership and a renewed dedication to its creed. “Our chapter’s actions in 2014 were disappointing, but we are focused on the future,” Ian Lowe, executive director of the national organization, said in an email. “We are excited to be welcomed back to campus and are enjoying our
Emily Baranik
Staff Writer
recolonization process.” The organization is trying to move on from a turbid history at the University. The chapter first lost its place on campus in 1996 when a police raid of the house discovered drug paraphernalia. The fraternity sued the University and the city, along with individuals, for See Pi Lam on page 2