10-4-2016

The Pitt News

Pitt’s intent to study medical marijuana, page 2

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | october 4,2016 | Volume 107 | Issue 39

Pitt comes closer to Zika vaccine Lauren Rosenblatt

News Editor Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have had success testing an experimental Zika vaccine for mothers on female mice and their pups.

In a study posted on the online version of the journal EBioMedicine, Pitt researchers described the results of testing out two methods of Zika vaccination on pregnant mice. The offspring of mice who received the experimental vaccine were more likely to survive and less likely to develop cognitive symptoms than the offspring of unvaccinated mice, according to the researchers.

There are not yet any known treatments for Zika, a largely mosquito-borne virus that saw an outbreak last year and recently reached the continental United States.

Rather, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended treating the virus’ symptoms.

While Zika is typically not deadly for adults, the virus has been most dangerous for newborns and pregnant women. Unborn children who contract the virus from their mothers could have vision defects, hearing loss, impaired growth and microcephaly — a condition in which a child’s head is smaller than normal, indicating

Megan Drew of Drew’s Pie Supply served up tasty slices at Commonplace Voluto on Penn Avenue for Pittsburgh Specialty Coffee Week. Katie Krater STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Pitt Republicans divided about Trump Andrew O’ Brien Staff Writer

Though he’s received endorsement from party officials, Donald Trump’s presidential bid has divided traditional conservatives.

The businessman turned candidate has also invited in a broader demographic of independent, right-wing and, in some cases, liberal voters, and inspired historically Republican institutions to look outside of their party.

Several right-wing newspapers have, within See Zika on page 3 the past month, endorsed a democratic candidate

for the first time in their histories. The 148-yearold San Diego Union Tribune endorsed Hillary Clinton last week, marking a first for the usually staunchly conservative paper. The Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, and the Cincinnati Enquirer all took the same path, making shocking Clinton endorsements to the upset of some of their Republican readership.

The Chicago Tribune, unable to back Clinton or Trump, endorsed third party candidate Gary Johnson, and USA Today — which hadn’t endorsed anyone in more than 30 years — begged its

readers not to vote Trump.

While the GOP figurehead has been credited for engaging nonvoters and jaded members of the working class in this election cycle — though it’s yet to be seen whether they’ll come to the polls — he’s been a polarizing figure within the Republican Party.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Ted Cruz were two of the most notable Republicans to stall on endorsing the contentious candidate.

See Trump on page 4

News

Pitt study: yoga may benefit people with schizophrenia Erin Hare Staff Writer

Medication has helped Mike Baldrige manage his schizophrenia, but yoga has brought him peace of mind.

Schizophrenia — a mental illness characterized by disorganized thoughts and movements — is typically treated through a combination of therapy, medication, psychosocial treatments and a range of other activities, depending on the person’s symptoms.

At the suggestion of his counselor two years ago, Baldrige, 64, from McKees Rocks, added an alternative method of treatment to his routine. He began participating in the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic outpatient yoga class — which ran from 2005 to 2015 — as a way to manage stress. The yoga, he said, has helped improve his attention, concentration and problem-solving skills.

“It definitely made me relaxed,” Baldrige said.

health & science

“And when you have mental health symptoms, you need to relax.”

Researchers at Pitt and New Delhi doubt that Baldrige is the only person with schizophrenia to benefit from the practice of yoga. Last month, researchers from WPIC and the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi published a randomized clinical trial showing that three weeks of simplified yoga training six days a week improved attention in schizophrenic patients.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the trial enrolled 300 schizophrenic patients into three randomized treatment groups: yoga, aerobic Gharima Bhandari (center) was a participatent in a study on yoga’s benefits exercise and treatment as usual. for people with schizophrenia. Courtesy of Triptish Bhatia Study participants who learned yoga were faster on the attention-measuring portion of the The trial, which was published in the journal “I never hoped that yoga would help that test than those who did group aerobics or received Acta Neuropsychiatrica, was even more promis- much,” Bhatia said. only treatment as usual. In contrast, aerobic exer- ing than the researchers originally expected, acTen years prior to helping patients like Bhancise improved accuracy on memory tasks. These cording to Triptish Bhatia, the lead author and dari, Bhatia began thinking about how yoga may effects lasted six months after the training period a postdoctoral researcher at New Delhi’s Ram fill in the shortcomings of antipsychotic ended.

Manohar Lohia Hospital.

See Yoga on page 3

Pitt plans to research medical marijuana effects Alexa Bakalarski

Assistant News Editor Following Pennsylvania’s legalization of medical marijuana last April, Pitt is now looking to take the lead on researching the drug’s treatment efficacy.

Pitt’s School of Medicine sent a letter to School of Medicine colleagues, including faculty members, last week stating the school’s intention to distribute guidelines for research partnerships with medical marijuana companies.

Arthur Levine, dean of Pitt’s School of Medicine, said Pitt plans to research shortand long-term effects of medical marijuana in diseases and disorders, such as autism and Crohn’s disease.

“The goal [of the research] is to deter-

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mine the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana in one or more of the diseases and disorders identified by the state,” Levine said in an email.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill in April legalizing a medical marijuana program for serious medical conditions in Pennsylvania.

The bill identified the medical conditions for which patients could get a medical marijuana prescription and outlined an application process for research studies and funding sources for research.

Thirty percent of a 5 percent tax on marijuana sales will go toward research funding.

The bill made Pennsylvania the 24th state in the United States to have a medical marijuana program.

Under the bill, Pennsylvania’s Depart-

ment of Health will form a database of the medical conditions for which patients can be prescribed medical marijuana and by what method — in pill or gel form, for example.

Once the database has 25 or more patients with the same medical condition, the department can apply for the study to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

After the plan for the research study is publicly announced, a Pennsylvania medical school with an acute care hospital such as Pitt’s can submit a request to participate.

The temporary regulations in the medical marijuana bill require “clinical registrants” — medical marijuana businesses — to enter into a contract with medical schools that

October 4, 2016

operate with a hospital, like the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

If the FDA and DEA approve the study, Pennsylvania’s Department of Health can select a university or health system to conduct the study and designate how the study will be continued. If the FDA and DEA reject the study, then the department can submit another request for a study on the same medical condition after continuing to collect data for the original database.

The amount of funding devoted to the research will depend on the clinical research Pitt undertakes and what funds are available for that specific research, Levine said. He also said the funds must be provided by a licensed grower or dispensary.

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Yoga, pg. 2 medication.

Her mentor at the time, Pitt psychiatry professor Vishwajit Nimgaonkar, was dismissive of the idea. He was skeptical of prior work showing the cognitive benefits of yoga in people without schizophrenia and didn’t think that people with schizophrenia would be able to do yoga.

“Schizophrenics have a reputation for being the least motivated mental illness group,” Bhatia said. “Complaints from families are always there that they can’t concentrate or they can’t do yoga.”

But he decided to let her go for it. The researchers ran a pilot study in 2006 and a randomized clinical trial in 2010.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, schizophrenia can result in “positive” and “negative” symptoms.

“Positive symptoms” distort reality and include delusions and hallucinations, while “negative symptoms” include physical freezing and cognitive deficits.

Bhatia said that although drugs can manage the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, negative symptoms are rarely addressed.

“Cognition is the one part of schizophrenia [that] cannot be cured or managed with pharmacotherapy,” Bhatia said. “There are very few things that can help patients to improve their cognition.”

To assess the cognitive impact of yoga train-

Zika, pg. 1 improper brain development.

Pitt is also involved in an ongoing project with Brazilian-based researchers called Cura Zika. These researchers are basing their efforts on a DNA-vaccine similar to the one used for yellow fever, The Pitt News reported earlier this year.

In the study with mice pups, researchers tested two methods of vaccination.

The first introduces the immune system to Zika antigens, a foreign substance that causes an immune system response through a Band-Aid-like patch placed just below the skin. The second vaccine is a traditional needle injection that administers adenovirus, a toxin that causes common cold symptoms.

In the study, which was funded by UPMC and Pitt’s Department of Surgery, researchers found the mice with the microneedle array vaccine developed im-

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ing, the researchers used a suite of standard computerized tasks, adapted for use with Hindi speakers.

Memory tasks involved recalling a letter, face or shape presented earlier in a flashing stream.

The attention task involved flashing figures composed of up to seven line segments — like the numbers on a digital clock. The subject had to press a button when the line segments formed a letter or number.

As a participant in the clinical trial, 37-yearold Garima Bhandari said she found the clarity she needed to make plans for the future. Bhandari has continued to do yoga on her own about three times per week because, she said, it helps with her daily routine.

“All the distractions that used to happen around [me, I] found [myself] better able to cope with that, and [I] was able to concentrate better,” Bhandari, from New Delhi, said through a translator.

Bolstered by these positive results, Nimgaonkar is working with colleagues at WPIC to bring back the yoga class with a replacement instructor — the previous teacher returned to India — as a standard component of schizophrenia treatment. Ultimately, Nimgaonkar wants to do a clinical trial with people at WPIC. Through his research, Nimgaonkar began to pick up the practice himself.

“I do yoga now,” he said. “I’ve become a regular proponent.” munity in six weeks. The mice with the adenovirus vaccine developed immunity in two weeks.

Although the results on the mice pups are preliminary, Dr. Andrea Gambotto, a senior author of the study, said in a release the researchers plan to apply for funding to study the vaccine’s effect on humans.

Dr. Gambotto said the second vaccine, which involves “microarray needles,” is likely to be more effective for humans who already have antigens to the common cold in their system.

For Dr. Gambotto, the results of this finding offer hope for Pitt’s efforts in finding a cure for the epidemic.

“We’ve not only developed a promising vaccine candidate to move toward larger preclinical and, eventually, human trials but also a delivery format that would be inexpensive to produce and distribute to hundreds of thousands of people,” Dr. Gambotto said in the release.

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October 4, 2016

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Trump, pg. 1 Conservative-leaning students at Pitt are also torn between those who think Trump’s changing the way the game is played and those who question his ability to represent the party’s foundational interests. At a College Republicans meeting last month, campus conservatives hashed out the realities of what Trump’s campaign has done to the party.

Rosemary Geraghty, a junior political science and communications major and president of Choose Life At Pitt — a club dedicated to veganism and pro-life views — said Trump’s nomination and his shifting views on abortion have turned her off to her party’s politics completely.

“With [Trump’s] nomination, I feel the Republican Party has abandoned me and my values, and it is now time for me to abandon the Republican Party,” Geraghty said. “Trump does not represent American or conservative values, and he does not have my vote.”

Some of Trump’s hardest-hitting points during his campaign have been against the news media, which he blames for skewing his statements and representing him inaccurately. Supporters on campus, like junior Steven Harris, have defended Trump because they distrust mainstream news outlets.

Harris, a history and political science major, is voting for independent candidate Evan McMullin but said there’s more to Trump than people think.

He pointed to Trump’s claim that he provided aid to victims of floods in Louisiana in August as evidence of his charitable nature.

“Trump genuinely cares, you know,” Harris said. “His media persona and his personality are two different things.”

Greg Dornseif, a junior finance major, said Trump’s nomination has actually railed against the mainstream news media, showing that the Republican Party has clout.

“The Republican Party’s different than the media thought it was,” Dornseif said. “The media and the political machine are not as powerful as they used to be.”

According to a September poll from Morning Consult, a media and survey research company, and “The Atlantic,” Trump’s voter base lies primarily in older white men and women. His support is stronger among the 45+ age group than the 18 to 44 group, and white men and women without college degrees make up 62 percent of Trump’s voters.

Yet Trump’s nationalist, “America first” message still resonates with some Republicans on Pitt’s campus who don’t fall under those demographics.

Kirk Breiner, a sophomore biochemistry

major, said Trump’s ability to mobilize support among working class voters has earned the candidate his support.

“Democrats and Republicans alike have ignored the working class for too long,” Breiner said.

“Trump finally gave people a voice who haven’t voted in 20 years.”

In a similar fashion, Jordan Casteel, a senior administration of justice major, said he respects Trump for defending police officers from backlash as a result of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

“The media has a skewed view of what constitutes an [illegal] shooting,” Casteel said. “I’m voting for Trump because he’s going to fight against the war on the police officer in this country.”

Yet, Trump’s ability to mobilize support and his willingness to voice controversial opinions doesn’t negate the lack of stability and clarity in his statements for some Pitt students.

Chris Troutman, a first-year graduate student in the School of Public and International Affairs, said Trump’s flamboyant comments rarely match “true” conservative ideals.

“There’s no filter between Trump’s head and his mouth. He’s got a long track record of saying all kinds of colorful things,” Troutman said.

“Trump’s been a lifelong liberal. He gives the appearance of amorality.”

Throughout his campaign, Trump is notorious for flip-flopping on important issues, even those central to his campaign. He has taken numerous stances on the degree and the specific details of his proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S. More recently, he recanted a 2012 claim that Obama’s birth certificate was fake.

With 35 days left until voters cast their ballots on Nov. 8, Trump still trails Hillary Clinton in most swing states, despite leading in Ohio and Iowa. In Pennsylvania, Clinton has a four point lead over Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll.

Though Pitt Republicans are just as divided on Donald Trump as the GOP at large, they almost unanimously agree on one thing: he’s a better candidate than Hillary Clinton and a better choice than the Democratic party.

Andrew Zentgraf, a sophomore political science major, said that voting for anyone other than Trump would allow the Democratic Party to elect Supreme Court justices that don’t match his conservative ideals. He doesn’t believe Trump is the perfect president but will vote for him nonetheless.

“Hillary Clinton’s judgement is seriously lacking, and her record as a senator is nonexistent,” Zentgraf said. “The stakes are too high to not vote for Trump in 2016.”

The Pitt News SuDoku 10/4/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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October 4, 2016

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Opinions

column

from the editorial board

Delayed marijuana research weighs down rollout Pennsylvania’s legislature will soon deliver medical marijuana research opportunities, and Pitt has the munchies.

Last week, Pitt’s School of Medicine sent out letters announcing its plan to search for research partnerships with companies to study the effects of marijuana on treating serious medical conditions.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed Medical Marijuana Act, Act 16, last April, legalizing access to medical marijuana for those with serious conditions, such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, intractable seizures or autism. The law also budgets state funding for research of the drug and studying the effectiveness of medical marijuana on serious conditions via a 5 percent tax on marijuana sales.

Although the state has yet to finalize temporary regulations for the program, Pitt is ready to begin research in a field scarcely touched by universities due to the drug’s Schedule I classification. The classification, which the DEA decided to uphold this summer, asserts that the drug has no acceptable medical use and puts severe restrictions on research into its medicinal effects by publicly funded institutions.

Despite the federal policy, 25 states have moved forward and enacted medical marijuana legalization to some extent — including Pennsylvania. The news came with some pushback from the Pennsylvania Medical Society, a physician association which opposed the legalization of medical marijuana without having the proper research to back it up first.

Of course, the catch-22 is that there’s little research because the drug remains

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illegal in the eyes of the federal government. The current predicament is selfperpetuating, leading us nowhere productive.

On both sides of the legalization debate, politicians and medical practitioners seem to agree that research is necessary for any program to be successful. Any good doctor should know the benefits and drawbacks of prescribing a drug. In that regard, Pitt’s effort to take up this cause and fill a gap is admirable. At the same time, further education should have been available — and executed — well before medical marijuana passed the state legislature, and that’s a misstep on the part of the federal government.

Ideally, marijuana should be treated like any other medicinal drug: distributed responsibly according to the standards set by sensible regulators. Instead, those state regulators have established extremely restrictive standards despite places such as Washington and Colorado seeing successful legalizations — due in large part to their state governments’ enthusiastic support. The former even disobeyed the DEA in August by creating their own cannabis research licenses in order to improve acceptance.

By only going far enough to make the drug attainable and not providing the money for research that would help doctors feel more comfortable prescribing marijuana, our state’s rollout is halfhearted at best.

Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana should function as a gateway drug to sensible law enforcement. Right now, the legislation is foggy.

Libertarianism: Coming to a theater near you Jordan Drischler Columnist

The late blogger and media personality Andrew Breitbart once claimed that politics is downstream from culture.

A look at the current political climate on college campuses side-by-side with the latest round of Hollywood award shows indicates that this adage still holds true.

Whether it’s Leonardo DiCaprio accepting his Oscar with a diatribe about climate change or Amy Schumer pushing for gun control, the left continues to have a strong hold on the film industry. Liberalism has become such a norm in Tinseltown that finding a Republican is equivalent to a bigfoot sighting, inspiring lists with headlines like “Top 30 Hollywood Republicans.”

Likewise, a Pew study found that being on the left side of the aisle has become the default position for millennials, with 51 percent identifying as Democrats, compared to only 35 percent identifying as Republicans.

This seems to indicate the creation of a cultural echo chamber of progressivism, but in actuality, ideas from the right still have the ability to reach younger audiences via Hollywood through the principles of libertarianism.

Millennials, through their viewing habits and cultural consumerism, are actually much more receptive to libertarian ideals than their voting or polling habits seem to reflect.

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TNS A 2015 study by the University of Dayton explores the connection between films and viewers’ politics. Researchers asked group members a series of politics-related questions before and after watching political films such as “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Argo.” Between 20 and 25 percent of viewers — many of them young — changed their minds about a range of politically-charged questions after watching the movies.

“Younger people, particularly teens, are much more likely to be impacted than older adults because they are still developing and shaping their worldviews,” lead researcher Michelle Pautz said. “Since they are still being socialized politically, they are more likely to absorb all sorts of influences, including influences from film.”

Last year’s top grossing film “Captain America: Civil War” exemplified the See Drischler on page 6

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Drischler, pg. 5

way. A documentary on the values of liberty is far less effective at communicating ideals than watching Captain America valiantly stand up to the government in order to do what he believes to be right.

More importantly, people wholeheartedly agree with these libertarian sentiments when they are presented in cinematic form, which is why it can be puzzling to see the large majority of college students voting in the interests of bigger government and 58 percent possessing a favorable view of socialism.

I think the main driver of this discrepancy is the lack of exposure to what the Libertarian Party actually stands for, and, by extension, the inability to recognize when its themes are present in films. But when we take the time to reflect on libertarian shades in scenarios from our favorite movies, we may often find ourselves agreeing with its most basic tenants.

Next time you pick out a movie, pay attention, and enjoy your popcorn with the buttery goodness of freedom.

Jordan Drischler primarily writes about politics and rhetoric for The Pitt News. Write to her at jmd152@pitt.edu.

The Pitt news crossword 10/4/16

dichotomy between authoritarian government regulation and individual liberty.

The main conflict involves the U.S. government attempting to place the Avengers under central control through a United Nations resolution called the Sokovia Accords, which leads to a team breakdown.

While a contingent of the Avengers — led by Iron Man — agrees with the Accords, citing emotional appeals for needing increased oversight in the name of safety, a faction siding with Captain America objects.

Steve Rogers, Captain America’s “human” alter ego, is hesitant to hand power over to people with agendas that change.

“If we sign [the accords] we surrender our right to choose ... We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own,” he says.

This argument defines the separation between libertarianism and authoritarianism. Yes, freedom can be dangerous, but dangerous freedom is vastly preferable to the chains of government control.

Less than a month after the film’s release,

Captain America hit the $1 billion mark in global revenue — and I don’t think people were watching the movie because they agreed with Iron Man. Before the release of the most recent Captain America installment, Christopher Nolan’s 2012 film “The Dark Knight Rises” took on the Occupy movement.

Bane — Batman’s villainous adversary — attacks the Gotham Stock Exchange with the explicit purpose of toppling an elite class that has bred moral corruption. He mobilizes followers with rhetoric of anger against a greedy elite that they must overthrow. Similarly, the Occupy movement stems from an anger against the 1 percent, framed as greedy to attract support from a dissatisfied working class. And, just as Occupy fizzled out, Batman wins in the end.

Whether it’s “The Matrix” being as intrusive as the government in our lives or innocuous children’s films such as “The Lego Movie” advocating individual liberty over groupthink, libertarianism can be found sprinkled in movies across the spectrum.

So why should we care whether libertarian themes find their way onto the silver screen? Because fictional films are capable of relaying a point of view in a compelling

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October 4, 2016

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Culture Lexi Kennell Staff Writer

Next time you visit the Carnegie Museum of Art, lounge in a hammock and talk to Amazonian parrots in a new art exhibit that thrives on viewer participation.

The wild, sensory-driven installments of the Carnegie Museum of Art’s new “Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium” exhibition invites guests to traverse sand gardens, serenades them with Brazilian samba music and offers orange juice at the end of an interactive maze.

The show, which CMOA opened this past Saturday, is set to be on display through Jan. 2.

The exhibition’s five installations, ranging from Metaesquemas — two-dimensional abstract geometric paintings — to interactive environments inspired by Brazilian slums, called favelas, explore the full breadth of Oiticica’s vibrant 25year career.

Oiticica, who lived from 1937 to 1980 and is most known for his avant-garde use of color, was an openly queer Brazilian artist whose work was considered daring for its time. First drawing Carnegie Museum of Art’s new exhibition’s colorful, interactive components hang from the ceiling. Lexi Kennell STAFF inspiration from the Neo-Concrete Movement WRITER and then transitioning to Conceptual Art, Oitithe Mangueira favela. Attendees are required to ful and living artwork lies within the confines of Hendrix-War installation. cica broke down barriers between first and third carry or wear the garments and objects and dance the Tropicália installation. Bright yellow and pink In this room, participants can lay in hamworld cultures in his work. around with them in order to convey the political geometric shapes are suspended from the ceiling, mocks and watch projected photographs of Jimi CMOA’s “Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Deliriteeming with illusory movement that brings his Hendrix, face streaked with cocaine, while his messages they contain. um” is the first exhibition to display the full range Oiticica’s art in the late 1960s was largely a re- art to life. music plays in the background. According to of Oiticica’s work in over 20 years. In a collaboraThe installation explores Brazil’s “fake para- CMOA’s website, this is the first museum to exsponse to Brazil’s 1964 military coup d’etat, which tion between CMOA, the Art Institute of Chicago prompted a discussion amongst Oiticica and his dise” through incorporated “Penetrables” — col- plore Oiticica’s New York years in depth. and the Whitney Museum of American Art, contemporaries about the relationship between orful structures resembling makeshift homes in The art within the last installation — PN27 CMOA’s curatorial staff recreated the late artist’s art and society. Oiticica was one of many Latin Rio de Janeiro favelas — two live Amazon par- Rijanviera — featuring a garden of sand, pieces installations based on detailed instructions found American artists at the time who rebelled against rots in a large metal cage, potted fake plants and of asphalt and rocks — was created after Oiticica in his old notebooks. the bourgeois ownership over art and called for a a pathway of stones through a sandy interior en- returned to Brazil, a year before he passed away According to CMOA’s blog, Oiticica believed vironment. social re-dedication to the masses. from a stroke. He envisioned the piece, according that leisure is essential to creativity, which is apBecause Oiticica’s work centers around socio- to CMOA, when he felt more at peace with both Both the Filter and Tropicália installations parent in his 1969 exhibit “Eden.” Participants in feature Oiticica’s portrait of Brazil during a time of economic anxieties and fear of big government, it’s his sexuality and his country, as conveyed through the exhibit take off their shoes and relax in a sand political turmoil. “Filter” — a maze with colorful, worth noting the timeliness of his exhibition dis- the structure and calm, natural colors of the work. garden by reading, meditating, resting or listening translucent Plexiglass walls — forces the partici- playing during a contentious election cycle when After watching children playing around in the to Brazilian music. Bólides, or “fireballs” — lumipant to see the world through a colorful lens. This the future of America’s middle and working class sand of Oiticica’s exhibits, it’s easy to see why he nous box-like vessels with floors made of rocks makes for an interesting juxtaposition to the real- seems most vulnerable. believed that art should be interactive and availand leaves — are strategically scattered throughIn a swing state, both the right and left will able to the public — the immersive, participatory ity of governmental control in Oiticica’s Brazil. out the installation and burst with energy, making To further induce the suffocating feeling of most likely find Oiticica’s criticism of Brazil’s con- factor is still inclusive and internationally engagthe scene a cross between daily life and art. being stuck within the maze, the Filter installa- trolling government thought-provoking, despite ing, even 36 years after the revolutionary artist’s Along with the “Eden” exhibit in the Hall tion is comprised of a variety of different curtains the 4,000-mile remove. death. of Sculpture, patrons can also engage with the His experimentation with film and photograthat block the participant’s path, simulating the Lexi Kennell is a junior English Writing maSnooker Room, which incorporates a billiards classism citizens faced in Brazil during the time phy — which offers a glimpse into his drug use jor in the fiction track. She primarily writes about table to create a real-life simulation of a Van Gogh as well as his sexuality and New York’s queer art music, film and visual art. period. painting, as well as Parangóles — object-like banA spacious display of Oiticica’s more color- community — produced works such as the CC5 ners and capes made for the samba dancers in

Review: To Brazil and back

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October 4, 2016

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Get jiggy with it: Hip-Hop Dance Crew preps students for the big stage Lauren Lotka

For The Pitt News A group of about 30 students dropped to the floor in the Baierl Student Recreation Center, kicked their legs out and stepped to a mashup of contemporary hits Thursday night.

As part of the Hip-Hop Dance Crew beginner class, some members of the group were there to learn the choreographed routine, others to exercise and others to have fun with their friends. A few hopefuls, though, attended the class to pick up moves that might earn them a spot on Pitt’s Dance Team, or the Hip-Hop Dance Crew’s performing squad, Controlled Chaos.

“If you can’t dance, and you want to try dance, do it, because it’s honestly a fun time ... you’ll have a great time trying,” said Elana Carr, a sophomore nursing major and a member of the crew.

The Hip-Hop Dance Crew is a club at Pitt dedicated to teaching aspiring hip-hop performers the skills they need in order to perform at a higher level, whether they want to be backup dancers for a singer on tour or just members of a campus dance squad.

Controlled Chaos, the club’s dance team, The Hip-Hop Dance Crew’s Controlled Chaos performed in the William Pitt Union Monday night. Julia Zhu STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER performs on and off-campus at events including Monday night’s Homecoming Open Mic for one additional dancer, and she was chosen.

In its sixth year performing, Controlled Pitt Union. Dressed in all black, the dancers and Talent Show in the William Pitt Union.

While Uzowihe said the club has grown Chaos has received recognition on- and weaved in and out of formation, in intricate According to the Hip-Hop Dance Crew’s significantly since she started dancing, she’s al- off-campus. The troupe has performed at steps and turns to a medley of contemporary president, Chidera Uzowihe — who’s also a ready taken steps this year to influence more Duquesne University and Carnegie Mellon hits including Beyonce’s “Flawless” as well as a member of Controlled Chaos — the club’s aim people to come out and try the class.

University in addition to opening for B.o.B. at reggae song called “Non Stop” by Egyptian. is to provide a place where anyone can discover In the coming months, Uzowihe hinted at “The past couple of years, we had the mem- last year’s Bigelow Bash. Past performers have a passion for dance. bers pay five or 10 dollars for the whole year, gone on to be involved in Pittsburgh’s first hip- possible flash mobs around campus, which is a “We’re just trying to share our love of danc- and they’d come to the dance classes,” she said. hop and contemporary dance company, KG personal goal she’d like to see the group accoming with everyone else,” said Uzowihe, a senior “So this year, I just wanted to make it free, and Dynasty, and become part of the Pitt Dance plish after their first and only one last year at biology major.

Market Central to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” if some people can’t make it one time Thursday, Team.

Before class on Thursday, a group of danc- then they can make it the next.”

Until then, the dance crew will continue Carr said she auditioned her first year at Pitt ers laughed while they sat in a circle and Uzowihe choreographs for the dance team on a whim after attending one of the beginner to promote its love of hip-hop dance with the stretched their legs as two others diligently as well — her process is influenced by a combi- classes. She’s been a member ever since and is community through their classes and perforpracticed dance moves from the previous class. nation of her Nigerian background, the music now even a part of Controlled Chaos. mances, whether just for fun or with hopes to “You don’t have to be good at dance to have she listens to and the dance choreography vid“It was insane,” Carr said of the Bigelow one day back-up dance for Beyonce. fun ... We all laugh the whole time,” said Han- eos she enjoys watching.

“Hip-hop, I think, is the dance where you Bash performance. “It was on this big stage in nah Cooley, a first-year psychology major.

“I generally stick to hip-hop because that’s front of all these people which I was terrified can incorporate a lot of your own style in it,” Uzowihe, who was teaching the class, start- how I move the best,” said Uzowihe. “I really [to perform in front of], but it was so cool. It Uzowihe said. “I know contemporary is very ed dancing in her junior year of high school like reggae music, too, so I choreograph to a lot was a really great experience.” strict when it comes to their choreography, with a group of friends. Her first year of col- of reggae or Afro beats ... I choose my music In one of two performances this year, [but] hip-hop, a lot of the choreography is one lege, she decided to audition for Controlled based off what I listen to and what visually I Controlled Chaos took part in UPTV’s tal- motion. You can make it your own.”

Chaos. At the time, the team was only looking think other people would like to see.” ent show in the assembly room at the William

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October 4, 2016

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Sports

See Online Layne Van Buskirk wins second ACC honor

column

BEWARE OF BUMGARNER: LEFTY TO LEAD SF TO 4TH TITLE Steve Rotstein Sports Editor

It’s an even year, and that means it’s the San Francisco Giants’ turn to win the World Series.

The St. Louis Cardinals swept the Pittsburgh Pirates on the final weekend of the regular season. That meant the Giants — who won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 — had to also sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch the final National League playoff spot.

That’s exactly what San Francisco did, winning its last four games of the regular season to finish one game ahead of St. Louis at 8775. The Giants’ 87 wins are the lowest total of the 10 playoff teams, but they may be the most feared franchise of all heading into October.

Here’s a preview of how the 2016 MLB Postseason will play out:

American League Wild Card – Blue Jays 8, Orioles 7 Two of the league’s most potent and powerful offenses will collide at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. MLB home run leader Mark Trumbo and the Orioles will face the Toronto Blue Jays and reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson.

Both rosters have dangerous bats throughout the order, so this matchup will come down to which team gets the most out of its pitching staff. Toronto just seems to excel in front of its home crowd and find a way to get it done — usually via the long ball.

National League Wild Card – Giants 1, Mets 0 Two NL Cy Young Award contenders will star in a highly anticipated mound matchup between the past two NL World Series representatives.

Madison Bumgarner — a 6-foot-5,

250-pound lefty — already has a World Series MVP and three rings with the Giants at age 27.

He finished the regular season 15-9 with a 2.74 ERA and 251 strikeouts.

Noah Syndergaard — a 6-foot-6, 240-pound righty — is the Mets’ 24-year-old flamethrower with a 14-9 record, 2.60 ERA and 218

world series 2016 PREDICTION OVER

4 GAMES TO 3 strikeouts.

Bumgarner has been up against a tough See MLB on page 10

LATE GOAL LIFTS SAINT MARY’S OVER PITT, 1-0 Steve Rotstein Sports Editor

Taking a break from a grueling ACC schedule, the Pitt men’s soccer team might have expected an easier night at home against non-conference opponent Saint Mary’s, California.

The St. Mary’s Gaels rolled into Pittsburgh with a lot of confidence after a 2-1 overtime victory over the No. 17 West Virginia Mountaineers on Oct. 1. Now, they’ll head back to California with a pair of wins after a 1-0 victory over the Panthers at Ambrose Urbanic Field on Monday night.

The teams started the game by battling for possession in the middle of the field, with neither one generating any scoring Kevin Murray battles for possession against Saint Mary’s on Monday night. chances in the opening five minutes. In the Wenhao Wu SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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October 4, 2016

eighth minute, Saint Mary’s mounted its first offensive attack with a promising cross into the box that Pitt’s defense headed out of bounds.

The Gaels’ ensuing corner kick was deflected harmlessly out of the box, and the teams resumed fighting for control of the ball.

Just under 10 minutes into the game, Saint Mary’s drew a foul to set up a free kick from about 30 yards out. Defender Maximilian Koeps took the kick, which bounced off the Panthers’ defensive wall and right back to him. Koeps then sent a second shot at the goal, but Pitt goalkeeper Mikal Outcalt corralled it to keep the game scoreless.

Saint Mary’s pleaded for a foul call midSee Men’s Soccer on page 10

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MLB, pg. 9 opponent before, pitching a shutout at PNC Park in the 2014 NL Wild Card Game against the Pirates on the way to his third World Series title. Expect him to deliver again on the big stage.

American League Division Series – Rangers over Blue Jays, 3 games to 2 Even though they’re not in the same division, the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays have a heated rivalry dating back to last year’s AL Division Series. The Blue Jays prevailed on Jose Bautista’s go-ahead home run and titanic bat flip in a highly controversial Game 5.

When the teams met again this year, Bautista slid hard into Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor, who retaliated by punching him in the jaw and starting a bench-clearing brawl. Both teams have loaded rosters, but Texas’ midseason additions of Carlos Beltran and Jonathan Lucroy should be enough to get revenge for the Rangers this year.

Red Sox over Indians, 3 games to 0 The Cleveland Indians might be one of the most surprising teams in the 2016 play-

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offs. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox — led by 40-year-old slugger David Ortiz — making it back to October seems like a no-brainer.

Known as one of the most clutch hitters of his generation, Ortiz has put together arguably the best year of his career in what he says will be his final season. His heroics should easily carry the Red Sox past the Indians to the ALCS. National League Division Series – Giants over Cubs 3 games to 2 The Chicago Cubs enter the postseason as the prohibitive World Series favorite after winning an MLB-best 103 games in the regular season. The Cubs have the longest World Series drought of any MLB team by far, dating all the way back to 1908.

This could be the Cubs’ best chance in more than 100 years of ending that drought, though, and they have a great chance with manager Joe Maddon.

But the Giants have the best manager in baseball in Bruce Bochy, who simply knows how to win when it counts.

Find the full story online at

pittnews.com

Men’s Soccer, pg. 9 way through the first half when a Panthers defender brought down a Gaels attacker on a long pass to the left of the goal, but the officials had already blown the play dead.

In the 26th minute, Saint Mary’s forward Frederick Karman received a looping free kick at point-blank range in front of the net, but Pitt’s defense cleared the ball out.

The Gaels spent more time in the Panthers’ zone than the other way around, but most of the first half took place near midfield.

Both teams finished the half with five total shots and three shots on goal, but neither side really came close to getting on the board.

Pitt did a better job of maintaining possession in the first 15 minutes of the second half but still couldn’t find the back of the net. Midfielder Raj Kahlon sent a beautiful through-ball across the field and into the box, but Saint Mary’s goalkeeper Remi Prieur saved John Fritz’s diving header attempt.

Two minutes later, the Gaels thought

October 4, 2016

they had taken the lead on a goal by Karman, but officials ruled the play offside.

Pitt received back-to-back corner kick opportunities with 25 minutes left in regulation, but neither were successful. Saint Mary’s threatened with a corner kick of its own five minutes later, but the ball rolled just past the net.

Shortly after, the Gaels received another corner kick and didn’t waste it.

Midfielder Stephen Dougherty took the kick and directed it into the box, where the ball glanced off the head of Saint Mary’s forward Jake Rudel and past Outcalt for the first goal of the game.

Panthers defender Curren Page floated a shot toward the net from the right side of the field with less than four minutes left, but Prieur timed it just right and made a jumping save to preserve the shutout.

A final header attempt by midfielder Luca Mellor on a corner kick went wide right, and the Gaels held on for the 1-0 victory.

Pitt will resume conference play against the Boston College Eagles at Ambrose Urbanic Field on Friday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m.

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