10-26-17

The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | October 26, 2017 | Volume 108 | Issue 55

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW PG. 2

Social work dean steps down

Rachel Glasser News Editor

UPMC — developed a method to combat this problem.

The brain is made up of a system of axons through which brain cells communicate. These axons link together to form cable-like structures, called tracts, which are composed of nerve fibers. Schneider developed high-definition fiber tracking, a method which processes a brain scan through computer algorithms to reveal the de-

Pitt’s dean of the School of Social Work Larry E. Davis will step down at the end of the 20172018 academic year.

Davis is the third University dean this year to announce he will step down in the spring. Swanson School of Engineering dean Gerald Holder and School of Law dean William M. Carter, Jr. announced over the summer that they would return to full-time teaching positions at the University.

While the University has not said whether Davis will continue to work at Pitt in another capacity, a University press release said Davis “intends to remain active, including writing, teaching and advocating for social causes.”

Edward Stricker, former dean of the Honors College, and John Cooper, former dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, returned to teaching this year after announcing their intentions to step down within two weeks of each other during the summer of 2016. This makes five school deans that the University has had to work to replace within two years.

Davis assumed the position of dean in 2001, and under his leadership, the School of Social Work advanced to be among the top 10 social work schools in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report rankings. The school will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year — the same year its dean will depart.

Chancellor Gallagher credited Davis with transforming Pitt into one of the nation’s top destinations to study social work. Gallagher said Davis’ dedication to issues of civil rights and social

See Scan on page 3

See Departure on page 3

Delena Obermaier, a senior, sings at the annual live production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” the 1975 musical comedy that pushes boundaries, sexuality-wise. Sarah Cutshall | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SCAN BRINGS BRIGHTER OUTLOOK FOR BRAIN INJURIES

Anandhini Narayanan Staff Writer

What seemed like harmless fun riding ATVs with friends took a turn for the worse when Daniel Stunkard was thrown from the vehicle and hit the road.

Stunkard wasn’t wearing a helmet at time, and ended up in a coma for three and a half weeks. When he woke up, he was partially paralyzed.

“The [nerve] fibers that controlled my arm were 67 percent missing and the fibers that controlled my hand were 97 percent missing,” Stunkard said.

Stunkard, who was treated at UPMC, suffered from Traumatic Brain Injury. For more than 90 percent of TBI cases, no existing method can detect the exact areas of the brain that are damaged. But Walter Schneider — a psychology professor at Pitt and neurosurgery professor at

News

Engineering the time warp, again : Pitt Engineering Council puts on ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’

Students perform “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Wednesday night in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room. Sarah Cutshall | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Amanda Finney Staff Writer It’s not every day Pitt students gather in a campus building to watch performers in lingerie. But on Wednesday night, a girl in a bright red wig and patent leather kneehigh boots danced seductively onstage as a giant pair of red lips, projected on the screen behind her, sang the show’s opening number.

A crowd of about 500 filled the William Pitt Union Assembly Room to see Pitt’s annual live production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” hosted by the Engineering Student Council. The 1975 musical comedy is famous for pushing boundaries related to sexuality, featuring Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist dressed in fishnets, heels and a corset, as the lead role.

Pitt students performed “Rocky Horror” as a shadow cast — performers pantomimed the show onstage while the film version played on a screen behind them.

This enabled interaction between the cast and the audience as the plot progressed, following Jane and Brad, a young couple, as they seek refuge from a storm in Dr. Frank-

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N-Furter’s mansion.

Drew Maksymowych, a 2012 Pitt alum and director of “Rocky Horror,” said the cast is switched up every year, giving performers a chance to try out different roles.

“Rocky has always been about inclusivity. We welcome anyone who wants to be a part of the show,” Maksymowych said.

Audience participation is a focus of the “Rocky Horror” experience. To encourage audience members to take part in the performance, a table at the show’s entrance offered prop bags at the start of the show — complete with kazoos, water guns, newspapers and flashlights — which would be used for specific scenes in the show.

In a rainy scene, the audience squirted their water guns to mimic rain. As the female lead, Janet, held a newspaper over her head to protect herself from the rain, the audience members held newspapers over their heads as well.

Aside from the use of props, another tradition of “Rocky Horror” is the constant heckling — called callbacks — from the audience members.

Delena Obermaier — a senior and film

studies and history double major who played the lead role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter — said “Rocky Horror’s” frequent moments of interaction between the cast and the audience is intended to make crowd members feel uncomfortable, yet included.

“We’re typically uncomfortable with nudity or sometimes with cross-dressing, but I hope by the end people think it’s awesome and feel like ‘who cares,’” Obermaier said.

Obermaier said she was sad to be leaving the show after performing in “Rocky Horror” throughout her entire college career. She played Magenta her first three years, and played Frank this year.

For this year’s production, the cast rehearsed for four hours every Sunday and on one Saturday beginning the last weekend of September — adding up to 24 hours total of scheduled rehearsal time. The majority of each cast member’s rehearsal time is comprised of studying the film intently to recreate it onstage.

“The cast practices for countless hours at home watching and rewatching the movie to get their mannerisms and choreogra-

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phy perfect,” Maksymowych said.

Despite being more than 40 years old, Maksymowych said the story is still relevant and even controversial today.

“It asks questions about sex, gender and society. Many of these questions are ones that we still struggle with today,” Maksymowych said. “It is inherently topical to speak about sex and self expression since they are so ubiquitous.”

BD Wahlberg, a 2016 Pitt alum and “Rocky Horror” veteran, said the show resonates with them as a trans person. They said it focuses on living the truth one wants to live.

“The moral is ‘don’t dream it, be it.’ It’s the emotional point where Frank takes the dive into this hedonistic indulgence,” Wahlberg said.

Maksymowych said this specific kind of “creative interdisciplinary medium” allows students to make new personal discoveries, as either an audience member or performer.

“Live performances are never the same twice, and therein lies the magic,” Maksymowych said.

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Scan, pg. 1 tailed wiring of the brain down to the axon level and identify injured areas.

“Think of the cables in your brain as the cables in your car,” Schneider said. “If you have a car crash maybe you lose your lights, or the radio — something is broken in the circuit diagram. If one suffers TBI, there’s now the ability to map the brain cables to identify what was broken, similar to how you can in a car accident.”

Schneider first began developing the technology for HDFT in 2008. Techniques for brain imaging at the time — such as magnetic resonance imaging, otherwise known as MRI — could only detect a small percentage of the damage caused by TBI because the imaging was not as detailed. Schneider wanted to develop a method for acquiring more comprehensive images.

His recent work has focused on quantifying the extent of damage to the brain and can be applied in planning for neurosurgery — the technology can identify tracts that need to be avoided during surgery and can identify tracts that have already been damaged. By identifying damaged tracts, clinicians can determine the proper intervention, such as physical therapy.

In order to complete the task of targeting

damaged tracts and preserving functional ones, clinical application is needed in addition to research. Dr. David Okonkwo, professor and executive vice chair of neurological surgery at Pitt, has played a large role in the HDFT project.

Okonkwo met Schneider seven years ago when he saw Schneider give a lecture on his early TBI technology. Okonkwo recognized instantly it could be of benefit to the field of TBI. “Following the lecture, he and I met and talked about the challenges with diagnoses in TBI,” Okonkwo said. “We then crafted the first set of studies that would help uncloak whether HDFT could contribute to our understanding of TBI and its consequences.”

HDFT is only available in research settings at present, according to Okonkwo. Schneider and his lab are working with companies that make MRI machines to move HDFT into a clinical space where it can be available to physicians and patients within the next couple of years.

Okonkwo also helped with Stunkard’s TBI case, using HDFT to assess the areas of Stunkard’s brain that had sustained injury. The team decided to first bring Stunkard’s leg sensations back, because with HDFT they could see his legs suffered least from the injury.

“If we had started on his hand, we would’ve gotten frustrated with the physical therapy since

most of his function was missing,” Schneider said. “Because we started with his legs, we maximized benefit for this individual.”

Stunkard said the scan gave him hope and a direction for the future.

“Instead of being hopeless, I realized I could get function back,” Stunkard said. “I couldn’t walk, talk, eat or do anything and this got me to where I’m at now.”

Stunkard has progressed to the point that he can now walk, but he hasn’t recovered completely — his hands still begin to feel numb from small movements with his fingers such as texting. And because the part of his brain that controls the left side of the body suffered more severe injuries, Stunkard — who was previously left-handed — now has to train himself to be right-hand dominant.

In addition to dealing with TBI cases, Schneider has also started working on diagnosing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy — a degenerative brain disease found in athletes, military veterans and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma. CTE can only be diagnosed after death through brain tissue analysis with current technology.

Find the full story online at

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Departure, pg. 1 justice have “inspired countless other to follow in his footsteps.”

“Our University community is grateful for his many contributions, and our world is a better, fairer place because of his efforts,” Gallagher said in the press release.

Davis was the founding director of the school’s Center on Race and Social Problems — established in 2002 — and as such has worked to advance applied social science research on race, ethnicity and color.

Davis earned his bachelor’s in psychology from Michigan State University and a master’s in social work and a master’s in psychology from the University of Michigan. He was also the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. from the dualdegree program in social work and psychology at the University of Michigan.

Pitt said it will form a search committee to identify Davis’ successor, although the University did not say when it will form the committee. Patricia Beeson, provost and senior vice chancellor, said in the press release that Davis’ leadership has positioned the School of Social Work for continued recognition and success.

“His impact on the school and the University will be felt for years to come,” Beeson said.

The Pitt News SuDoku 10/26/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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October 26, 2017

3

Opinions

Letter to the Editor

Pitt’s deafening silence on the death of Sheykhet After escalating instances of violence and abuse, Alina Sheykhet, a 20-year-old Pitt student, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Oct. 8. During such a traumatizing time for many students and faculty on our campus, I am deeply disappointed the administration has not formally addressed Alina’s death. We are one community, and Alina was our sister. We were her classmates, professors, neighbors and friends. Many of us are mourning the loss of our fellow Pitt student.

The University should have released a statement of its own accord acknowledging the tragic death of Alina Sheykhet, whose life was taken by another Pitt student.

To my knowledge, there has been no such correspondence from the Office of the Chancellor, the Provost or the Dean of Students.

To the greater Pitt community: Intimate partner violence is real. It exists on our campus. It sometimes happens behind closed doors, but make no mistake, it is a devastating issue that must be addressed — especially by campus officials. If you are a survivor of intimate partner violence or sexual

column

Alexis Buncich

196 would “[require] an electronic monitoring device be placed on the defendant if the defendant is found to present a substantial risk of violating the final protection from abuse order or committing a crime against the victim punishable by imprisonment.” In Alina’s case, this would have likely led to the imprisonment of her abuser after he broke into her apartment two weeks before he murdered her. Instead, the current laws allowed her abuser to post bail after the break-in, which ultimately cost Alina her life. Even though she took the appropriate legal precaution by filing for a protectionfrom-abuse order, the current system did not ensure her safety.

PFAs are not enough. We must collectively create a culture in which sexual and relationship violence is unacceptable, where survivors are believed and where people like Alina are safe from the reaches of their abusers.

Sincerely, Helen Ann Lawless MPHc, MSWc

LISTEN TO TAKEI:

START SMALL TO MAKE CHANGE

For The Pitt News George Takei, actor and activist, has seen a lot of discrimination in his life.

At 80 years old, he has lived through a Japanese internment camp, the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement and countless other protests. He may be originally known for his role in “Star Trek,” but he’s used his fame to become a world-renowned political and social activist.

And when he came to Pitt Oct. 18 for a speech at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, he seemed proud in the face of these struggles. He reminded the audience they themselves

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assault, know this: I hear you, I believe you and I love you. You are not alone. There are many resources on and off campus to help you.

On campus, the SHARE office and the Title IX office together provide comprehensive education, resources, counseling and legal counsel. Additionally, October is Sexual Violence Prevention Month, and Pitt’s SHARE office has its final October event, which will address issues like intimate partner violence and sexual assault, this Friday.

The Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh has a 24-hour hotline, (412) 687-8005, medical and legal advocacy for survivors, support groups — including one for men — and an emergency shelter for those fleeing an abusive relationship.

If you are deeply unsettled and heartbroken by the death of Alina, I urge you to call your elected officials, share your concern about this issue and advocate for legislation that would protect survivors of abuse. If you are registered to vote in Pennsylvania, there is currently a bill at the state level that will help intervene in cases such as Alina’s if it becomes a law. Senate Bill

should seek the change they desire, rather than blame the individuals who make the final orders.

In our new political reality, it sometimes seems like our calls for change go completely unanswered — which is why Takei might be onto something. When asked about the root of any problem, those disappointed with America today have a tendency to simply say, “Trump.”

But President Donald Trump is not the single crack in a flawless structure. We all need to make like Takei and stand up for our own beliefs, rather than merely criticizing a single person at the top.

Of course, this mindset seems tough to achieve for anyone — but for Takei

especially, it seems miraculous. When Takei was just five years old, former President Roosevelt signed a 1942 executive order relocating anybody of Japanese ancestry to internment camps. He told the crowd a story about reciting the Pledge of Allegiance while in an internment camp elementary school, but was too young to understand the irony in his words.

In response to his experience in the camps, he developed an avid interest in civics and political engagement. He began voraciously reading, learning everything he could about the political system — presumably so that if the tide swelled toward injustice again he would have the

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tools to fight against it.

And Takei eventually had his chance.

As an actor in the popular TV series “Star Trek,” he had a fan base and audience he could potentially use for political reasons. When then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed an already-passed 2005 marriage equality bill, Takei felt compelled to publicly embrace his sexuality and use his platform to promote LGBTQ+ rights.

In his speech he told gripping stories of difficult times like these — but what surprised me most was his refusal to blame any one individual for the injustices he encountered. Throughout the See Buncich on page 5

4

Buncich, pg. 4

Star Trek actor George Takei speaks at an event July 10, 2016 in Birmingham, England. TNS

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evening, Takei reinforced the idea that each leader is only human, and every human has fallacies.

“Ours is a people’s democracy made up of fallible people,” he said. “Fallible people who have potential to do great things.”

But our current president often seems hellbent on doing exactly the opposite. So instead of attempting to single-handedly change the mind of the president, we need to take smaller steps first.

Local politicians are much more accessible, and it is entirely possible for an ordinary civilian to get a one-on-one appointment with one. By spreading grassroots movements, the voice of the people will work its way up to the Oval Office. Rather than build a wall against the higher-ups who make policy adjustments we don’t like, we need to build a bridge encouraging them to consider our opinions.

Across our country it’s easy to find information to start individual political action — take Pennsylvania, for example. The Pennsylvania General Assembly website makes it easy to contact your local politicians, and has a comprehensive list of every Allegheny County legislator. This list includes the names, websites, biographies and contact information of each representatives.

For those whose hometowns are elsewhere in Pennsylvania, there is an easy Find Your Legislator tool available, and across the nation, most states

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have similar tools available.

For Pitt students, there are several organizations dedicated to getting students involved in politics — Pitt reports there are at least 65 distinct political student groups on campus. If you’ve always wanted to be involved in activism but never knew where to start, there’s probably a group already on campus for you.

But that’s the key part — for you. Everybody’s style of activism is different and effective in different ways. Takei wasn’t telling us to stop holding our leadership accountable. He was trying to remind us that even if everything goes right and our favorite politicians get elected, they are still fallible and liable to make mistakes.

So let’s stop engaging in politics of accusation and instead pursue politics of policies. Pick issues that are engaging to you and that you could provide unique commentary on, or topics you feel particularly passionate about it — regardless of your reasoning for wanting to get involved, take Takei’s advice. Start small, and see the power of grassroots activist organizations, political clubs on campus or weekly debate meetings.

And perhaps this new viewpoint will give you some peace of mind if you’re frustrated with the political system today. At the very least, it’ll give you a way to express your anger other than ranting on your Facebook timeline.

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Culture

R o o t e d i n t h e c o m m u n i ty :

Prachi Patel

GARDENING BRINGS NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER

Staff Writer Whether it’s planted on a worn-down baseball field, hidden in a church’s vacant parking lot or sandwiched between two houses, Pittsburghers have repurposed sections of their neighborhoods into community gardens — green spaces where neighbors can meet, mingle and grow crops together.

Pittsburgh residents of all ages are gardening together — watering plants, pulling out weeds and harvesting fresh vegetables like peppers, squash, leeks and tomatoes. For some, it’s a way to get to know neighbors. For others, it provides access to local sustainable produce.

Plant to Plate: Central Oakland Nhat Dang plucks a bloom off a thorny rosebush, lifts it to his nose and inhales deeply.

Stunningly pink and fragrant, it is just one plant among myriad flowers, fruits and vegetables thriving in a Pitt student-run community garden tucked away in Central Oakland.

Located on Oakland Avenue, the garden was established in 2008 by Plant to Plate, a student organization at Pitt which grows fresh-organic produce to share with fellow students and Oakland residents.

“It’s a nice way to escape the city life,” Dang, a junior pharmacy major and current president of Plant to Plate, said.

Gardening takes place during hour-long work shifts starting Sundays at 5 p.m., with about 20 student club members arriving weekly to bury seeds in dirt, pull weeds, harvest mature crops and engage with the earth.

One of these students is Peter Gibson, a sophomore bioengineering major, who spends an hour each week getting his hands dirty in the garden.

“Pitt is an urban campus, so there’s not a lot of green area,” Gibson said while crouched in a garden bed, yanking out weeds with a rake during a work shift. “So it’s nice to have this place where I can garden a little bit and not feel trapped inside a concrete jungle.”

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Dang said the garden has faced challenges, from poor harvests to vandalism, including a recent incident where the garden’s wooden sign was uprooted from the ground and broken overnight.

“You can’t really stop [vandalism] because [the] garden’s in the center of drunkville, or [Central] O,” Dang said.

Despite the challenges, Dang feels growing crops on a college campus is essential for providing a space for students to get away from the bustle of an urban campus.

“It’s nice to be with nature,” Dang said. “I think a lot of the students and community members who come here feel that way, too.”

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: North Oakland While Plant to Plate keeps its doors open to all during work shifts, students who would prefer not to venture into Central Oakland for garden produce can grab their cherry tomatoes and sprigs of mint from a community garden at the Carnegie Library in Central Oakland.

“I’m surprised by how much people harvest,” Rita Botts, a librarian who has overseen the twobed garden in front of the library for the past three years, said. “As soon as something is ripe, it’s gone.”

The garden, which is funded by a 2013 grant from the Mary Jane Berger Memorial Foundation, is entirely volunteer-run, with five to six volunteer gardeners maintaining everything from leafy greens to garlic to a pot of rosemary tended by a trio of garden gnome statuettes.

Visitors are encouraged to use the library’s Pittsburgh residents and students maintain the community gardens. vast cookbook collection to get creative with Thomas Yang| SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER their harvest — according to Botts, a visitor made With crops growing in Plant to Plate’s seven for $15, are currently rented out by three non- cheesecake out of a pumpkin grown in the garlarge and 15 smaller garden beds, the student student members of the Central Oakland com- den one year. But others can’t resist the wait. gardeners split up the harvest among themselves munity.

“Some people just pluck [produce] right As winter approaches, work shifts will end from the garden and eat it immediately, which is after work shifts, but during successful growing seasons Plant to Plate donates excess fruits and and the club will go dormant until the spring, fantastic,” Botts said with a laugh, referring to a when the growing season begins. But before club young boy who just minutes earlier had run up veggies to the Pitt Pantry.

In addition to student gardening, Plant to members leave for the winter, they will plant to a garden bed to pop raw kale into his mouth.

Plate has a compost center for students to dispose bulbs for leeks, green onions and potatoes in See Gardens on page 7 of food scraps and additional plant beds which, preparation for the spring.

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Gardens, pg. 6

Plant to Plate meets every Sunday at 5 p.m. to work shifts harvesting crops, pulling weeds and burying seeds. Thomas Yang | SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Families pay $50 per season and currently 24 families share the 18-bed garden — together cultivating flowers, fruits and vegetables including carrots, peaches, pears, cherries and plums. But neighbors weren’t always supportive of the space.

“First two years, I got nasty notes from people in this community [saying] that I was creat-

ing an eyesore,” Hughes said. “People would take some of the bricks and smash car windows, and it was really disappointing.”

The garden struggled to resonate with the community. That is, until Pittsburgh-based artists Lauren Jean McLaughlin and Bob Ziller

Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.

The Pitt news crossword 10/26/17

More than just providing fresh crops, Botts said the garden, alongside the library’s other resources such as puzzles and hands-on workshops, forges connections between community members.

“People gather here, and it’s a meeting spot,” Botts said. “They’ll start talking to each other, maybe exchange names, get to know one another. So I think it’s something that draws people together.”

The Octopus Garden: Friendship Wandering in the Friendship neighborhood, you may stumble across a curious street sign — “Caution: Tomatoes.” Follow the arrow on the sign, and you will find the Octopus Garden, a whimsical community garden aptly named for its centerpiece — a giant mosaic octopus sculpture named Octavia.

The garden was established in 2009 by Kristin Hughes, an associate professor at the Carnegie School of Design. After a fire destroyed an apartment complex in her neighborhood, Hughes purchased the plot of land to revitalize the space with a community garden.

“I purchased the property with sort of the goal of starting something very hopeful and peaceful for the neighborhood,” Hughes said.

asked Hughes if she’d like an octopus sculpture for the space.

Originally made for the Three Rivers Arts Festival and then donated to the garden, Octavia soon made her debut in the neighborhood.

An eight-tentacled mosaic sculpture made of fragments of yellow tiles, her wide grin and cartoonish features began to peak the interest of passersby.

“The minute the octopus came and sort of sat in the center, it really kind of changed the neighborhood’s perception of the space,” Hughes said.

“The garden has a personality. It’s quirky, there’s a lot of humor.”

Since then, additional artwork has brightened the garden. Chalkboard drawings of mermaids, a vibrant orange and indigo lending library and Octavia’s more recent sea creature sidekick made by the same artists — a part-kaleidoscope sculpture known to locals as Doris and said to be a cousin of the Loch Ness Monster — all invite community members to engage with plants, creative processes and one another. “[The garden] just brings people together in a really natural way,” Hughes said. “People contributing little amounts of money, little amounts of time, planting has made it such a beautiful place to be.”

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October 26, 2017

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October 26, 2017

8

Sports

The Pitt men’s soccer team stands at an 8-8 record and has one regular season game remaining. John Hamilton | MANAGING EDITOR

Vidovich’s second season success

Pitt men’s soccer head coach turns team around with help of key players Grant Burgman Staff Writer The Pitt men’s soccer team only managed to score 12 goals in the entire season last year. This year, the team had 12 goals before October.

Stats like these show how far the team has come in its second year with head coach Jay Vidovich, who has lead Pitt to an 8-8 record so far this season, with three wins over ranked opponents.

“We’re discovering ourselves. I just hope we’re setting the foundation for future success that we can keep doing better,” Vidovich said.

Turnarounds such as this are nothing new to Vidovich, who previously spent time as an assistant coach at Wake Forest — one of the best programs nationwide, currently ranked second in the country.

When he arrived in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Wake Forest University

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had no history of success in soccer and no fan base to speak of. By the time he left in 2014, the Demon Deacons had won five ACC regular season titles and one national title in 2007. Now, he wants to recreate this fan base and success at Pitt.

“We did the same thing [at Wake Forest] with growing the fan base where it’s only like three and a half thousand students, but we were one of the top five attendance leaders in the country at all times. I see a lot of things we can do [at Pitt],” Vidovich said.

Vidovich also attributes the success of the team to the experience and talent that has been brought in since he arrived. He focused on increasing the talent to compete with the other schools in the conference and instilling a winning culture.

“We needed talent that could compete in the ACC, so one objective was to increase the talent pool as quickly as pos-

sible,” Vidovich said. “The thing we were able to change quickly was the culture of the program. How we were going to do things, how we were going to work, how we were going to operate, our accountability and our ambition, and that’s something we started on from day one.”

Vidovich knew the values he wanted to instill in his players, he just needed to find people who could enhance those values in the rest of the soccer team. He searched for players he could trust to lead the team. He found his guys not only by recruiting, but by bringing in transfers such as senior Bryce Cregan.

Just as Vidovich did, Cregan came from a successful program at Akron, currently the 14th-ranked team in the country. It was this experience that made Cregan a prospective recruit to Vidovich. “[He’s] a young man who had a good pedigree in the game and had been in a place where there is an accountability

October 26, 2017

and a performance standard and an ambition to win championships,” Vidovich said.

Cregan, this year’s team captain, is one of the holdovers from last year’s team that went 2-13-3. Even after finishing a season with that record, he had faith in Vidovich’s ability to get Pitt on the right path quickly.

“I knew that with Coach — and who he is as a person — that last year was a rough year for myself and him because we both hate losing,” Cregan said. “I knew that was not going to happen again, and I knew he was capable of turning this around.”

But Vidovich wasn’t the only person responsible for turning around the team’s mentality and reputation. Cregan’s experience helps balance out a team full of young stars. The three leading goal scorers See Success on page 10

9

Success, pg. 9 for Pitt this season are all first-year forwards — Colin Brezniak, Edward Kizza and Alexander Dexter.

Kizza, a native of Uganda and graduate of Montverde Academy, didn’t feel like an outsider during his transition to a member of the Pitt men’s soccer team.

He appreciated the value impact players such as Cregan had on developing the camaraderie of the team.

“The main thing for us has been togetherness as a group,” Kizza said. “Everyone brings something to the team.”

The more experienced players display poise on the field, leading the way for their teammates to excel. While Kizza can’t necessarily bring this sense of maturity, he has brought four goals to the team this season, including the first goal in Pitt’s 2-1 victory over No. 21 Syracuse Sept. 29. According to Kizza, that game was the moment he knew there was something special about this year’s team.

“I think that one win, it showed something,” Kizza said. “It showed that everyone had fight on the team. Everyone was involved in the win.”

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Head coach Jay Vidovich spent 21 seasons coaching the Demon Deacons before joining the Panthers in 2015. John Hamilton | MANAGING EDITOR Kizza knows that bigger teams haven’t feared Pitt soccer in the past. So, winning these games hasn’t only impacted the team at the player level, it’s changed the team’s reputation. Now Kizza feels as though teams are taking notice of the Panthers.

“When you talk about last season, everyone knew that game [against Pitt] is going to be an easy game,” Kizza said.

“I feel like even the biggest teams right now are scared of playing against us.”

Despite what the players and other teams may think about Pitt’s successful

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turnaround, Vidovich isn’t satisfied with where the program is just yet. That drive for greatness may be part of what makes Vidovich a five-time ACC Coach of the Year.

“In some ways, I hoped to be further along last year, or I hoped to be further along now,” Vidovich said. “I still think I’m a little behind where my plans were.”

One area he’d like to see continue to grow is fan support. The Panthers’ success has already started to draw crowds, but Vidovich thinks the Pitt community could still embrace the team and the sport more.

“We’re far behind, our fan base is far behind. I don’t believe Pittsburgh at this point is a soccer city, but neither was Winston-Salem when I went there,” Vidovich said. “I can’t tell you how exciting it was to see people in the stands and surrounding the field and be into the game. We want to grow the game here.”

If the plan is to get members of the Pitt community interested, a winning season that has included wins over Penn State, No. 21 Syracuse and No. 7 Notre Dame isn’t a bad way to start.

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For Rent North Oakland 3,4,6 houses available January and August 2018. Lawn St. Ward St. Call 412-287-5712.

South Oakland **2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Bedroom Houses/ Apartments in South Oakland. Available for rent August 2018.

Very clean with different amenities (dishwasher, laundry, A/C, washer and dryer, 1-3 baths, off-street parking, newer appliances & sofas). Check out my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KenEckenrodeRealEstate/.

Call Ken at 412-287-4438 for more information and showings. **AUGUST 2018: Furnished studios, 1,2,3,4 bedroom apartments. No pets.

Non-smokers preferred. 412-621-0457.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Bedrooom Houses.

August 2018. Bouquet St, Meyran, Semple, Neville, Chesterfield.

412-287-5712.

pittnews.com

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

Classifieds

For sale

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

South Oakland

South Oakland

2-3-4-5-6-7 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2018. Nice, clean, free laundry, includes exterior maintenance, new appliances, spacious, located on Meyran, Bates, Oakland, Semple, Wellsford, Dawson, Juliet.

412-414-9629.

Immediate- Large Updated 2BR 2BA Apt. Washer/Dryer with Porch. $900+ Call Jeff 412-4457681

4 BR Home - Semple Street, located near Louisa. Equipped Kitchen, Full Basement. New central air added. Renting for August 2018.

(412) 343-4289 or 412-330-9498.

Apartments for rent.

2,3,4, and 5 bedroom apartments 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 August 2018 rental.

3 BR/1 BA apartment.

2 off-street parking spaces included.

Large storage room.

Wall-wall carpeting, Kitchen w/dishwasher, Washer/Dryer in laundry room. $1800/ month+ utilities.

724-934-0653.

notices

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

South Oakland Student Housing: 2, 3, 4 & 5 BR House. Updated Kitchen, Baths, A/C, Laundry, some with parking. August 2018 Availability.

412-445-6117.

Shadyside 2 single rooms available immediately. Street parking, unfurnished. Utilities included except for cable. Gary 202-271-9231

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

Employment Other GENERAL LABOR. Need workers for light-duty construction, renovation, painting, landscaping. Part-time and weekend work available. Must be 18. Experience not required but helpful.

Immediate openings.

412-738-1618. bigtfeight@earthlink. net

Rental Other 1,2,3 BR. Apartments, prices range from $450-$750 per person.

Some include utilities, some you have to pay. Call Jarrad 814-403-2798

1X

2X

3X

4X

5X

6X

Add.

1-15 Words

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$27.00

$30.20

+ $5.00

16-30 Words

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

$29.10

$32.30

+ $5.40

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

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

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

Services Other Exclusive Discounted Business Class Air to Europe and Worldwide. Also, coach fare for US Travel and Worldwide. I have 35 years experience.

Call 412-884-0543 or

Want to get a great discount and work

email me your request joann.uts@gmail.com.

flexible hours over the holiday season?

Aerie are now hiring at the Ross Park Mall

1BR FURNISHED apartment. Large living room, Bedroom with queen bed, complete Kitchen. Laundry optional. Private parking. Near bus stops to CMU/PITT. Non-smoking. Available immediately. $750+ utilities. CALL 412-606-8052.

Insertions

Employment Health

American Eagle and

Squirrel Hill

R A T E S

location. Great Discount. Competitive Wages. Apply at aeo.jobs

Services Educational Phlebotomy Training Center-

Notices Events More than 1500 souls are lost in the Haunted Doll House.

Will yours be one of them?

Go to www.HauntedDollEscape.com for Special Halloween Discounts Call 412-586-8345 for details.

www. justphlebotomy.org 2 evening classes weekly, 5 weeks + excellent Clinicals.

Call 412-521-7334.

October 26, 2017

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pittnews.com

October 26, 2017

12