10-6-17

The Pitt News

Susan Rice speaks at Pitt about UN See online

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | October 6, 2017 | Volume 108 | Issue 42

CHRISTENSEN WESTBORO WITHDRAWS WITHOUT WARNING CONCENTRATES ON COUPLES CONFLICTS Sarah Frumkin For The Pitt News

Couples looking to get to the root of their problems may have found just the man to help them.

Andrew Christensen — a professor from the University of California Los Angeles and a licensed clinical psychologist — shared his latest research on a method of couples therapy he developed at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic to students and faculty Thursday.

His lecture, which about 30 people attended, focused on the ways his therapy, called integrative behavioral couple therapy has improved on traditional behavioral couples therapy. Christensen also discussed the effectiveness of his online therapy program, Our Relationship.

Students counter protest the Westboro Baptist Church at the intersection of Forbes and Morewood avenues.

Christensen said traditional behavioral Christian Snyder | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR therapy focuses on advising couples on how each — arrived at the corner of Forbes and conduct, according to city police spokesto correct the counterproductive thoughts Bailey Frisco Morewood avenues on Carnegie Mellon person Sonya Toler. and behaviors that arise from conflict. But Staff Writer The arrest took place near the intersecUniversity’s campus at around 1:15 p.m.

Christensen said this induces “rule-govThe Westboro Baptist Church cut its tion of Forbes and Morewood avenues. erned” change — where couples demand planned protest route short Thursday for The protesters got into a black van around Toler said the man rushed past officers, 1:45 p.m. and drove away. They didn’t arcertain changes from each other. Christensen reasons unknown to Pitt. grabbed a sign out of one of the WBC said this type of change lacks the emotional rive at any of the other planned locations “All we know is they didn’t come,” Unidemonstrator’s hands and attempted to rip component that is crucial to sincere change on their protest route, as per their website, versity spokesperson Joe Miksch said in an it in half. in a distressed relationship. including Pitt and Duquesne. email.

WBC members held signs that read “Often the kind of changes that couples Pittsburgh police arrested a man at The Westboro Baptist Church protestSee Conflict on page 2 ers — four women toting multiple signs about 1:45 p.m. on charges of disorderly See WBC on page 2

News Conflict, pg. 1

want is not rule-governed. In other words, it’s hard to agree to deliberately be enthusiastic about listening to your partner tell you about his or her day,” Christensen said.

While the traditional behavioral therapy uses the action, behavior and consequence assessment, Christensen said his method aims to see the larger context or theme of why couples interact the way they do. Instead of correcting their actions, it is designed to help them discover the root of the issue themselves.

“We don’t dictate the changes, we simply explore what’s going on to evoke a new kind of change,” Christensen said. “By exploring what’s going on with [the partners], but not telling them they shouldn’t say that, or their thinking is wrong, but simply going through that process brings about new contingencies in the environment. It exposes them to new things about their partner.”

Matthew Clista, a graduate student in the Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program at Pitt, attended the lecture as part of his curriculum. Clista said he is interested in couples therapy in his future practice.

“As far as I know, and as far as we’ve studied so far ... it seems like what he’s doing is somewhat of a trend in psychotherapy right now, which is to integrate more mindful practices as therapy,” Clista said.

Psychotherapy is also moving toward integrating more technology, Christensen said. He predicts an increase in online psy-

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chotherapy programs and apps, adding to the over 165,000 health-related apps already available — a third of which were mentalhealth related. While Christensen said a majority of these apps have not been tested or helpful, he said there is a clear interest and energy in developing the apps.

“I noticed just in the last few weeks that the FDA gave its first approval to an app for substance abuse — ‘Reset,’ it’s called,” Christensen said.

During the Q&A following Christensen’s lecture, one audience member asked Christensen about the difference between Christensen’s online psychotherapy program — which is conducted by video or phone call — and the in-person psychotherapy program.

The online program involves three conversations between the couples — a conversation to clarify problems the couple wants to work on, a conversation where partners share with each other what they believe are the causes of these problems and a final conversation to share how each partner proposes to solve the problems. Each partner communicates individually with the therapist beforehand to prepare for these conversations.

Christensen said a major strength in his online psychotherapy program is having a neutral party who translates and reflects whatever the client puts into it. It also focuses on individual input rather than combined input to reduce the risk of an argument erupting so the couple can achieve a useful discussion instead.

“When one partner says something and there’s a message in there, but it’s surrounded by barbed wire,” Christensen said. “With a neutral therapist, you can untangle and get to the core of the message that the one partner is saying without all the barbs or defensiveness.”

Chi Bui, a graduate student in the Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program at Pitt who attended the lecture, described Christensen’s new model of couples therapy as more “holistic.”

“With his method he breaks down the entire pattern — the traditional model does work, but [Christensen] thinks there is a better way to do it,” she said.

Ciora Thomas of SisTers PGH leads the counter protesters in a chant at CMU. Sarah Cutshall | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

WBC, pg. 1

“God Sends the Cancer” and “God Hates Sin Enablers” while singing parodies of famous songs, including Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away.” One protester stomped on a pride flag while she sang.

The counter protesters filled the sidewalk and spilled over onto Forbes as they chanted “hey ho, homophobia’s got to go” at the WBC members across the street.

Among the counter protesters was a man playing the bagpipes, who stood right next to the WBC with the police separating them.

A Carnegie Mellon police spokesperson said about 300-500 counter protesters were present — including community members, Christian church groups and CMU’s LGBTQ+ campus group — all positioned on the opposite side of a line of policemen.

Emma Wilson, a sophomore nursing major at Carlow, joined the counter protesters on Forbes to support her friends who are part of Carlow’s LGBTQ+ community.

“Some people say Pittsburgh isn’t diverse, but I think today you saw that it really is and everyone came out to really support each other,” Wilson said. “It was honestly touching to see that that’s the community we are a part of.”

Mary Jeffries, an undecided Pitt junior, graduated Oakland Catholic High School

October 6, 2017

— the second stop on Westboro Baptist Church’s planned route.

“I’m Catholic, and I don’t think they represent the full Christian message of ‘do unto others as they would do unto you,’” she said.

The WBC — classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center — announced their plan to protest in the Oakland area on Sept. 24. The picket schedule had stops at CMU, Central Catholic High School, Oakland Catholic High School, Pitt and Duquesne within the time frame of 1:30 and 3:45 p.m. on Thursday.

WBC protesters never arrived at Pitt, but counter protesters gathered on the corner of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard. The crowd held signs responding to the group’s hateful rhetoric, including signs reading “Gay and proud” and “Christianity is not Westboro Baptist Church.”

Hannah Riley, a Pitt first year majoring in neuroscience, heard about WBC’s picket schedule through friends. She identifies as gay and said she came to “stand up for [her] people.”

“I think them not coming means we might’ve won,” she said “It rained for a reason.”

Contributed reporting by Caroline Bourque, Madeline Gavatorta, Rachel Glasser and Anandhini Narayanan.

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Opinions column

TRUMP IGNORES NFL PLAYERS’ REAL CONCERNS

Will Schulman For The Pitt News

Headline: Trump has no place in NFL comments After taking the gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter dash at the 1968 Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos shocked the world — the two Olympians held up black gloved fists for the entire anthem.

When Colin Kaepernick, then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback, decided last year to kneel for the national anthem, the Olympic protest suddenly became relevant again.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said, referencing the numerous innocent, unarmed black Americans gunned down by police officers who often faced no recourse for their actions.

Many other athletes followed suit, but the issue didn’t heat up until last week, when President Donald Trump decided to offer his opinion.

“Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired! He’s fired!” he said of players like Kaepernick at an Alabama rally. NFL players responded on Sunday with widespread kneeling, locking arms — and in the case of the Steelers, standing off the field for the anthem.

These protests set off an eruption of outrage across America. Former judge Jeanine Pirro delivered an impassioned tirade, ranting about how NFL players are disrespecting our country, disrespecting our flag and disrespecting our nation — one that has provided so much for them. Many Americans share this belief, but this begs the question — how much has America actually provided them?

Black men make up 70 percent of NFL

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players, meaning they are five times more likely to be incarcerated than their white teammates, and 3.49 times more likely to be shot and killed while unarmed.

Our country disrespects black Americans, and thus black NFL players are justified in protesting our anthem.

When Smith and Carlos raised their fists in 1968, Americans were horrified. Time magazine wrote “’Faster, Higher, Stronger’ is the motto of the Olympic Games. ‘Angrier, nastier, uglier’ better describes the scene in Mexico City last week.”

The crowd booed Smith and Carlos, and the U.S. Olympic team suspended them and expelled them from the games. But this is the price that is paid for trying to change the status quo, and the NFL players who kneeled last weekend received much of the same treatment.

But even if kneeling for the national anthem is an overt sign of disrespect for America, Americans should not condemn athletes for doing so. As a nation, we’ve come to expect headlines of police officers murdering unarmed black people. The Guardian found that in 2015, 32 percent of black people killed by police in 2015 were unarmed, compared to 25 percent of Hispanic and Latino people and 15 percent of white people.

Perhaps more important than statistics, we are merely a few clicks away from countless videos of police officers killing black civilians who put them in no danger. We should have no expectation that AfricanAmericans would respect a country that systematically puts their lives in danger.

But the protests also highlight other issues NFL players face, namely when it comes to their relationship with their employer, the NFL. The game is incredibly dangerous,

and the lack of guaranteed contracts enables teams to push players past their limits and then throw them away.

It’s a common misconception that professional athletes will be financially comfortable for the rest of their lives. A vast majority of NFL players, including the 29 non-starters on each team, are usually paid the minimum salary of $465,000 in their first year.

It may seem like a large sum, but the average career in the NFl is a mere 3.3 years.

The NFL also has a salary cap of $167 million for their 53 man roster. This prevents players from getting their worth on the open market, and a draft — not their Raka Sarkar | SENIOR STAFF ILLUSTRATOR him out choices — dictates where they of the game. will play in the prime of their They had that last week, I watched for career. This is the antithesis of capitalism — a couple of minutes. Two guys, just really, valuable workers being forced to work in a beautiful tackle. Boom! 15 yards. The referee location for less than their value on the open goes on television, his wife’s so proud of him. market. And further than that, there’s no They’re ruining the game! They’re ruining workers’ compensation or guaranteed con- the game.” tracts. When a player gets injured, the team These are people’s lives at stake and will often just cut him.

Trump shows no respect. Not for their Despite the prevalence in the NFL of safety, not for their cause and certainly not career-ending injuries and chronic traumat- for their form of protest. But in our counic encephalopathy, a serious brain disease try, where unarmed African-Americans are causing severe aggression and dementia that murdered and brutalized regularly by pohas led to multiple player suicides, Trump lice, our president has no room to infringe offered his disapproval of efforts to improve on citizens’ First Amendment rights. It’s not player safety at his Alabama rally last week. just anti-Kaepernick, or anti-NFL — it’s anti“If you hit too hard — 15 yards! Throw American.

October 6, 2017

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comic

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This is the second installment in a series.

October 6, 2017

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Sports

Syracuse stomps Pitt women’s soccer 2-0

Junior forward Mikayla Schmidt fights for the ball against Syracuse players Thursday evening.

Thomas Yang | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The Orange retaliated less than two minutes Dominic Campbell later when first-year forward Kate Hostage Staff Writer passed the ball to senior defender Alana Though the Pitt women’s soccer team led O’Neill. Her shot was deflected into the botthe game with 15 shots to Syracuse’s eight, tom left corner, increasing Syracuse’s lead the Panthers couldn’t find the mark and to 2-0. dropped Thursday night’s game, 2-0.

The Panthers’ momentum picked up when The Panthers (3-7-3 overall, 0-4-1 ACC) first-year midfielder Kendall Higgs tried entered the contest against the Orange (6twice to decrease Pitt’s deficit. Her first 4-2 overall, 1-2-1 ACC) fresh off a 7-0 loss shot went high and her second went wide. to Virginia. Of its last eight games, Pitt lost Pitt redshirt junior forward Taylor Pryce seven and tied one. followed Higgs’ shots with her own, but was “We just have to take it one game at a time,” just as unsuccessful. The Panthers remained Pitt head coach Greg Miller said. “And we down by two with just over 10 minutes left have to pluck out the good things from this in the first half. game.“ Higgs took another shot, this time on goal, The game quickly tilted in Syracuse’s favor but Brosnan came through with another when the Orange scored in the fifth minute. save. The Panthers spent the remainder trySyracuse senior forward Alex Lamoning to gain control of the ball, but when the tagne got the ball in the box and passed it half closed, they were still down 2-0. to sophomore forward Sydney Brackett.

The Panthers opened the second half with a Initially, Pitt redshirt freshman goalkeeper massive change in play. Instead of playing a Katelyn McEachern blocked Brackett’s shot defensive game, they moved players around but Brackett powered the rebound into the and kept the ball in Syracuse’s half for most net and secured the lead, 1-0. of the second 45 minutes of the game.

Pitt first-year midfielder Vildan Kardesler “There was a change in mentality,” redshirt took her team’s first shot in the 23rd minute. junior midfielder Ashley Moreira said.

Senior goalie Courtney Brosnan thwarted “Down 2-0 we have nothing to lose at this the attempt and kept her team in the lead.

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First-year midfielder Vildan Kardesler took Pitt’s first shot in the 23rd minute, which Syracuse goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan blocked.

Thomas Yang | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Kardesler took her second shot of the game point. We have to try and get a goal in, try with less than 15 minutes remaining in the to get a win.” half. Brosnan saved her attempt, and when Pitt junior forward Bel Van Noorden took Krause followed up less than a minute later, a shot less than one minute into the half, she saved that shot too. but kicked it over the post. She also hit one The Panthers tried desperately to get on of the game’s strongest shots in the 50th the board, with a shot from redshirt junior minute, striking the ball from outside the defender Seyla Perez and another from box and forcing a corner. sophomore forward Christiana Davey. She Pitt took the next three shots of the half. shot toward the top right corner of the goal, Moreira shot the ball from outside and hit but her efforts were squashed when Brosnan the bar, almost sending the it in behind the sent the ball sailing over the goal. keeper.

The Orange took their final shot in the 83rd Moreira played the full 90 minutes and was minute, but McEachern made one last save. instrumental in getting the Panthers back Neither team scored for the remainder of into the game, but was still disappointed the game, and when the half closed, Syrawith the performance. cuse stood victorious, 2-0.

“We haven’t won a game in the ACC,” Although Miller was disappointed with the Moreira said. “I think today we all hoped loss, he acknowledged it could have been this would be our first win, so for it to not be our first win— it’s even more disappoint- worse.

“I think being down two goals it would’ve ing.” been easy for us to give up a third or fourth Junior defender Sarah Krause followed or whatever,” Miller said. “They showed Moreira’s shot with two of her own — one some real fight and some perseverance, so in the 57th minute and another in the 60th I’m proud from that standpoint.” minute. She drilled the first shot from outThe Panthers take on the NC State Wolfside the box, but it was saved. The second was a long shot which Brosnan punched out pack in their next game Sunday, Oct. 8, at Ambrose Urbanic Field. of play to deny the Panthers a goal.

October 6, 2017

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The Pitt News

POWER RANKINGS

by TPN Sports Desk

While five undefeated ACC football teams entered the fifth week of play, only two escaped unscathed. Clemson and Miami remain in the first and second spots, respectively — a result of their unbeatable performances.

The Hokies, Blue Devils and Demon Deacons all suffered their first losses of the 2017 season, but maintained the previous week’s ranks. The Pitt football team came back from three losses in a row to defeat Rice University and rise from the bottom of the list.

Here’s The Pitt News’ ACC power rankings heading into week six:

1. Clemson (5-0) - 98 points (Even)

3. Virginia Tech (4-1) - 82 points (Even)

T-5. Georgia Tech (3-1) - 65 points (Even)

Clemson defeated the No. 12 Hokies by a score of 3117. The Tigers’ defense proved impressive again Saturday, keeping the Hokies out of the end zone for the first three quarters. If Clemson’s defense continues to play this way, the Tigers will remain on their collision course to face Alabama in another National Championship rematch.

-Abbot Zuk, Staff Writer Next Up: Wake Forest

The Hokies recorded their first loss of the season Saturday night to No. 2 Clemson and its dominating defense, 31-17. Virginia Tech failed to find the end zone until the fourth quarter when the game was well out of reach. The Hokies will look to bounce back this Saturday against an overmatched Boston College team.

-Brandon Glass, Staff Writer Next Up: Boston College

The Yellow Jackets demolished North Carolina Saturday, 33-7. They held onto the ball for more than 38 minutes and had another 400-yard rushing game as a team. Georgia Tech doesn’t play this week, but will take on the Miami Hurricanes in what will likely be a major decider of the Coastal Division title. -Campbell Next Up: Miami (Oct. 14)

2. Miami (3-0) - 90 points (Even)

4. Louisville (4-2) - 80 points (Even)

Miami dominated Duke Friday, Sept. 29, 31-6. The defense deterred the Blue Devils from accomplishing much on offense, holding Duke to 5-19 on third down conversions. Miami takes on its biggest rival in Florida State this weekend and will have its best chance to end the seven-game losing streak to the Seminoles. -Dominic Campbell, Staff Writer

After losing to Clemson, the Cardinals turned around and leveled Kent State 42-3 and Murray State 55-10. Louisville transitioned its focus to No. 24 NC State Thursday night for a chance to keep its prospects of an Atlantic Division title alive. The Cardinals fell short of the win, though, and dropped to 4-2. -Campbell Next Up: Boston College (Oct. 14)

Next Up: Florida State

T-5. NC State (4-1) - 65 points (Up 1) NC State secured its fifth win in a row since dropping its season opener. The Wolfpack and standout senior defensive end Bradley Chubb defeated Syracuse 33-25 Saturday. They then turned around to defeat No. 17 Louisville 39-25 Thursday night. -Glass Next Up: Pitt (Oct. 14)

Find the full story online at

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The Pitt News SuDoku 10/6/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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The Pitt news crossword 10/6/17

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