RENTAL GUIDE 11-13-15

THE PITT NEWS THE PURRFECT ROOMMATE

RUSH FOR A ROOM PAGE 9

PAGE 16

RENTAL GUIDE volume 106 | issue 63

Table of contents housing market mayhem

8 pitt housing scouting report

14

Quick! sign that lease!

9 make wi-fi a public good

15

house rules

11 a purrfect roommate

16

fact-checking tv’s college life

12 Roommate or teammate? yes

19

occupancy limit harms oakland

13 perks of filming in pittsburgh

20

Nikki Moriello VISUAL EDITOR

pittnews.com

November 13, 2015

2

News

Correction: In a story published Nov. 12, titled “The birth of a ‘white nation,’” The Pitt News erroneously attributed Bacon’s Rebellion to the English philosopher Francis Bacon. Nathaniel Bacon, a Virginia colonist, started the rebellion. The Pitt News regrets this error.

tuition march stops traffic Emily Brindley Staff Writer

At the Million Student March, protestors weren’t modest with money, chanting and raging against the high cost of student debt.

An estimated 300 Pitt students, faculty and community members marched down Forbes Avenue from the Cathedral of Learning to Halket Street, then back down Fifth Avenue to Soldiers and Sailors at 5 p.m. Nov 12. Pitt Students for Bernie Sanders 2016 organized the march, with support from campus groups, such as Pitt College Democrats and The Pitt Student Debt Campaign.

The protesters, many wearing Bernie Sanders shirts, pumped their fists over their heads and waved large cardboard signs in the air. Together they chanted, “One, two, three, four! Student debt is class war! Five, six, seven, eight! Social justice cannot wait!” and, “Whose streets?

Our streets!”

The standstill cars surrounding the protesters honked loudly, some drivers offering encouragement with thumbs-ups and high fives, while other drivers held up

Pitt protesters marched down Forbes Avenue protesting high tuition on Thursday. Wenhao Wu STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER middle fingers and shouted expletives.

On their backs, the protesters taped red paper with the amount of debt they’ll face after graduation written in black marker. 65 students wore their debt val-

ues on their backs, totaling $2,803,869, according to Alex Austin, one of the event organizers. This averages to $43,136 of debt per student.

The Million Student March was held

on more than 100 college campuses across the United States on Nov. 12, including Temple University, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Pitt. The students See March on page 6

Pittsburgh talks clean power plan Mark Pesto

Senior Staff Writer As passing drivers honked their support, environmental activists at a Downtown rally Thursday waved signs reading, “Put People and Planet First,” “Make Our Energy Clean — Make it American” and “Protect Our Communities: Clean Air Now.”

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About 150 activists, including Pitt students, rallied outside the William S. Moorhead Federal Building, showing their support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently announced Clean Power Plan — and for two of the plan’s most influential supporters, Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.

On Aug. 3, President Barack Obama

and the EPA released the Clean Power Plan, which establishes limits on how much carbon pollution power plants may emit. These limits, the first-ever national standards restricting carbon pollution, aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States emitted 6,055.2

November 13, 2015

million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2005.

“The Clean Power Plan is a really historic step toward fighting climate change,” Eva Resnick-Day, a Pitt graduate who works for the Sierra Club in Pittsburgh and who helped organize the rally, said.

Organizers timed the rally to coincide See Power on page 6

3

Opinions

The Pitt News

from the editorial board

Editor-in-Chief DANIELLE FOX

Casual Friday Sticky situation On Tuesday, Seattle began to remove a Hubba-Bubba lot of gum from a historic “gum wall” near Pike Place Market. Foregoing the peanut butter hack, the hired contractor, Cascadian Building Maintenance, used steam cleaners to melt the gum off the wall. Kelly Foster, the contractor’s general manager, didn’t want to burst anyone’s bubble. Once the rainbow of colors started attracting a herd of gnawing rats, however, the Market knew it had a Tutti Frutti problem on its hands. It’s not likely that the cleaning will stick — people have grown fond of the gum wall.

Loco motives Darius McCollum is a true trainwreck. On Wednesday, cops arrested the repeat train-thieving offender for disorderly conducting a Greyhound bus he stole from a New York Port Authority bus terminal. McCollum’s life started veering onto the wrong track at the age of 15, when he illegally piloted a subway train . Since then, McCollum has been arrested for more than two dozen transit arrests. This time, however, he is hoping to take the express train out of jail. McCollum plans to get proper training for a job and a therapist to get his e-steam puffing again.

Crappy environment In Russia, you can flush your paycheck down the toilet and ease that runny panic with a visit to the Crazy Toilet Cafe. The restaurant is the number one toilet themed restaurant

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Managing Editor HARRISON KAMINSKY

editor@pittnews.com

in the world, but be careful about ordering the number two special.

The restaurant features toilet seats, toilet shaped dishes and fecal decor.

Here’s hoping the meal is worth the royal flush and leaves you sufficiently pooped out.

Move over, Fido On Tuesday, a Kentucky woman travelled from one doghouse to another. After officers noticed that the license plate on the car that Myranda Skinner was driving had been reported stolen, Skinner and her accomplice, Bryan Wells, led cops on a dog chase. The cop was right to call out Skinner’s subpar driving as the suspects ended up crashing through a gate at a golf course. Once on foot, Skinner ran into a doghouse. She was in for a ruff awakening when a K-9 unit discovered her a short time later.

Skinner is requesting a mulligan on the day.

Jailhouse croc On Monday, Indonesia toyed with the idea of building a real-life villain’s lair when its anti-drug agency proposed building a prison on an island guarded by crocodiles. If anti-drugs chief Budi Waseso has his way, prisoners who don’t want to be caught in the jaws of the law will be wise and stay in jail. Only the true “Crocodile Dundees” have any hope of escaping this prison. It looks like this prison is about to be swamped with new guards — we hope they have the prisoners to meet the new demand.

manager@pittnews.com

News Editor DALE SHOEMAKER

Opinions Editor BETHEL HABTE

newsdesk.tpn@gmail.com

tpnopinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor DAN SOSTEK

Culture Editor JACK TRAINOR

tpnsports@gmail.com

aeeditors@gmail.com

Visual Editor NIKKI MORIELLO

Layout Editor EMILY HOWER

pittnewsphoto@gmail.com

tpnlayout@gmail.com

Online Editor STEVEN ROOMBERG

Copy Chief MICHELLE REAGLE

tpnonline@gmail.com

tpncopydesk@gmail.com

Elizabeth Lepro | Assistant News Editor Lauren Rosenblatt | Assistant News Editor Nick Voutsinos | Assistant Opinions Editor Chris Puzia | Assistant Sports Editor Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor Danah Bialoruski | Assistant Layout Editor Sydney Harper | Multimedia Editor Amy Beaudine | Social Media Editor

Katie Krater | Assistant Copy Chief Copy Staff Bridget Montgomery Anjuli Das Sierra Smith Sydney Mengel Sarah Choflet Kelsey Hunter

Matthew Maelli Kyleen Pickaring Casey Talay Corey Forman Alex Stryker Maria Castello

Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each.

Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration.

Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any.

Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com.

The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left.

The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and

student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer.

Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Com mittee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

The editor in chief has the final authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor in chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

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Matt Hyre Jillian Miller Maya Puskaric

Dave Barrone Antonio Blundo Rob Capone Calvin Reif Allison Soenksen Frany Tish

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November 13, 2015

4

Sports island warriors: pitt opens season overseas Chris Puzia

Assistant Sports Editor Sheldon Jeter was ready to take on the 11-hour flight on Tuesday to Pitt’s men’s basketball season opener — as long as he got the right seat.

“As long as I’m not stuck in the middle seat, I’m happy,” the junior forward said.

“When we went to Hawaii, I got stuck in the middle seat in the middle row. It was a rough flight. I’m looking forward to just getting over there and playing.”

Once Jeter and the team landed, it became all business as the team prepared for its season opener in Okinawa, Japan, against No. 9 Gonzaga University on Friday at 7 p.m.

However, the team that awaits the Panthers across the world for the Armed Forces Classic will ensure the trip is no vacation.

Gonzaga finished last season 35-3 before losing to Duke in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs return with star forward Kyle Wiltjer, who averaged 16.8 points per game and shot 47 percent from 3-point range last season.

Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said it was no secret that Wiljer is the focus of most teams’ scouting reports facing Gonzaga. “[Wiltjer] is a guy everybody knew about,” Dixon said. “Watching him out of high school, there was no secret. The amazing thing is that he’s a fifth-year guy.

There aren’t many fifth-year guys around that were ranked that high coming out.”

For Pitt, defense will be a focal point against a Zags team that averaged 79 points per game last year — good for 10th in the country. Pitt junior forward Jamel Artis said strong defense, in addition to smart passing, is the best way for players to see the court on Friday and

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Jamel Artis will lead Pitt against No. 9 Gonzaga on Friday Jeff Ahearn ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR

beyond.

“I’m a good defender, it’s just being in the right spot at the right times,” Artis said. “Out on the wing, I can make a lot of plays. If the defense collapses on me, I can kick it out to my teammates. I’m a good passer. [Dixon] wants a lot of defense out of the wing, so that’s what we gotta do to win.”

Jeter said he has also improved his core skills, now that he is in his second year in Dixon’s system after playing his

freshman season at Vanderbilt University.

“My confidence is sky-high, honestly, because it seems like now everything is just easier,” Jeter said. “Last year, I was always out of place, whereas this year I just happen to always be in the right spots.”

Last season, Pitt traveled to Hawaii in November to compete in the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The Panthers lost See Basketball on page 7

November 13, 2015

5

Power, pg. 3 with the first of four EPA-hosted public hearings at which anyone may air their opinions and concerns about the Clean Power Plan. This hearing, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and will continue from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, took place inside the Moorhead Federal Building.

During Thursday’s session, some members of the public expressed support for the plan, while others harshly criticized it,

claiming it won’t go far enough in addressing carbon pollution’s contribution to climate change. The EPA will hold three more hearings later this month in Washington, D.C., Denver and Atlanta.

The federal Clean Power Plan serves as a model for each state to develop its own plan for governing power plants within its borders, providing what the EPA and Casey both say is necessary versatility.

“I appreciate the consideration that the administration has given to the needs of states like Pennsylvania when it comes to

implementation,” Casey said in a statement after the Clean Power Plan was announced, citing the plan’s flexibility as a strength.

Wolf issued a similar statement after the Clean Power Plan was announced in August, saying he supported the plan and was committed to making sure Pennsylvania could protect jobs while reducing carbon emissions.

State plans modeled on the federal Clean Power Plan are due in September 2016, although states may request up to two years of extra time. If a state doesn’t submit an ac-

ceptable plan to the EPA by September 2018, however, that state will be forced to follow the federal plan.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will create Pennsylvania’s state-specific plan. Neil Shader, the DEP’s press secretary, said the DEP plans to start work on the plan today, Nov. 13, and to have a plan ready by the September 2016 deadline.

Find the full story online at

pittnews.com

March, pg. 3 and community members who participated in the event rallied for a $15 minimum wage for campus workers, free college tuition at public universities and forgiveness of preexisting student debt.

When the march reached the intersection of Halket and Fifth, Pittsburgh police detained and cited one protester with a non-traffic citation, according to Pittsburgh police. The commotion stopped the march in its tracks, as the other protesters chanted to have the detained protester released.

Alex Austin, the president of Pitt Students for Bernie Sanders 2016, is a 30-yearold senior studying natural sciences at Pitt and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He spoke with the police who then released the protester with a citation for disorderly conduct. Pittsburgh Police are investigating the incident and did not release the protester’s name.

The rest of the march proceeded without major incident, and most protesters simply called attention to their student debt.

Jackie Shane, a grad student studying biology at Duquesne, had the number $37,000 written on a piece of paper taped to her back. Shane said she accumulated that debt just from her undergraduate years at Slippery Rock University.

“I couldn’t go to Duquesne [for undergraduate] because I couldn’t pay for it. Or Pitt for that matter,” Shane said. “There’s so many people in the world who don’t get to explore how knowledgeable they could be [because of education costs].”

See Marchon page 7

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November 13, 2015

6

March, pg. 6

Basketball, pg. 5

Derek Jones, a sophomore history and anthropology major, said he was born below the poverty line, and it will take him several years to pay off his hefty college loans. He had written $40,001 on a red paper on his back.

“For five to ten years [after graduation] I’ll have to have a job I do not like, a job focused on making money instead of making the world a better place,” Jones said.

Pitt spokesperson Ken Service said in an email that Pitt understands the students’ concerns and the issues brought up at the march “are being addressed in the strategic plan for the University currently under development.”

“We support our students’ right to participate in the Million Student March, and we understand and share their concerns about the issues of access and affordability,” Service said.

The protesters in the march intended bring attention to the increasing tuition rate at universities but also motivate change at the state level. In Pennsylvania, debate between Gov. Tom Wolf and republicans in the legislature have stalled the budget for five months past its deadline.

“In the immediate term, I hope it affects the state and that they try to get a budget passed, because this is one of the longest budget battles that we’ve ever had in this state,” Austin said.

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto issued an executive order to increase the minimum wage of city workers to $15 per hour by 2021. The minimum wage will increase in phases starting in 2017, although this has not yet been approved in an official budget.

When it comes to student debt, Austin said he is worried about the next generation he’s worried.

“Being a veteran, it doesn’t affect me much, I’m paid for. But I have a daughter, and I’ll probably have other kids, and they’re the real ones that are actually going to suffer,” Austin said. “We can affect change in five or ten years. So that’s what I’m fighting for — for the future.”

their first game on the island against the University of Hawaii on Nov. 21, before they played in the tournament. With another early-season game following a long flight this year, Artis said the team must be prepared to come out strong.

“No excuses,” Artis said. “They’ve got to take the flight, too. It starts when we get on the flight, and we just have to think about one thing — beating Gonzaga.”

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In Pitt’s lone tune-up exhibition against Gannon University on Nov. 6, Artis tied for the team lead with 13 points off the bench, chipping in four rebounds as well.

Jeter scored six points in the 80-50 win.

With only that exhibition to evaluate his team’s performance against outside competition, Dixon said Friday’s game will help the coaching staff get an initial read on the squad. Still, he emphasized that the result against Gonzaga will not determine the Panthers’ season.

“This isn’t going to determine our sea-

November 13, 2015

son. It’s obviously a big game, we understand that,” Dixon said. “But if we play great, if we don’t play great, it’s not gonna have any impact on what we do next week or next month. It’s a marathon.”

Despite his reservations to deem Friday an overly significant game, Dixon acknowledged that the location and caliber of the opponent will make for exciting television for the ESPN broadcast.

“There will be 180 games or so Friday and Saturday, but this will be the best one to watch,” Dixon said.

7

moving out: how to save urban housing in america Stephen Caruso Senior Columnist

I’m used to pessimistic old conservatives, but something my uncle said a year ago probably takes the cake as the bleakest view.

“Our generation had it made. But you guys” — meaning me and my cousins — “better be prepared for smaller homes and a lot less,” he said. “The American Dream is dead for you.”

Honestly, the dream’s death doesn’t bother me much. To quote Billy Joel — the American singer, raised, like me, in the suburbs of New York — “Who needs a house out in Hackensack? Is that all you get for your money?”

But as much as I usually ignore my elders’ negativity, my uncle raised a good point. Millennials have a lot of questions hanging ahead of them, and where we are going to live is the biggest. American cities lack affordable housing.

The American Dream has always been tied up in the idea of home ownership — a husband and wife, a son and daughter, a dog and cat, standing outside their suburban home with a white picket fence.

American governmental policy has reflected the push for brick and mortar for most of its history. The Homestead Act of 1862 granted any American a plot of land in the west who was willing to improve on it — read, build a home and farm on it. In the 20th century, the federal government created the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, respectively — to inject more money into the mortgage market and expand home ownership.

Like many Pitt students, I grew up in rows of endless cookie cutter houses in suburbia. Just think of how many times you heard, “I’m from outside Philadelphia,” during your first awkward attempts at making friends as a freshman.

In fact, according to Pitt’s 2015 Factbook for all Pitt campuses, if we subtract students from Philadelphia and Allegheny

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county as being of an “urban” origin — which is a big assumption — 62 percent of the 24,098 students from Pennsylvania are from suburbs or rural spaces. Such indepth numbers don’t exist for out of state students, but I don’t think they would make much of a difference.

I can’t speak for all of my fellow students, but I do know one thing. My two story brick house gave me a fine upbringing, but I don’t plan on going back anytime soon. For all of us soon-to-be adults at Pitt, finding a place to live will be tough. Even if we wanted to move back to the suburbs, buying a home on a starting salary is out of the question. And lending for homes is

understandably tight, as it’s on the heels of a financial collapse caused by bad mortgages.

The outlook for staying in the cities and renting doesn’t look good either. According to a study from Harvard University, home ownership has gone down from 69 percent in 2004 to 63.7 percent now.

In response, the demand — and price — for renting has gone up. According to Zillow, an online real estate database, Americans paid $441 billion in rent in 2014, a $21 billion increase from 2013. Zillow also reported that since 2000, rent has increased at a rate double that of income.

If you managed to keep your homes,

November 13, 2015

you’d be paying less taxes. The U.S. government implicitly supports home ownership by allowing the deduction of home mortgage interest from one’s income tax. For renters, no such federal deduction exists.

Some states, such as Massachusetts, allow for a paid rent deduction on state income tax, but it’s usually limited to some percentage of total rent paid.

Instead, those being forced to foot that increased bill are those least able to afford it. According to the National Multifamily Housing Council, 59 percent of renters make under $35,000 a year, with a median income of $27,987.

Interestingly, the mean income of renters — $40,391 — is higher than what 59 percent of renters make. And this statistic points to the root of the problem — cities don’t have a affordable housing.

The housing environment in the United States does not support those who really need housing. According to CityLab, an offshoot of The Atlantic that focuses on urban issues, the United States loses nearly $1.6 trillion dollars every year due to the lack of affordable housing in cities with economic growth.

All of the growth in urban housing has been in high-income residential towers — such as 432 Park Ave., in New York City — or from gentrification of low income neighborhoods into yuppy centers.

So while 59 percent of renters make under $35,000 a year, the mean sits at $40,391 because of renters in 1,000 foot penthouses and restored brownstones.

If you have money, you’re fine. But for the young college student or the beleaguered resident, the situation isn’t improving. According to a different study from Harvard, it was the young and black residents who had the largest decline in homeownership rates from the 2008 financial crisis.

And after being foreclosed on, individuals have to rent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median monthly rent payment, including utilities, in the United See Caruso on page 26

8

No room(s) for slackers: Housing rush hits Oakland Casey Schmauder Staff Writer

Danielle Kitts and Michaela Woolston chattered away to their mothers on cell phones as they walked up Meyran Avenue toward Forbes.

“Well, we only have to pay half the deposit up front,” Kitts said.

“No, mom, after that it would be ours,” Woolston said.

Along with two of their friends, the pair had just picked an apartment in November for their junior year at Pitt, acting quickly in a market that grows more competitive every year.

According to the College Board, only 43 percent of Pitt’s 18,757 undergraduates live in on-campus housing. Next year, Kitts, Woolston and their other two roommates, Meredith Addison and Erica Brandbergh, will be a part of the 57 percent of Pitt students who live off campus. It would be their first time living off campus — this year, Kitts lives in Amos Hall while the other students live in McCormick Hall.

These students are signing leases faster than ever. Landlords are nearly all showing houses and apartments in November as opposed to January, which was when they used to start a few years ago.

Nearly a year in advance, the girls were ready to look at only two apartments, which they had heard about from Kitt’s sorority “big.”

For students who don’t find resources through friends, Pitt’s Off-Campus Living office advises that students check their website, Craigslist or with acquaintances.

Three of the young women had already looked at the house and were returning this time with a list of questions for the landlord, Karen Lucca, or the landlord’s brother, Dave Lucca.

Anxious, the girls arrived 15 minutes early. They pointed to the wooden balcony and talked about draping Christmas lights and what kind of cheap furniture they could get for the porch. Spotting a case of Natty Lite in front of the house next door, they wondered if their neighbors would

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host noisy, late-night parties.

“My parents are going to sh*t themselves when they see this,” Kitts, a nursing major, said.

Woolston said her expectations were low and the area did not phase her.

Given that there was competition for the apartment — a group of boys touring at the same time — the girls moved quickly.

A first bedroom and bath hid behind the front door of the apartment. The hallway led them to a snug kitchen with minimal cabinet space and a dining room. Beyond that, there was a spacious bedroom and bathroom.

The other two bedrooms were downstairs in the refurbished basement, bookending a large living room. The girls were in and out of the house in under five minutes.

As they followed the landlord’s brother, Dave Lucca, from 348 to 253 Meyran Ave., the first house lingered in the girls’ minds.

On the way over, Addison asked the questions she had written down to Dave Lucca. There was a crack in one of the bedroom windows, could it be fixed? Yes. When does the lease start? Aug. 16. Are there laundry facilities on site? Nearby — behind the house next door.

After hardly skimming the next house, a loft-style with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, the girls began walking out when they stopped and turned to Lucca.

They wanted 348 Meyran.

It was in high demand, Lucca said, as he turned to lead another group of interested students around 348.

They called Lucca’s sister, the landlord, and when she didn’t answer, the girls

November 13, 2015

Jack Trainor CULTURE EDITOR chased Dave Lucca back to 348 Meyran.

After asserting again that they wanted it, he got on the phone with his sister, and she told them their next steps. The girls walked away, calling their parents and Googling bank hours, preparing to hand over $550 each, $2,200 total — the deposit to reserve their future apartment.

The four were right to rush.

“The apartments rent really fast in South Oakland,” their future landlord, Karen Lucca, said. “I sometimes feel the panic that they can’t find anything when they’re calling me.”

Lucca’s family owns roughly 80 apartments in South Oakland, and, as of Sunday, Nov. 8, she said she only had about 10 left, maybe fewer.

“We used to always rent our apartments See Housing Rush on page 30

9

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November 13, 2015

10

House rules

Here at The Pitt News, we champion competition, but we also love organization. For your next game, put your house rules in writing, hang up this paper, treat your host with respect and enjoy responsibly.

If someone does this...

...then do this

Spills a drink Loses the ball Drops pizza Hits every cup Misses the table entirely Leaves the table midgame Throws it off the wall, then in a cup Overstretches that elbow Wins three games in a row Plays Nickelback Risks the security deposit Makes a cup with your eyes closed Completes a game without making a cup Messes with the fridge

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November 13, 2015

11

true or false? rating tv’s dorm depictions Britnee Meiser Staff Writer

Small dorms, nonexistent closets, communal bathrooms, annoying roommates — these grievances compose the reality of college housing.

Sure, it’s entertaining to see how the other — fictional — half lives, but these details give younger viewers false expectations of their new home away from home. While college has many perks and exciting experiences, dorm life isn’t always one of them.

Following is a list of the best and worst depictions of college living, as told by TV. Most Unrealistic Dorm Representation: “Gilmore Girls” Eager Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) arrives at Yale to a freshman suite fit for a queen — or at least, a senior with priority housing. “Just as I pictured it,” her mother Lorelai (Lauren Graham) said upon entering, and suddenly, I remember that Lorelai didn’t even go to college. The suite is Bou-

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quet Gardens 2.0. It includes a spacious living room with large bay windows, a fireplace, two massive bedrooms and a bathroom. Later, Rory’s grandmother Emily redecorates the suite with high-end furniture.

Who needs the “college experience” when you can have couture?

Most Accurate Dorm Representation: “Undeclared” Judd Apatow’s 2001 cult classic has all the conventions of a typical freshman dorm: the cramped rooms, the blah color scheme, twin XL beds — the works. In the pilot episode, incoming freshman Steve Karp (Jay Baruchel) walks down a long, cramped hallway, passing parents who just won’t leave, students who need to turn their music down and of course, the eager-toplease RA. He stops for a chat in the lounge, taking in the mismatched furniture and subtle stoners, before reaching his destination. In his room he meets his lady-killer See College Life on page 29

November 13, 2015

12

occupancy limit hurts renters, hinders progress Henry Glitz Columnist

If you’re a student living off campus, you’ve probably broken city code — without even knowing it.

Pittsburgh’s zoning code regulations forbid more than three non-related individuals to share any rental property as housing, a restriction that students often ignore beyond leaving names off a lease.

Obviously, there’s something wrong when a regulation is reduced to little more than a record-keeping inconvenience. After all, we wouldn’t let restaurants ignore health code violations.

Some enforcement advocates — including Oakland’s “code enforcement project,” Oakwatch — are attempting to solve the problem of illegal over-occupancy in off-campus student housing by supporting strict enforcement of the current laws.

Yet, enforcement of outdated and increasingly irrelevant codes will only result

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in the discrimination of those who need housing most, which can include more than just students.

As Portland sustainability expert Alan Durning suggested, occupancy limits are more “a socially acceptable way to discriminate against immigrants, the young, the poor,” because they are “so flagrantly irrelevant or illsuited to their purported ends.

Nonetheless, Oakwatch has recently endorsed a Rental Registry bill that the city council will vote on this month. The bill would create a registration program for rental properties throughout the city of Pittsburgh that intends to provide “an efficient system for compelling ... landlords to correct violations” to the rental occupancy code.

In an October budget presentation to city council, Mayor Bill Peduto announced that he had hired a city lawyer to

Victor Gonzalez STAFF ILLUSTRATOR take noncompliant landlords to court in support of stricter building code enforcement — which includes the 3-renter limit.

November 13, 2015

But these initiatives fail to consider what makes overcrowding in Oakland an See Glitz on page 24

13

scouting oakland’s neighborhoods Dan Sostek Sports Editor

Finding a place to live can be more daunting than a charging 250-pound linebacker. Thousands of students scramble every winter to find housing, hoping for a good fit and avoid the scrum.

With such a big decision and so many other students hunting for housing, we’ve decided to break down housing around and within Oakland in a manner fitting of it’s competitive nature — by providing scouting reports of potential living options at Pitt.

SOUTH OAKLAND

STRENGTHS: South O’s greatest asset is its proximity. It’s just a walk away from campus , unlike other neighborhoods like North Oakland and Shadyside, so there’s no need to wait for a bus after finishing a midterm paper five minutes before class. There’s also proximity to nearly everyone else on campus — you’ll likely find someone you know walking around every block or so. And there’s $5 ... erm, $6 pizzas and other cheap food.

WEAKNESSES: The only real weaknesses from South Oakland derives from its strengths. The weekends require some flexibility, as the streets become a hub for partiers — and trash — when classes end for the week. Due to the large student population, South O is almost a club in its own right. It might not be as easy to study or sleep on a Saturday night as it is in a different neighborhood. And while the pizza is a positive in terms of taste, it isn’t so much in terms of nutritional value.

X-FACTOR: Noise tolerance

ON-CAMPUS HOUSING

STRENGTHS: Pitt’s on-campus housing boasts benefits worthy of any potential inquisitor’s attention. Its greatest strength is tidiness. The rooms are nice and cozy, and come fully furnished. The options Pitt provides are low-risk options — you know you’ll be getting a livable dwelling. Food alternatives are also a plus, particularly in Litchfield Towers or upper campus. If you have swipes, you’ve got options for eating at almost any time.

WEAKNESSES: With the low risk comes fairly low reward. There are — understandably — more restrictions in Pitt housing. Some of these limits include obeying quiet hours, needing to remember your Panther ID everywhere you go, or not having the freedom to subscribe to premium cable channels.

X-FACTOR: Market swipes See Ranking on page 22

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citywide wi-fi can close the digital access gap Matt Moret Columnist

Internet access no longer charms or shocks us — it’s become ubiquitous in daily life. As with any technological advancement that becomes ingrained into public life, we should turn it into a public good.

Most students primarily use the Internet to access social media and watch Netflix, but that’s not the extent of its purpose. Applications for jobs, college and bill payments are migrating to web-exclusive forms. Lack of access to the Internet can limit our opportunities to advance in life.

Most students used The Common Application, an online college application system that allows students to apply to multiple colleges with one, streamlined application. What if you didn’t have access to the convenience of using The Common App? Would you still have had the opportunity to pursue as many colleges as you did?

As Internet access has become more ingrained into everyday life, the largest question is how to fairly distribute it.

President Barack Obama told an Iowan audience in January, “Today, high-speed broadband is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.”

But there is a gap in access to that necessity, known as “the digital divide.”

See Moret on page 25

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Terry Tan STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

November 13, 2015

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A soft support system: Pitt’s emotional support pet

Jen Crook and her kitten, Pickles, sharing love in their Panther Hall dorm room. Reina Yuan STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Casey Schmauder Staff Writer

Jen Crook isn’t the only Pitt student with a roommate — but she is the only Pitt student whose roommate is a kitten.

For the first time, Pitt has allowed an emotional support animal — a pet that’s also a form of therapy — in a dorm room.

The three-month-old Pickles, a 6-pound

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white Persian-Siamese mix kitten adopted from Rochester, Pennsylvania, lives with Crook in a four-person suite in Pennsylvania Hall.

Across the country, universities, such as Pitt and St. Mary’s College of Maryland, are re-evaluating their policies on emotional support animals in response to the increasing number of requests — and lawsuits — from students with depression, anxiety, PTSD and other illnesses.

In September, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered the University of Nebraska-

Lincoln to pay $140,000 to two students denied emotional support animals in college housing.

During her freshman year, as Crook moved to Pitt from Nashville, Tennessee, her father suffered a heart attack and a close friend passed away. Shortly after, Crook’s psychiatrist diagnosed her with major depressive disorder.

A 2013 study from the American College Counseling Association found that of 203 surveyed schools, 95 percent of counseling center directors reported an

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increase in the number of students with severe psychological problems in the past five years. Of those students, 73 percent had crises requiring immediate response and 66 percent had crises related to psychiatric medication issues.

When she returned home to Nashville, she constantly played with her cat and golden retriever. At school, she volunteered at an animal shelter, but classes kept her away, and she missed the “unconditional love” she got from her own pets.

“That was the thing I was homesick for,” Crook, now a sophomore, said. “They were stable support for me.”

After talking to her doctors, Crook applied to the office of Disability Resources and Services in April to have an emotional support animal, which Pitt denied.

With an unprecedented request, Crook knew that she needed to explain to the office precisely how tough her freshman year had been, to make them see that a support animal was necessary.

Later that month, after Pitt denied her request, Crook asked to meet with someone from Pitt’s office of DRS in person, and, after going back and forth for several months, the office approved her request in July.

According to Leigh Culley, director of DRS, Pitt does not have a written policy on emotional support animals.

“The Office of Disability Resources and Services handles these requests on a case-by-case basis,” Culley said. “As with any accommodation request, we utilize an interactive process which involves meeting with the student for a comprehensive intake.”

Currently, to handle requests for emotional support animals, Culley said the office would review medical history and consult with the student’s medical providers to assure that the accommodation is both necessary and helpful.

Statistics on emotional support animals are rarely published, as the animals require little training or licensing.

But according to Jay Dworin, execu-

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tive director of Fair Housing Partnership, a nonprofit Pittsburgh organization that works for fair housing advocacy and counseling services for people with disabilities, about 30 percent of its 160 cases a year revolve around struggles for people with disabilities requesting emotional support animals.

If a landlord denies the request, the Fair Housing Partnership and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would launch an investigation.

If they determined that the landlord had discriminated against the student, there would be damages in the form of fines.

Dworin, who has dealt with several emotional support animal cases, said this is their standard practice for dealing with any landlord.

Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch said the University is not worried about property damages as a result of emotional support animals, which Dworin said is the cheaper stance.

“If [an individual] comes to us, and we went to the University and they said no and it seemed to be a legitimate request, then the cost of litigation would outweigh the cost of property damage,” Dworin

emotional support pets.

The University would not say if other students had requested animals, but Crook said the DRS office at Pitt told her she was the only student to apply.

Crook had to get written approval from her suitemates and confirm with the building managers that the cat’s hair would not get into the vents and circulate, possibly harming allergic students.

“I didn’t want it to be a burden to other people,” Crook said.

“That wasn’t the purpose of it.”

The University had Crook sign a document stating she was financially responsible for any property damage, but Crook said Pickles has enough toys that he doesn’t have any interest in damaging University property.

Pickles wears a Pitt Panthers jersey in her room, where he has to stay at all times. But according to Crook, he has lots of visitors and makes appearances on Yik Yak as #PittsFavoritePanther.

According to Sharie Matta , a creative and expressive art therapist specializing

Knowing I had something to look forward to meant I could stay [at Pitt].

-Jen Crook, student

said. “But the idea is that the University will say yes because it is the right thing to do.”

In light of the recent popularity of emotional support animals nationwide, University spokesperson John Fedele said Pitt is creating a formal policy regarding

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in recreational therapy at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, animals can provide a multitude of benefits to psychiatric patients.

Physically stroking an animal has been proven to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as reduce feelings of stress

and l on e liness, said Matta, who uses group pet therapy at WPIC “But it also helps the mental status of the patient,” Matta said. “Animals are nonjudgmental, they’re not telling [the patients] that they’re failing or losing or worthless.”

Although an emotional support animal is not different from another animal — that is, it doesn’t receive special training — Dworin said the distinction comes from the owner. For a person with disabilities, the purpose of an emotional support animal is to help them with the major life activities that the disability impairs.

Crook considered dropping out after her rough freshman year. However, once approved to have Pickles, Crook felt more confident about surviving college with her depression diagnosis.

“Knowing I had something to look forward to meant I could stay [at Pitt]. Having something to come home to that flops over and purrs on you,” Crook said.

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Students at Pitt are not strangers to the idea of pets as therapy.

Every Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., 20 to 25 therapy dogs wait in the Cathedral for students to play with them and de-stress.

Therapy dogs differ from emotional support pets in that they receive extensive training and licensing to be around people, whereas doctors approve emotional support pets to help a specific person.

For Crook, having a cat to wake up to and come home to every day is its own kind of psychiatric medication. She chose the name “Pickles” after one particular session with her doctor.

“I knew my first cat would be named Pickles,” Crook said. “It’s because of something my doctor once said to me.

He said, ‘Once you’re a pickle, you can’t be a cucumber,’ and he was referring to depression and how you have it with you your whole life.”

As she picked up the sleepy kitten she said, “He’s my pickle.”

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Athletes find chemistry living together Adam Richman For The Pitt News

After a game, men’s soccer midfielders Raj Kahlon and Darcy Bloemen unwind and break down the action — by playing Madden back in their apartment .

“Madden is a strategic game, so after soccer, we’ll play Madden. That makes us critique every part of the game,” Kahlon said.

What makes this analysis easier is that even hours after games end, the teammates can easily discuss performances or results if they want. Kahlon and Bloemen, plus volleyball players Kadi Kullerkann and Jenna Potts, use living with teammates as a convenient way to build team chemistry and grow closer to their fellow athletes outside of competition.

Getting to live with teammates, though, wasn’t so easy. Like many Pitt students, Kahlon and Bloemen scram-

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bled to settle on a living situation, due to its competitive nature, and didn’t land an apartment until April.

Luckily for the two sophomore midfielders, both knew they wanted to live together after their freshman year in Sutherland Hall. “ We ’ r e both from Toronto, so that kind of helped us become friends,” Kahlon said. “Being roommates in Sutherland, everything went well, so we wanted to be roommates again.”

Unlike Kahlon and Bloemen, Kullerkann and Potts did not know each other

entering the year. Kullerkann is a graduate student new to the team after transferring from Houston, whereas Potts is a redshirt junior. [ “ I f need be, it would be healthy venting, but nothing destructive,” Potts said.

“The other night, we were watching film from Louisville, and we were talking about how much it hurt to lose that game. It’s more about the outcome, rather than about this play or that player.”

With their busy class and practice schedules, though, the pairs of team-

“It’s pretty casual, just like taking some time off together.”

-Kadi Kullerkann, volleyball player

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mates rarely find time together at home to unwind and hang out, especially as Potts and Kullerkann both have several night classes.

“Throughout the day, you do your own things,” Kullerkann said. “Then we have practice from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and once we get back from classes late at night, I usually go to bed.”

When they do have downtime together, though, they take advantage and hang out together as roommates and as a team, often by hosting the team for dinners. The players leave all their effort in the games, so their home can become a sanctuary where they can relax and bond without the thought of competition lingering.

“Sometimes I’ll cook dinner for all of us, and we’ll all just hang out together and watch TV,” Kullerkann said. “It’s pretty casual, just like taking some time off together.”

See Athletes on page 21

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film frontier Hollywood is beginning to discover the City of Bridges as the next city of movie sets.

In recent years, Pittsburgh has served as a blue-collar backdrop for a multitude of notable films and genres, from bloody horror to coming-of-age dramas. With Pennsylvania’s film tax incentive laws, active since July 2004, filmmakers can receive a 20 percent tax cut if 60 percent of their project’s production happens in state, making the ‘Burgh fit forscene spotting.

The Pitt News mapped some of the city’s most memorable cameos to date.

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4 2 3

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“me and earl and the dying girl”

3 “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Schenley High School The neglected and abandoned former Schenley High School in North Oakland came back to life as the high school of the coming-of-age characters in the film. Many of the items in the school, like posters and newsletters, were actually left over from the school’s final year of operation in 2008.

Fort Pitt Bridge Often praised as one of the most scenic ways to enter a city, the Fort Pitt Bridge and Pittsburgh’s stunning skyline come into dramatic focus as the characters drive through the tunnel onto the bridge, as Sam (Emma Watson) stands in the back of the pickup truck taking in the spectacular view.

knight 4 “dark rises”

2 “Adventureland” Kennywood The famous Pittsburgh amusement park was the main setting for this comedy-drama starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. James (Eisenberg) plays a recent college graduate, who, instead of traveling over the summer, must take a job in the games department of Adventureland, a run-down amusement park, where he meets and falls in love with Emily (Stewart).

16th Street Bridge After Emily finds out that James has fallen for her, the two share a kiss under the 16th Street Bridge by the Strip District as “Pale Blue Eyes” by the Velvet Underground plays in the background.

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2

Caarneg Carnegie C Carn egiie ie Mellon Mel ell llon lon Institute/Fift Inst In sti tit itutte//Fi Fift ift fth h Avenue Avenu Aven u Carnegie Mellon Institute on Fifth Avenue served as Gotham City Hall for a fight between Batman and the muscle-bound Bane. The all-out brawl consumed Fifth Avenue and the towering columns of the building, where it was then the stage of a huge explosion.

Heinz Field Director Christopher Nolan recruited former Steeler Hines Ward to cameo as part of the Gotham Rogues in his home stadium, in which he runs a kick-off back for a touchdown as the field collaspes behind him. Following Ward’s score, in one of the most iconic scenes of the movie, Bane delivers a villainous speech about Gotham’s pending fate in front of Heinz’s mustard-yellow seats.

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Athletes, pg. 19 That time together has taught the athletes that their teammates often have far different pregame rituals than they do. Kahlon and Potts nap before games, while Bloemen and Kullerkann are more active while they prepare. “[Game day] is my day to run errands, so usually I get up at a normal time and do whatever I need to do,” Kullerkann said. “Our [team’s] pregame routine is pretty long, [so] I try to get as much stuff in as I can beforehand.”

According to Kahlon, though, the best part of living with a teammate is not necessarily relevant to soccer, but rather about the friendship that forms naturally.

“We’re very similar. The fact that we’re both from Toronto [means] we Raj Kahlon and Darcy Bloeman spend time together on and off the field. Meghan Sunners SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER can plan when we’re going to go home The fact that we’re going through this to- opens up conversation he couldn’t have country that you can go through [everytogether,” Kahlon said. “I like the fact gether, it’s kind of cool.” with his other teammates. thing] with,” he said. “This year, we know that we weren’t really friends when we Bloemen said having a common cul“Coming from another country, it’s each other and everything, but you make came to Pitt, and now we’re best friends. tural background with his roommate nice to have someone from the same lifelong friends [by living together].”

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November 13, 2015

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Rankings, pg. 14

NORTH OAKLAND/BLOOMFIELD

STRENGTHS: You get a different feel of the area living off of Centre Avenue. The neighborhood still has a city-type feel while being less densely populated. You’ve also got some more diverse food options, while not being overly expensive . Perhaps the most convenient local amenities are the nearby grocery stores, with Aldi and Giant Eagle on Baum Boulevard and Centre Avenue, respectively, making home cooking simple.

WEAKNESSES: Taking advantage of bussing is a requisite for buying into this area. Walking to campus takes around 15 to 20 minutes from there, so unless you budget for that every time you go to campus, you’ll have to get to know bus routes and schedules pretty well. And while the isolation is nice at times, it’s sometimes a bummer being separated from all of the on-campus happenings.

X-FACTOR: Google Maps bus arrival times

SHADYSIDE

The Pitt news crossword 11/13/15

STRENGTHS: Shadyside is a gorgeous place to live, just looking at the aesthetically pleasing residential zones and quaint stores . With the shopping hub of Walnut Street and the artsy stores on Ellsworth Avenue, there’s plenty of opportunities to satiate your cultural desires. There are also plenty of different culinary options — there are many more sit-down locations than any other Oakland-adjacent neighborhood. Throw in the occasional Jam on Walnut block party, and you’ve got a really well-rounded prospect of an area.

WEAKNESSES: You need to be willing to spend some dough in Shadyside. Restaurants, bars and shops have some higher prices than Oakland, as they cater less to college students. Also, the distance lends itself for a substantive trek to campus. A car or a bike is almost necessary unless you’re willing to take the 10 to 15 minute bus ride every day.

X-factor: Your bank account

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November 13, 2015

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Glitz, pg. 13 issue: ever-increasing demand for housing.

According to the University, Pitt’s fulltime student enrollment for undergraduate and graduate students has increased over the last 20 years from 27,002 to 32,781. An increase of more than 21 percent, this enlargement of the student body has stressed the off-campus housing market in Oakland and surrounding neighborhoods. According to U.S. News Education’s Education Rankings and Advice, 57 percent of Pitt students now live off-campus.

You don’t have to be an economics major to realize how this is a recipe for higher prices for student tenants and lower quality housing. Higher prices, in turn, motivate student renters to increase the number of roommates past the legal limit to decrease individual costs.

Oakwatch member Hanson Kappelman is skeptical of a strain on the Oakland housing market.

“There are students who live not just in Oakland, but in Shadyside, Bloomfield,

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Lawrenceville,” he said. “I think there’s plenty of space.”

But the vast number of Pitt students who live off-campus in the Oakland neighborhood points to the infeasibility of living in other neighborhoods as a choice for many. Who would choose to live in the often squalid housing available to students in Oakland if housing markets in other neighborhoods were a realistic alternative for all?

Admittedly, students are more likely to break the resident maximum law when it’s sparsely enforced. However, even with Oakwatch’s advocacy for enforcing the code with few or no exceptions, the likelihood that stricter implementation of the three resident rule would increase compliance is minimal.

That’s not to say that students or landlords are adamantly set on defying city authorities. The problem here lies with the particulars of the law itself. Regardless of the specifics of the housing unit — whether it’s a one-room studio or a full five-bedroom house — the code gives the same maximum of three unrelated residents.

This stringent requirement has led to absurdities like a January eviction of three roommates of a group of six from a sixbedroom house on Lawn Street.

“It’s not an unusual kind of code,” Kappelman contends.

In a neighborhood like Oakland where living space is in constant demand, any housing rule that leaves rented bedrooms unoccupied is inefficient. Regardless of how commonplace it may be or what its original function was, the “no exceptions” for non-related renters approach in the code exacerbates the problem.

The enforcement-only approach ignores one of Oakwatch’s main goals, improved housing quality. The Oakland 2025 plan, which created the Oakwatch committee, aims to provide “innovative, sustainable housing choices” in the Oakland neighborhood.

Kappelman sees code enforcement crackdowns as the most important step in reaching this goal — code violations breed poor living conditions.

“Landlords who are violating the code are getting an economic advantage over

November 13, 2015

those who are sticking to it,” he said. “People who are living in Oakland are at a disadvantage of falling prey to a variety of issues related to this.”

It’s true that overall lower housing quality in Oakland and widespread, illegally high amounts of residents per housing unit have recently accompanied each other.

However, the enforcement-only approach mistakenly assumes that the latter causes the former. In reality, both are effects of the same root cause, arbitrarily low occupancy maximums.

You need only look at a city like Portland, Oregon — a city comparbale to Pittsburgh in living standards — to realize the irrelevance of enforcing excessively low occupancy limits to address quality of housing. Portland, whose downtown area plays host to a university with an undergraduate enrollment more than 20 percent higher than Pitt’s, has a rental residency maximum twice that of Pittsburgh.

Kappelman worries that ignoring one part of the residential code might spill over to other parts of the code and endanger the See Glitz on page 28

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Moret, pg. 15 Like most social issues, the digital access gap falls along economic lines. To close the economic digital divide, we need a system that provides Internet access to the poor without drowning them in costs or forcing taxpayers to foot the bill.

In 2013, the Pew Research Center found that only 52 percent of households making less than $30,000 had home Internet access.

For households making more than $75,000, that figure jumps to 88 percent.

This difference can have major effects, especially on education. Another Pew poll found that more than 75 percent of K-12 teachers ask students to access or submit content online. Only 20 percent said their students had adequate access to digital tools at home.

While students can use public facilities to do this work, that may involve travel and time commitments that low-income students can’t make. They get left behind.

Some cities, like Houston and Albany, have attempted to take the lead on expanded coverage by launching their own municipal

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wireless networks. These networks use routers — or “nodes” — spread throughout the area to form a blanket of Wi-Fi signals.

In 2006, Pittsburgh launched a program known as Wi-Fi Pittsburgh to provide two hours of free Wi-Fi every 24 hours Downtown.

Funding for building the network generally comes from partnerships between local governments and private firms like Microsoft and Google. Most of these firms are small and regional, like High Speed Air in Ohio, and Tri-County Wireless in Michigan.

Once operational, future funding can come through advertising or usage time restrictions that require a fee after a certain length of use.

While city-wide Wi-Fi zones seem wonderful, there have been roadblocks hindering success elsewhere.

The main issue is that providing coverage “for free” actually requires quite a bit of money, and nobody wants to foot the bill.

All of these new routers require power to keep them operating. Somebody must send out workers to repair damaged or malfunctioning nodes. Advertising opportunities

are limited, and hoping that people require additional access badly enough to pay for a subscription is unreliable.

That leaves taxes to cover the costs of providing city-wide coverage.

Governments taking that route must also compete with existing Internet service providers to make ends meet.

Because these companies often faced little-to-no prior competition in the area, they have been able to charge inflated prices.

This leaves them with more pricing flexibility than the government because they can work their way down, having already made their capital investments and laying the infrastructure for service.

When Chattanooga, Tennessee, announced plans to build up a municipal wireless network in 2007, it went head-to-head with the dominant provider in the area, Comcast. The telecoms giant quickly began offering new, cheap packages to incentivize people to stay and sued the city. The Electric Power Board, which runs the city’s network project, stayed afloat because of a $111 million grant from the federal government, but that is not the norm. More often than not,

November 13, 2015

these municipal plans have flopped due to similar pressure.

For most people, getting online is, understandably, not in the same category as paying for water or power. While the Federal Communications Commission has officially decided to regulate broadband as a utility, it is much more difficult to convince people that paying for heat is as important as paying for Internet access. Those who can already afford all normal costs and would be willing to also pay for municipal wireless access are not the ones relying on public libraries.

San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia and Houston are just a few of the cities that launched large network projects, only to have them fail once the firms they partnered with ran out of money.

Pittsburgh has been relatively successful. The city’s system is cleverly called Wi-Fi Pittsburgh and is currently operated by aspStation, Inc. Former Mayor Luke Ravenstahl launched Wi-Fi Pittsburgh with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and US See Moret on page 28

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Caruso, pg. 8 States is $905. Comparing that to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ numbers on median pay, rent would be 31 percent of a black person’s pay and 42 percent of a 20-24 year old’s pay of all races.

And that’s not including food, transportation, health care and any other expenses bound to pop up. How is anyone supposed to save for their white-picket-fenced home if they can barely keep a roof over their head?

The solution isn’t a government takeover.

Rent control will lower prices, but we need an increase in supply, not an artificial ceiling. If we decided to try and improve home ownership in the suburbs, that will only lead to too-big mortgages offered by banks “too big to fail” — or what caused the 2008 crisis.

Instead, the solution is more indirect.

CityLab mentions that a lack of transit infrastructure is huge — for free markets to work properly, people need to be able to move freely. Cities need to expand bus, subway and bike lane systems to push back against “transit deserts.”

These “deserts” are areas underserved by public transportation. For example, Pittsburgh Port Authority just recently expanded its bus service into Baldwin and Groveton.

Before the new routes existed, residents of Baldwin had to walk two miles to catch a bus to go Downtown.

This expansion of service will allow

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Downtown job seekers to live in Baldwin, taking the demand away from neighborhoods like Oakland, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, as well as slowly decreasing prices.

This is just one neighborhood, but as cities become more interconnected, this pricerelieving effect will grow.

Actually creating more affordable housing is tricky. Deregulation that will cheapen the price of construction is beautiful on paper, but those regulations have a real impact in life. What will we get rid of, requirements for fire escapes?

The best move is to try and control speculation and centralized development in favor of small-scale improvements. The Homestead Act worked wonders to settle the west — could an urban version be implemented? Instead of developers, give tax breaks and small loans to individuals willing to put in the work themselves to fix their homes, whether current owners or those on the market.

We shouldn’t discourage the big developers, though. Instead, we should encourage them to develop brownfields — areas once used for industrial purposes — into new housing, and make sure transit properly connects to any newly developed areas.

Finally, end the federal home mortgage interest rate deduction, which implicitly supports mostly middle class homeowners. The federal government should set up a generic deduction for rent paid, capped

November 13, 2015

at some arbitrary number. With how much rent varies by state and city, finding the ideal number will be hard, but should, ideally, mostly support low-income renters.

As development pushes up prices, residents will need a break. This will also help low-income individuals hold on to their homes in the face of gentrifying neighborhoods — the original residents catch a break, and the gentrifiers pay the full tax.

By doing this, we can make cities more affordable, and after some scrimping and saving in your small apartment, you could afford that white-picket-fenced home — if you want.

If we don’t act, that choice — and the American Dream — is as good as dead.

Stephen Caruso is a senior columnist who writes on economic and social issues for The Pitt News. He is also the production manager. Email him at stephencaruso23@ gmail.com.

Glitz, pg. 24 codes protecting student tenants’ health.

“If a landlord is willing to violate one code, what’s to make you think they’re not willing to violate other codes?” Kappelman said.

But fearing landlords will cut corners doesn’t help student renters, who are afraid to expose their illegal leases to the city.

The only way strict enforcement can help improve Oakland is if the rules themselves make sense.

If the city raised the tenant residency maximum to a realistic level, perhaps even to Portland’s six, enforcement groups like Oakwatch can turn their attention to enforcing more relevant safety code violations, like fire codes. This helps to prevent life-threatening dangers, like natural gas build-ups which can lead to explosions, which is what happened to a house on Dawson street in 2013.

Until then, for better or worse, the city’s three resident cap will remain nothing more than a trick of paperwork for Oakland landlords and off-campus students.

Henry primarily writes on government and domestic policy for The Pitt News.

Write Henry at hgg7@pitt.edu.

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Moret, pg. 25 Wireless Online. Once users have accessed two hours of free Wi-Fi over 24 hours, they can buy into subscription tiers ranging from singleday coverage to annual service. The problem is the program’s focus, which was to market Pittsburgh as a new site for tech companies rather than help citizens in need.

Richard Beynon, president of Beynon & Co. Real Estate and vice chairman of the partnership’s board, said in an interview with the Pittsburgh

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November 13, 2015

Post-Gazette that he’ll ask prospective buyers and tenants, “Can your employees take their laptops outside and have free access, or work during lunch without staying at their desks?”

Wi-Fi Pittsburgh’s zone of coverage only includes the Central Business District, the North Shore and part of the Lower Hill District. These areas are centered around the city’s sports complexes so the covered areas do not actually reach all that many people.

Altogether, the zone had a population of 4,906 in 2013, according to City-Data, which aggregates census data. That number is assuming that all of the Lower Hill District is covered, which it is not, so the actual number of people covered is likely much lower. While Wi-Fi Pittsburgh is a promising initiative, its current enforcement is limited in its reach.

More importantly, Wi-Fi Pittsburgh does not cover people who would gain the most from the coverage. Poor people don’t live at the Golden Triangle or inside Heinz Field. The city has never pretended that this program was meant to serve anyone other than executives and tourists, but nearly 10 years later, it’s time to think bigger.

Having Wi-Fi isn’t a matter of life and death — but it can be a matter of success.

Matt Moret primarily writes on politics and rhetoric for The Pitt News.

Write to Matt at mdm123@pitt.edu

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College Life, pg. 12 roommate, and takes the bed “by the cork board.”

If your move-in day didn’t look like this, did you truly live in a dorm?

Most Unrealistic Sorority Representation: “Sydney White” At the fictional Southern Atlantic University, Greek row is a stretch of beautiful mansions with perfectly manicured lawns that double as sorority and fraternity houses. Most esteemed of them all is Kappa Phi Nu, where all the sisters are rich, blonde and a size two. While the mansions themselves are picturesque representations of southern-style fraternity architecture, Kappa president Rachel Witchburn’s (Sara Paxton) room — along with her walk-in closet, complete with a motion sensor that sprays perfume every time she enters — is bigger and pinker than most off-campus apartments. It’s fitting that this movie is a spinoff of Snow White, because a fairytale is the only place a room like this would actually exist.

Most Accurate Fraternity Representation: “Animal House” The disgusting Delta Tau Chi fraternity house perfectly sums up what it means to live with your “bros” in college. Empty beer bottles litter the floor. Pictures of girls in bikinis spatter the walls. Director John Landis even thought to include plates of old sandwich crusts left sitting on the coffee table. Basically, the place is falling apart, but that’s OK — the allure of getting the security deposit back is long gone.

Most Unrealistic Trade School Representation: “Return to Halloweentown” I don’t care if you’re a witch, or if you’re the granddaughter of Halloweentown’s former queen, there’s no way your freshman dorm room comes fully decorated and includes a king-sized bed. Your best friend lives in a genie bottle, and I’d buy that before I accept that a dorm room would come move-in-ready. It has giant stained-glass windows, quirky knickknacks adorning the desk, and wallpaper — really? I was excited when my freshman dorm room had just a few feet of storage space.

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Most Accurate Trade School Representation: “Legally Blonde” While it’s true that most dorms aren’t big enough to fit an elliptical machine — or progressive enough to allow pets — Elle Woods’ (Reese Witherspoon) dorm room is almost an exact replica of some of the dorms available at Harvard Law School.

Its above-average size for a one bedroom is commonplace, and underneath all that pink, its modest, earthy color scheme practically screams, “I live on campus.”

Most Inaccurate Off-Campus Repre-

sentation: “Gilmore Girls” The finale wasn’t the only thing the show got wrong when creator Amy Sherman-Palladino left before season six. A repeat offender, Rory’s college living experience — this time out of the dorms, as an upperclassman — is unlike anything most of us have ever experienced. Her off-campus apartment with her boyfriend Logan (Matt Czuchry) is all ritz and no reality. The place is massive, including, but certainly not limited to, a plasma TV, a kitchen island, and a suit of armor named

November 13, 2015

Henry. What’s next, producers — a mansion on Rory’s reporter salary?

Most Accurate Off-Campus Representation: “Gossip Girl” Bear with me. They are the children of millionaires, so really, anything would be accurate, yet every single one who goes to college that lives off-campus, stays with his or her parents and commutes — albeit, in a limousine. The rich don’t have to save money, but like us regular school kids, they opt out of crazy rents and kick it with the ‘rents.

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Housing Rush, pg. 9 in January, but two years ago we started taking calls Dec. 1, and this year we started Nov. 1.,” Karen Lucca said. “It’s getting earlier and earlier. It’s kind of hard for the students living there now, because they don’t know where they’re going to be next August or how many of their roommates are staying.”

Not only are the students racing to find

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houses, but they’re also neglecting zoning codes in the rush to secure affordable housing in Oakland.

Pittsburgh zoning code only allows three non-related residents to live in one apartment or house — a rule that some judges are recently cracking down on. But like many students in South Oakland, these four students don’t pay much attention to the code.

“There would be way too little student housing if we had to all pair up in threes,” Kitts said.

“If, for some reason, I was the only one [violating the code], then, yeah, I would panic, but I don’t care because everyone does it.”

Karen Lucca’s mother, Annette Barnes, owns the building at 348 Meyran Avenue.

Karen Lucca said her mother is elderly and declined to give her phone number. Lucca said she was responsible for answering all questions relating to the property. The familycould face fines for allowing four people to live in her apartment, but Luccasaid the Oakland housing market just doesn’t sup-

November 13, 2015

port the “predated” code.

“I understand it’s a law, but I feel like sometimes things need to change. I think it’s time for that to change,” Karen Lucca said. “Also, there’s just not enough housing available for Pitt students otherwise.”

In Oakland’s limited and fast-paced renting market, things like obeying city zoning codes often take a back seat to nailing down a living situation as quickly as possible.

Karen Lucca advises students who are looking for off-campus housing to call landlords as soon as they know their price range, the number of bedrooms they want and when they want the lease to start.

Samantha Rawagah, a manager at McKee Place Apartments, also moved up her date this year for putting properties on the market.

“We started Nov. 2, and we are about 50 percent full now, and we have 122 properties,” Rawagha said. “Leasing is different this year, the rush is going to be much earlier.”

She said students often inquire about parking and laundry. Most of all though, Rawagha said students are “typically looking for cheap apartments that are livable.”

According to South Oakland landlord Dourid Aboud with Bluestone Realty, the majority of landlords previously began renting properties in January, but as of a couple years ago when students started calling earlier and earlier, most landlords moved start dates to Nov. 1.

“It used to be a three-month period. I would start Nov. 1, a third of my properties would be gone by Thanksgiving, another third by break and the rest by the end of January,” Aboud said. “But it’s definitely earlier. Now everyone is doing it in November.”

Students feeling overwhelmed can get help from Off-Campus Living, a resource for Pitt students located at 127 N. Bellefield Ave. They can assist students in finding offcampus housing and roommates, as well as providing information about specific neighborhoods and landlords.

Awaiting their lease, Addison, Brandbergh, Kitts and Woolston finally relaxed.

“The process was stressful because of the timing. We wanted to land the house and we needed the money fast,” Kitts said.

“But we’re happy now, glad it’s over.”

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I Rentals & Sublet N D E X -NORTH OAKLAND -SOUTH OAKLAND -SHADYSIDE -SQUIRREL HILL -SOUTHSIDE -NORTHSIDE -BLOOMFIELD -ROOMMATES -OTHER

**AUGUST 2016: Furnished Studio, 1-2-3-4 Bedroom Apts. No pets.

Non-smokers preferred.

412-621-0457 1-2-3-4-5 Bedroom Houses & Apartments. 376 Meyran, 343 McKee, & Atwood, St. James, Bates St. $1,095-$2,000. Call 412-969-2790

1,2,3,5,6,7, & 8 bedroom houses. August & May 2016.

Bouquet, Atwood, Meyran. Please call 412-287-5712.

2 & 3 bedroom houses, Lawn & Ophelia. Available Now. Please call 412-287-5712.

2 nice 3-bedroom houses. Good location. Rent $400/room. Available August 1st, 2016. 412-881-0550 or 724-757-3367.

4 BR townhouse, Semple St., available May 1st & August 1st, 2016. Equipped kitchen, full basement. 412-343-4289.

Call after 5:00 pm.

6 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom house for rent in S. Oakland. Call 412-337-9916

M.J. Kelly Realty Studio, 1, 2, 3, & 4 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes, Houses. $750-$2400. mjkellyrealty@gmail.com. 412-271-5550, mjkellyrealty.com

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Employment

-CHILDCARE -FOOD SERVICES -UNIVERSITY -INTERNSHIPS -RESEARCH STUDIES -VOLUNTEERING -OTHER

Classifieds

For Sale

-AUTO -BIKES -BOOKS -MERCHANDISE -FURNITURE -REAL ESTATE -TICKETS

2-3-4-5-6-7 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2016. Nice, clean, free laundry, includes exterior maintenance, new appliances, spacious, located on Meyran, Semple, Wellsford, Dawson, Juliet. 412-414-9629.

2,5,6 bedroom houses in South Oakland. Available for rent August 2016.

Very clean with different amenities (dishwasher, laundry, AC, washer and dryer, 1-3 baths, newer appliances & sofas). Contact Ken at 412-287-4438.

6, 7, or 8-bedroom house. Washer & dryer available. NO PETS. Available August 1, 2016. One year lease. Meyran Ave. 5 minute walk to University of Pittsburgh. 412-983-5222.

Accepting applications for newly constructed large home in S. Oakland. Available August 2016.

Excellent location to university, 2 blocks off Forbes. For further information call: 412-720-5023

Nicely remodeled large house.

8/20/2016. 4BR, 2.5bath, carpet/tile, eatin-kitchen, dishwasher, parking. $2360+utilities.

412-736-0906.

Services

-EDUCATIONAL -TRAVEL -HEALTH -PARKING -INSURANCE

Brand new, completely renovated 5 BR, 2 full bath house.

All appliances including washer and dryer are brand new and included. Too many features to list. Close to Magee Women’s Hospital. On Pitt shuttle and PAT bus lines. 10 minute walk to Univ. of Pittsburgh. $2500/mo.

412-983-0400

Large 1-2-3 BR apartments available August 1st. 3450 Ward Street. 312 and 314 South Bouquet Street.

Free parking. Minutes to campus. Cat friendly. Call 412-977-0111.

Renovated Large Three Bedroom Townhome for Rent.

Available January 2016. The kitchen features frost free refrigerator with automatic ice maker, fullsize range, self-cleaning oven, dishwasher, garbage disposal and microwave. The bath has been completely updated. All floor coverings and window treatments are brand new. Your own washer and dryer are included. On University of Pittsburgh shuttle and PAT bus lines. Two blocks to Magee Women’s Hospital. $1,275/mo, contact 724-422-2250.

Announcements -ADOPTION -EVENTS -LOST AND FOUND -STUDENT GROUPS -WANTED -OTHER

High quality, newly renovated one, two and three bedroom apartments in Shadyside and surrounding areas. Colebrook Management 412-441-2696 www.cole-brook.net AVAIL JAN Luxury Apts in Squirrel Hill Brand New Renovations!

0-1-2 BRS 412-455-5600 3 & 4 bedroom apartments. Available immediately. Newly remodeled. Air conditioning. Bigelow Blvd, N. Neville St. Call 412-287-5712 3 & 5 bedroom. May 2016. Sarah St. Large bedroom, new kitchen, air conditioning, washer & dryer, dishwasher, large deck. 412-287-5712.

Undergrads needed to test tutoring system: 18 or older, native English speaker, adequate academic background as determined by a brief questionnaire. 2-5 hrs; $10/hr., possible $20 bonus. Contact rimac@pitt.edu

R INSERTIONS 1X 2X 3X 4X 5X 6X ADDITIONAL A 1-15 WORDS $6.30 $11.90 $17.30 $22.00 $27.00 $30.20 $5.00 T 16-30 WORDS $7.50 $14.20 $20.00 $25.00 $29.10 $32.30 $5.40 E S DEADLINE: TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR BY 3 PM | EMAIL: ADVERTISING@PITTNEWS.COM | PHONE: 412.648.7978 (EACH ADDITIONAL WORD: $0.10)

ATTENTION OCCASIONAL SMOKERS! UPMC seeks healthy adults ages 18-65 who occasionally smoke cigarettes.

This research is examining how smokers respond to cigarettes that are low in nicotine.

There are up to seven sessions lasting about three hours each. Research participants completing the study will be compensated up to $60 per session, or $20 per hour. For more information, call 412-246-5393 or visit www.SmokingStudies.pitt.edu SMOKERS NEEDED! Researchers at UPMC are looking to enroll healthy adult cigarette smokers ages 18-65. This research is examining the influence of brief uses of FDA-approved nicotine patch or nicotine nasal spray on mood and behavior. The study involves a brief physical exam and five sessions lasting two hours each. Eligible participants who complete all sessions will receive up to $250, or $20 per hour. This is NOT a treatment study. For more information, call 412-246-5396 or visit www.-SmokingStudies.pitt.-edu

November 13, 2015

Oasis Foods, a social enterprise of Bible Center Church located in the East End, is now hiring for team management and team member positions for Everyday Cafe. On busline.

Contact careers @oasispgh.com or 412-727-6845.

Medical and Heart Care, Students Welcome, Private Oakland Office, Craig Street, Dean Kross, MD, 412-687-7666

SEASONAL MARKETING ASSISTANT Shadyside property management firm established in 1960 neeeds two Seasonal Marketing Assistants to work with Word, internet, & spreadsheet files from approximately December 15th to July 15th, four days/week from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Saturday and/or Sunday hours a must; some flexibility on days and hours will be considered; most hours will be solitary on the computer with no phone work; 40 WPM and strong computer skills required; no experience needed & we will train you at our Shadyside office; free parking. $12/hour plus generous season end bonus.

MOZART MANAGEMENT www.mozartrents .com 412-682-7003

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November 13, 2015

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