The Pitt News

T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | november 20, 2018 ­| Volume 109 | Issue 66

‘DONATIONS FOR CITATIONS’ ENCOURAGES DONATING TO PITT PANTRY

M-ASCE-ARPONE CHEESE

Emily Drzymalski For The Pitt News

The holiday season is a time for giving and receiving — and this year, for every Pitt parking ticket received, students have the chance to give back a little bit. Just in time for the holiday season, Pitt Pantry and Pitt Parking Services teamed up to garner donations in an unconventional way with their “Donations for Citations” event. The event, which began on Nov. 1, encourages people to donate certain food items to the Pitt Pantry — a local student-based food pantry on Pitt’s campus — in exchange for paying off tickets they received prior to Nov. 1 that total either $15 or $25. Specific items are required to fulfill the $15 and $25 citation fees. For a $25 fine, the minimum donation required is one 40-ounce-minimum jar of peanut butter and one 32-ounce-minimum jar of jelly. For a $15 fine, the minimum donation required is either one box of pasta and one jar of sauce or two boxes of cereal. Kevin Sheehy, director of Parking, Transportation and Services, said the donation items were chosen because they are what the Pantry needs the most. “The parking office looked at the most See Citations on page 2

Senior Tina Rogers of Pitt’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers serves homemade mac and cheese at a fundraiser in Benedum Hall’s lobby on Monday to benefit the Tree of Life Synagogue. Maria Heines | staff photographer

L AWSUIT ALLEGES PITT RESPONSIBLE FOR DROPPED CRIMINAL CHARGES

Jon Moss Staff Writer

In a new court filing, the owner of the Garage Door Saloon says he intends to prove that Pitt was responsible for the district attorney’s dismissal of criminal charges against a high-ranking Pitt official’s son and his friends for allegedly assaulting the bar’s owner after the three men were removed

from the bar. The allegations against Pitt came in a crossclaim that Garage Door’s lawyers filed as part of an expansive lawsuit filed by Timothy Riley and Jacob Shilling on July 2, who are suing the University of Pittsburgh regarding the December 2017 incident. The third individual involved is Daniel Humphrey, son of Pitt Senior Vice Chancellor for Engagement and Secretary of the Board of Trust-

ees Kathy Humphrey. The suit against Pitt, Garage Door, its owner and parent company, the arresting officer and Pitt Chief of Police James Loftus alleges that the arresting officer, Michael Rosfeld, had a prior personal relationship with the bar’s owner. The suit also claims Rosfeld arrested the men See G-Door on page 2

News G-Door, pg. 1

without reviewing security footage that it said would prove the men’s innocence, depriving the men of their civil rights and unjustly detaining and jailing them. But in the original criminal complaint and in a later response to the allegations, Rosfeld stated he had indeed reviewed the bar’s security camera footage. “Rosfeld watched the security footage from 11:10:08 p.m. to 11:11:52 p.m.,” Rosfeld’s counsel, Timothy Uhrich, said in an Oct. 10 court document. “Rosfeld relied upon his first-hand encounter with Plaintiffs and his review of security video to compile the report he generated.” Rosfeld was suspended two days after the incident, on Dec. 11, 2017, and terminated about one month later. He was later rehired by the East Pittsburgh Police Department and will stand trial in early 2019 for the shooting of 17-year-old Antwon Rose in June. The charges of simple assault, defiant trespass, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness

Citations, pg. 1 needed items listed on the Pitt Pantry website and came up with a tiered donation,” Sheehy said in an email. “We have seen a great response and a lot of support for the event.” In an email statement, Anna Martz, the marketing and communication manager for Pitt Parking Services, said no school in particular inspired the event, but it’s something they’ve seen other universities do. University of Kentucky, Texas A&M and University of California, River-

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were dropped by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office at the preliminary hearing for the case in December 2017. Attorneys for Garage Door Saloon said in a Nov. 6 filing they intend to present testimony from the assistant district attorney who was assigned to the preliminary hearing and the assistant district attorney that dropped the charges, among others, which they say will establish that Pitt was responsible for the charges’ dismissals. According to DA spokesperson Mike Manko, the charges were dropped due to a lack of corroborating evidence. “The reason the charges were withdrawn is because the evidence did not match what was written in the criminal complaint and affidavit,” Manko said in an emailed statement to The Pitt News. “District Attorney Zappala had no knowledge of the familial relationship involving one of the defendants and the District Attorney never communicated with the vice-chancellor prior to our office withdrawing the charges.” In multiple emails, including one on behalf of Kathy Humphrey, Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch said Pitt does not comment on pending litiga-

tion. Robert Peirce III, the legal counsel for Riley and Schilling, declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation. Garage Door seeks indemnification — a legal term meaning one party is responsible for the financial costs of another party — from Pitt for property damages resulting from the incident, due to Pitt’s alleged interference in the initial plea agreement, which would have provided restitution to the bar. On the night of the incident, then-officer Rosfeld of the Pitt police responded to a call for assistance from another Pitt police officer at the Saloon and arrested the three men outside of the bar. He filed criminal complaints the following day against Riley, Schilling and Daniel Humphrey. Rosfeld noted he encountered the men inebriated, and thus felt it was necessary to immediately detain one of them, out of fear for his and the other officer’s safety. “All three males were intoxicated with the odor of alcoholic beverages emanating from their person,” Rosfeld said in the complaint. “I

detained Riley for Officer’s safety as he was extremely belligerent, yelling at Officer McGinnis and business owner, Mark Welshonse and one of his employee’s Reise Cook.” Rosfeld transported the three men to the Allegheny County Jail later that night, based on his assessment that their actions were dangerous and a threat to others. “Their ongoing course of conduct had not legitimate purpose, was a danger to other, and officers had no reason to believe it would cease if released,” Rosfeld said in the complaint. The case was then referred to Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. for prosecution. Rosfeld was provided a letter of termination on Jan. 18 from Loftus, and resigned immediately, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The termination letter references a personnel investigation involving Rosfeld, the details of which are not known publicly or by Rosfeld, his legal counsel told the Post-Gazette. The date for this case’s next hearing has not yet been announced.

side host similar programs throughout the year. According to Sheehy, the event has been a major success so far. As a result, Pitt Parking changed the event’s end date to be through the month of December. “Due to overwhelming support, we are extending Parking’s Donations for Citations. Through the month of December, the Parking Office will accept food donations as payment for parking citations issued before Nov. 1,” Sheehy said in an email. According to its website, the Pitt Pantry aims to provide regular access to healthy food options

for anyone in the Pitt community earning less than 150 percent of the federal poverty line, or an annual income of $18,090 or less for a singleperson household. Items from “Donations for Citations” fully benefit the Pantry. According to University spokesperson Joe Miksch, there is no current figure on the number of donated items or people who have donated. He said an estimate on how much was raised will likely be available in early December. On behalf of the Pantry, Miksch also said the University knows from national data that food insecurity across all demographics spikes during

the holiday season due to changes in financial allocations, such as spending money on travel and gifts instead of food. But on Pitt’s campus, a majority of students shopping at the Pantry experience less food insecurity during the holidays as they visit family members who provide them with meals. “The challenge arises when they return to campus and need to restock their cupboards [or] rooms to get ready for spring semester,” Miksch said on behalf of the Pantry in an email.

November 20, 2018

Read the rest online at pittnews.com.

2

Opinions

column

from the editorial board

How to handle relatives at Thanksgiving For many, one of the most time-honored traditions around the Thanksgiving holiday is the guarantee that at least one relative will take a stand on a political issue. It could be the vegan cousin who protested with PETA once and shames you every year for eating turkey. Or it could be the uncle who won’t take his MAGA hat off at the dinner table, smugly touching a gravy-coated finger to the brim every once in a while as if to draw everyone’s attention to it. It may feel more important now than ever to speak out against opinions you disagree with and to correct people who are spreading false information. While Thanksgiving dinner at your great-aunt’s house is not the ideal place to throw hands with your grandpa, there are ways of confronting loved ones without turning the conversation into a battleground whence your relationships may never recover. The holidays are so famously daunting as a time for political fights that former psychiatrist Dr. Karin Tamerius created an interactive program called Angry Uncle Bot to help teach people how to engage in civil political conversations. Tamerius is the founder and managing director of Smart Politics, a nonprofit organization that teaches people how to communicate in spite of a political climate that discourages productive conversation. When you first engage with the Angry Uncle Bot, the program asks you to choose between a more liberal and a more conservative uncle to talk to. It then begins a conversation with the kind of statement the user would most dread to hear from a family member.

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“Trump has been great for America!” the conservative Bot says. The liberal bot starts off with “We need medicare for all.” The user then has three options for responses and can choose how incendiary they want to be — pick one and find out if you’d start an argument or maintain a civil discourse. According to Tamerius, there are five steps to leaving a conversation with a relative without ending up at each others’ throats — ask curious, non-judgmental questions, listen to the answers, reflect on their answers, agree before you disagree and share your own view based on personal experience. “At the heart of the method is a simple idea,” Tamerius says. “People cannot communicate effectively about politics when they feel threatened. Direct attacks — whether in the form of logical argument, evidence or name-calling — trigger the sympathetic nervous system, limiting our capacity for reason, empathy and self-reflection.” So while it might be tempting to get angry at your relatives, it is possible to direct the conversation in a way that is inclusive and non-criticizing without having to disown anyone. Listening to what others have to say and trying to understand the way they experience things can be a good exercise for anyone. But there are some topics with which you might not feel comfortable taking a more lenient approach. When relatives make bigoted or just misinformed statements, you should feel comfortable correcting them — politely, of course, and with plenty of listening. Either way, you shouldn’t let politics ruin time with your family — or mashed potatoes — for you.

BEN SHAPIRO BRINGS MUCH-NEEDED POLITICAL DIVERSITY TO PITT

Ben Shapiro speaks at the 2018 Young Women’s Leadership Summit hosted by Turning Point USA in Dallas. GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR Still, he managed to upset some. ShaNeena Hagen piro opened his speech decrying the Tree Assistant Opinions Editor Ben Shapiro sure knows how to draw a of Life shooting and white supremacy, and then lambasted a number of Jewish students crowd. Tickets to see the conservative firebrand who penned an open letter in the Pittsburgh at Pitt sold out in mere minutes at the Wil- Post-Gazette calling him a “GOP apologist” liam Pitt Union. Three hours before Shapiro and a “mouthpiece for white supremacy.” “This is obviously a disgusting and vile began speaking, the standby line snaked around Alumni Hall. Hundreds of people slur against me and against those who atpushed and shoved to get their hands on tend my lectures,” Shapiro said at Pitt. “This one of only 30 coveted standby tickets, all is the way too much of our debate goes while listening to protestors chant from the these days.” Shapiro’s views are staunchly, unapolomouth of the building. Still, amid all the chaos, one thing was getically conservative — taxes are too high, clear — Pitt was a bit more open to Shapiro’s abortion should be illegal, Social Security presence than other universities, showing and Medicare privatized and the Affordable very little of the hostility that often greets Care Act repealed. But he’s not the hateful conservative speakers who dare to show right-wing villain liberals paint him as. “[Shapiro is] someone who wants to kick their faces to politically strident college students. Pitt has the right idea — Shapiro up a lot of dust and bait people into becommay be forceful in his arguments, but he’s a ing this stereotype he’s trying to paint,” Nick principled conservative who shouldn’t whip up the left into throngs of anger.

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See Hagen on page 4

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Hagen, pg. 3 Giangiulio, a senior philosophy major who stood with protestors for the entirety of the event, told The Pitt News. “We tailored our tactics towards who Ben Shapiro is and the audience he was trying to cultivate.” But Shapiro’s tactics bear stark contrast to those of an actual professional provocateur like Milo Yiannopoulos — another young conservative speaker who’s frequented college campuses, including Pitt, and who’s gained infamy for his silly, offensive stunts that have included intentional cultural appropriation and calling feminists ugly. “I’ve taken it upon myself to go through life as offensively as possible,” Yiannopoulos said during his 2016 speech at Pitt. In response, 10 protesters made their way to the front of the stage, cutting off Yiannopoulos and shouting, “Two, four, six, eight — stop the violence, stop the rape.” Yiannopoulos pandered to a young, dissident conservative base to gain popularity and infamy. But Shapiro, instead of cozying up to everyone on the right, has routinely denounced problematic views on his own side. As an Orthodox Jew, Shapiro was quick to denounce the racist and anti-Semitic alt-right movement at a time when most young conservatives found it to be hip and counterculture. As a result, according to the Anti-Defamation League, he was the number-one target of anti-Semitic tweets in 2016. “Conservatism is all about the idea that we are individuals given rights by God … and that has nothing to do with the beliefs in the inferiority in any particular group,” Shapiro said at Pitt. “I am trying to militantly defend conservative ideas. I’m not going to be anti-left for the sake of it.” Shapiro’s views embody principled mainstream conservatism in every way, so it’s difficult to understand the tremendous backlash he receives — particularly violent protests. At Berkeley just last year, Shapiro needed hundreds of law enforcement officers, all equipped with riot gear, to protect him from an onslaught of violent protestors trying silence him — the security costs amounted to more than half a million dollars. And at CSULA several months prior, hundreds of rioters barri-

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caded the doors to Shapiro’s talk, forcing him and his supporters, flanked by dozens of security guards, to slip into the building through a secret backdoor entrance. Such measures are ridiculous considering that many, including Pitt junior Jordan Koupal, feel Shapiro doesn’t hold hateful views. “I think there’s a lot of misconceptions that what he says is hateful. It’s laughable that people think that,” the senior economics major said. Giangiulio said peaceful protesters, like the ones at Pitt, help dispel with misconceptions that left-wing protests are a disorderly, riotous mob — which was the case at numerous universities Shapiro visited, and which prompted Pitt to levy a $5,500 security fee on Young America’s Foundation, the organization sponsoring Shapiro. While such a fee was understandable given Shapiro’s history of prompting protests, the blame ultimately falls on rioters at previous universities for mischaracterizing Shapiro’s views and trying to shut him down as a result — and it certainly frustrates conservative students. Watching mainstream conservatives like Shapiro be the target of protests doesn’t give conservative students much faith in the tolerance of their liberal peers. But luckily, full-scale riots like the ones Shapiro has endured aren’t the norm at universities — protesters only represent the fringes of the left. Still, while conservatives aren’t under siege at most universities — including Pitt — they are outnumbered. Thirtynine percent of liberal arts colleges in the United States sampled in a 2018 study had no Republican professors at all — and 70 percent of faculty were Democrats. In an open-debate environment universities should foster, Shapiro is the sharp, assertive voice the conservative movement needs to combat colleges’ constant hammering of left-wing talking points. In the words of Jim Messina, a top White House staffer under the Obama administration, “If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard” — and Shapiro certainly packs the intellectual punch to hit back twice as hard against both the left and the fascist right.

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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 intended 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 editor@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

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4

Culture

Review: ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ focuses on sequel-baiting pittnews.com

BHANGRA IN THE BURGH KICKS UP THE BEAT Maya Best

For The Pitt News Pitt students cheered and waved Pittsburgh flags as First Class Bhangra members danced under a dimmed glow that quickly transitioned into strobe lights illuminating the bright array of colors on their clothing. The auditorium at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall was filled with energy on Saturday as part of the 2018 Bhangra in the Burgh dance competition. Crowds gathered for the 12th Bhangra in the Burgh, an annual nonprofit nationwide Bhangra dance competition. This year’s ticket proceeds went to the creative and expressive arts therapy program at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Bhangra is a traditional folk dance from Punjab, the northern region of India, known for brightly colored traditional clothing, upbeat music and fast-paced, energetic moves. Eight teams performed before judges to compete for a $2,500 cash prize and trophy. The competing teams included the Toronto All-Star Girls, Da Real Punjabiz from California, Cornell Bhangra, Illini Bhangra from Illinois, Furteelay Shokeen from Detroit, Capital Bhangra from Washington, Pitt’s team First Class Bhangra and Michigan Bhangra Team. The individual dancers wore different colored clothing, ranging from bright oranges to dark purples with gold embellishments. Performers danced holding sapp — a wooden instrument with many x-shaped small parts that is played by expanding and collapsing like an accordion — to produce a loud clapping sound. The teams showed off various tricks such as bending and throwing their khundas — long decorative hooked sticks. Capital Bhangra from Washington impressed the audience by dancing while holding the khundas in their mouths. While Bhangra is traditionally a male dance, the Toronto All-Star Girls Bhangra team pushed the boundaries by showing what an all-female group can do. They started off the competition with a variety of Bhangra dance styles ranging

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Eight competitive teams and five exhibition teams performed at Bhangra in the Burgh in Soldiers and Sailors Saturday night. Anna Bongardino | visual editor from Punjabi folk to modern dance moves. Sophomore economics and pre-med student Aagmya Singh, the Pitt public relations representative for the Bhangra in the Burgh executive board, was particularly excited to see Pitt’s team perform. “Last year second place was First Class Bhangra, Pitt and CMU’s team,” Singh said. “Maybe FCB will win [this year]. They’re pretty good.” And they did. FCB is based at the University of Pittsburgh, but anyone in the City can join. It began in 2009 as a team of professional Bhangra dancers in Pittsburgh, but so many Pitt students were members that two years ago, it officially became affiliated with the University. The team won second place at last year’s Bhangra in the Burgh, and has competed around the country in Los Angeles, Houston and Washington. Rishaan Sharma — a senior neuroscience and sociology major and one of the three FCB captains — has been on the team since his first year at Pitt, and has been dancing Bhangra since

his childhood. In college he discovered the huge circuit of Bhangra teams competing across the country and how it differs from the traditional dance styles. “Now it’s kind of transformed into something that I like to call an Indian sort of hip-hop where we incorporate a lot of Western elements, and a lot of rap and Western music,” Sharma said. “It’s kind of changed from something traditional to something more electric and fun.” They were preparing for the past five months, practicing four times a week for three hours each in Posvar Hall. Many of FCB’s members came in with no prior dancing experience. The team works to encourage members to be interested not only in Bhangra dance, but also the Punjabi culture. “Most of the people you’ll see dancing on stage actually didn’t have any experience before coming to college,” Sharma said. “But we really pride ourselves on getting the dancers not only interested in the dance but also the culture because the culture and the dance are really inter-

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twined. So that’s how they get really passionate about it and that’s how they get better.” Carnegie Mellon University students Manav Anand and Japkirat Pannun were the emcees for the evening. The pair introduced the performing acts with humorous comments and inside jokes with specific references to Indian culture, such as calling out to the Indian “aunties” in the audience and describing arranged marriage as a vetted version of Tinder. Both Anand and Pannun had danced for their university’s team CMU Bhangra in their freshman year but had to leave after the first semester to pursue other commitments. They referenced their own short-lived “attempt” at Bhangra in their jokes. Anand — a junior finance and statistics major at Carnegie Mellon University — was especially impressed by FCB’s performance this year and thought their award was well deserved. “Their performance was amazing,” Anand said. “When they threw the khundas across the stage, that was so cool. I’ve never seen anything like that. The amount of detail they paid attention to was out of this world.” Several exhibition teams performed between the competitors to compliment the competition dancers. Pitt Avaaz — an a cappella group that sings Hindi, English, and Spanish mashups — performed two songs, mixing American and Hindi pop songs. CMU dance troupe Sahara showed off their Bollywood fusion dance moves. School-aged girls from the Nandinik Dance Academy performed Indian classical dance to a Carnatic mix of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.” It was sophomore natural sciences major Pallavi Muluk’s third time going to Bhangra in the Burgh. As a Pittsburgh native, she was excited to be able to enjoy the performance as a Pitt student this year. “One of my friends is on FCB so I came to support him,” Muluk said. “It’s really cool that now that I go to Pitt I know some of the team members a lot better. It’s a really cool way to show off Indian culture.”

5

Sports

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: HOW INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING

Dominic Campbell

Kene Chukwuka, a Pitt basketball player originally from Stockholm, Sweden, didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving until he came to America in 2016 to play for New Mexico Junior College, before signing with Pitt in 2017. Last year, Chukwuka’s Thanksgiving was spent at a restaurant with the team, but this year, he will be spending it with junior guard Malik Ellison’s family. “I will be staying with Malik [Ellison] on the team,” the sophomore forward said. “He’s going home … so I’m going to enjoy Thanksgiving with one of my teammates. It’s going to be pretty cool.” Even though he got most of his food from a restaurant, Chukwuka did experience some real Thanksgiving food last year when Ellison brought back leftovers. “I had a plate from [Ellison’s] family last year,” Chukwuka said. “He had some good wings.” Chukwuka is one of five international athletes that play on the men’s basketball team, spanning from Canada to Nigeria. The women’s basketball team is no different, hosting three international athletes, from Canada, Greece and England. Kyla Nelson, a sophomore guard for the Pitt women, is the most prominent international athlete on the team. Originally from England, she has spent time playing for both Oaklands College and the Great Britain senior team. Nelson experienced her first Thanksgiving last year. To celebrate, she went to one of her teammate’s houses with the team and ate traditional Thanksgiving food her teammate’s family made. “I enjoy it,” Nelson said. “I like the whole thought of Thanksgiving, like giving back and being together. I love the food so I’m excited to celebrate it.” Because she has a sweet tooth, Nelson loved all the pies and desserts Americans make, but she also likes sweet potatoes and cornbread — things she never tried until she came to the States.

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Eli Savage | STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

Staff Writer

Nelson’s second Thanksgiving will be a little different than her first. Instead of spending time at a teammate’s house, Nelson and the team will be traveling to Nashville, Tennessee, to play in the Challenge in Music City. “I’m excited,” Nelson said. “It will be nice to spend Thanksgiving with the whole team … because they are like my second family away from home.” So far Nelson’s Thanksgiving plans most likely include a practice, but she isn’t sure how her team will celebrate. “Our coaches are very family oriented,” Nelson said. “I’m sure they’ll do something for the holiday as a whole team and as like a family. Unlike the women’s team, the men’s basketball team will be home to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Chukwuka and graduate guard Sidy N’Dir are two of the five international players on the men’s team. N’Dir is from Burgundy, France, but has spent more time in the States than Chukwuka has. He went to high school in Florida at West Oaks Academy and then played basketball for New Mexico State, where he helped the Aggies to a WAC title and an NCAA tournament appearance. Having never celebrated Thanksgiving before, N’Dir and Chukwuka have similar feelings when it comes to the holidays. “[Thanksgiving] doesn’t really mean that much to me because we don’t celebrate it back home,” Chukwuka said. “So to me it means good food and good company.” N’Dir feels the same way about the holiday,

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but also enjoys the family and cultural aspect of Thanksgiving. “I mean, I’ve been here for a couple years now so it’s cool to see the culture here and Thanksgiving’s really important,” N’Dir said. “We don’t celebrate it in France, but it’s a great feeling I guess … there’s always a lot of food and laughs and I guess it’s cool.” While he was at New Mexico State the last few seasons, N’Dir said that there wasn’t anything different about the holiday despite being far away from high school in Florida. “It was the same thing,” N’Dir said. “We usually had a little dinner with the team or go out with your teammates to the coach’s house and just have Thanksgiving there.” Even though it’s a new holiday, N’Dir has adapted to the food quickly and enjoys typical Thanksgiving foods. “I definitely like stuffing,” N’Dir said. “That’s definitely good. I also really like turkey as well.” Even with the fun of the holidays, both teams still have games to focus on. The men’s team will be taking on undefeated St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 21, in the Barclays Classic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The women’s team will be playing two Power 5 schools and a mid-major team that is hosting the tournament. The Challenge begins Friday night against Wisconsin and then consists of two more games, Arkansas on Saturday and Tennessee State on Sunday for the women. Despite the difficulty of these games, Nelson says that she and team are ready and want to play better competition early in the season. “It will definitely be tough, but I mean we want challenges this year and we want to be pushing in non-conference so we can be ready for conference play,” Nelson said. “I’m just excited to keep playing and getting better as a team and proving a lot of people things that we could do this year.”

6

STAFF PICKS: MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR IN PITT ATHLETICS

The Pitt News Staff It’s been a busy year in Pitt Athletics — the basketball team hired Jeff Capel as its new head coach, Pat Narduzzi signed a contract extension, the football team is playing in the ACC Championship Game and the volleyball team won the ACC. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, The Pitt News sports staff took a look at the previous year and reflected on what they are most thankful for when it comes to Pitt Athletics. Trent Leonard: This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for Jeff Capel. This time last year, the men’s basketball team was 1-4 through non-conference play under much-maligned former head coach Kevin Stallings, opening the season with losses to mediocre opponents like Navy and Montana. After the Panthers were hit hard with graduating seniors and a mass exodus of transfers, the 2017 squad found itself relying on middle-tier recruits and junior college transfers — not a good recipe for success in the nation’s best basketball conference. The Panthers went winless (0-18) in the

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ACC for the first time in program history. At the time, I was part of the minority faction that defended Stallings. It wasn’t really his fault that so many players transferred due to a coaching change, I thought. Give him a few years to recruit and develop his own players before we call for the man’s job, I said. Thank goodness I’m not Pitt’s athletic director. Pitt’s actual athletic director, Heather Lyke, wasted no time in firing Stallings after the Panthers’ nightmare season from hell. Three weeks later, she managed to pry Jeff Capel — a former head coach at VCU and Oklahoma with a track record of recruiting success and NCAA Tournament appearances — away from his ass=istant coaching position at Duke. The seemingly ideal hire spurred an offseason full of hype, and the expectations only grew larger when Capel nabbed three highly touted guard recruits. Fast forward to right now, and the new-look Panthers are off to a 5-0 start under coach Capel. Unlike last year, the Panthers are tearing through their non-conference schedule and

winning the games they’re supposed to in dominant fashion, including a 94-55 win over VMI and a 97-71 win over Central Arkansas. Capel’s new system is noticeably different from last year’s, with Pitt pushing the pace and moving the ball on offense, then playing frenetic on-ball defense. The first-year recruits look great — especially explosive point guard Xavier Johnson, who leads the team in points and assists. None of this would be possible without Capel, who obviously has the team heading in the right direction. So be thankful, Pitt fans. Instead of going through another year of The Stallings Experiment, we get to witness a fun and exciting team that looks poised for future success. Tyler Moran: College football has always been my favorite sport, so it makes sense that it’s what I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving. When I first toured Pitt, I remember hearing about the game-day shuttles and I started getting pumped about the thought of being in the student section. A good football team was one of my pref-

November 20, 2018

erences when choosing a college — it wasn’t a top priority, but it was definitely a factor. Being a longtime Ohio State fan, I always wanted to go there for undergrad for their football games. I got accepted to Ohio State, but turned it down to go to Pitt — I’m thankful I made that decision. I love it here, and Pitt football has already given me memories I will have for the rest of my life. Pitt will play Clemson in the ACC Championship Game — something few people predicted after Pitt went 3-2 in its first five games. Watching Pitt all season has made me really fall in love with this team, and I get more excited watching Pitt games than I do with Ohio State games. I get to see my school — my real school — play in its conference championship game. Pitt winning that game would make this season more unforgettable than it already is. Tessa Sayers: This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for being able to cover Pitt Athletics.

Find the full story online at

pittnews.com

Sylvia Freeman | STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

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I N D E X

Rentals & Sublet • NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER

For Rent South Oakland ** 5 Bedroom/2 full bath; HUGE HOME‑ duplex style, three sto‑ ries. COM­PLETELY REMOD­ELED, 2 living rooms, 2 kitch‑ ens, 2 dining rooms, LAUN­DRY and a huge yard to enjoy! Huge Bed­rooms! Located on Dawson Street. PITT Shuttle stops directly in front of house, only 15 minute level walk to PITT/CMU. $3,495+. Available 8/1/2019. NO PETS. Call Jason at 412‑922‑2141. Pictures‑ Info: tinyurl. com/dawson­home ***August 2019 rental. 4 BR+TV room/ 2 BA apartment. Wall‑to‑wall carpet‑ ing. Kitchen w/dish­ washer. Wash­er/Dryer. $2300/month + utili­ ties. 724‑934‑0653. **2, 3, 4 Bedroom Houses/Apartments in South Oakland. Available for rent August 2019. Very clean with different amenities (dish­ washer, A/C, washer and dryer, 1‑2 Baths, off‑street parking, newer ap­pliances & sofas). Check out my Face­book page: https:­//www. facebook.­com/ KenEckenrode­ RealEstate/. Call Ken at 412‑287‑4438 for more informa­ tion and showings or email name, phone

pittnews.com

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

number, desired number of bed­ rooms, and anything else you want in housing to kenshous­ ing@gmail.com. **AUGUST 2019: Furnished studios, 1,2,3,4 bedroom apartments. No pets. Non‑smokers pre­ ferred. 412‑621‑0457. 1‑6 bedroom. All newly renovated, air‑conditioning, dish­washer, washer/ dryer, and parking. Most units on busline and close to Pitt. Avail­able Summer 2019. 412‑915‑0856 or email klucca@veri­ zon.net. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 BR apartments available May & August 2019. South Oakland, North Oakland, and South­ side on Bouqet St., Meyran Ave., At­wood St., North Neville St., and Sarah St. Call 412‑287‑5712 2 units for rent: First floor ‑ 2BD, 1BA, $1,200 everything in­cluded. 2nd and 3rd floor apt. 4BR, 1BA, $1,500 everything in­cluded. Please call 412‑353‑6623 2‑3‑4‑5‑6‑7 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2019. Nice, clean, free laundry, in­ cludes exterior main­ tenance, new appli­ ances, spa­cious, and located on Semple, Oak­land Ave., Mey­ ran Ave., Welsford, Bates, Dawson, and Mckee 412‑414‑9629. douridaboud­

Classifieds

For sale

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

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

propertymanage­ ment.com 2BR apt South Oak­ land. $1,095/mo + electric. New kitchen, bal­cony, and A/C. Call 412‑6661‑6622 3 BR house with hard­wood floors. Fur­nished or Unfur­ nished. Available July 2019. $1725+Utilities. Call 412‑952‑1513 3436 Ward. Spacious 2‑Bedroom, 1 bath, equipped kitchen, $1,195 + electric, Heat included. 412‑271‑5550 4 BR HOME ‑ SEM­ PLE STREET, LO­ CATED NEAR LOU‑ ISA. EQUIPPED KITCHEN, FULL BASEMENT. NEW CENTRAL AIR ADDED. AVAIL­ ABLE IMMEDI­ ATELY AND RENT­ING FOR MAY AND AUGUST 2019. (412) 343‑4289 or 412‑330‑9498. Apartments for rent. 2, 3, and 4 bedroom apartments avail‑ able. Some available on Dawson Street, At­wood Street, and Mc­kee Place. Newly re­modeled. Some have laundry on site. Min­utes from the Univer­sity. For more info please call Mike at 412‑849‑8694 Atwood Street. 1BR units ‑ $525/mo. Very close to cam­pus. Units available now. (412)‑561‑7964. Leave message Before signing a lease, be aware that no

notices

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

more than 3 unre­lated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Per­mits, Licensing & In­spections. 412‑255‑2175. Houses for rent. steps to campus. starting at $1800+ utilities. Fully equipped kitchen. Laundy Available in august 2019. call Brian 412‑916‑4777 M.J. Kelly Realty. Studio, 1, 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Apart­ments, Duplexes and Houses. N. & S. Oakland from $750‑$2500. mjkellyrealty@gmail.­ com. 412‑271‑5550. www.mjkellyrealty.­ com Newly remodeled first floor apartment with 2/3 BR and laun­dry in apartment. $1500 + utilities. 412‑683‑0363 Newly remodeled sec­ond and third floor, 5 BR, 2 BA apartment with laundry room in­ side apartment. $3000 + utilities. Has a sky‑ light. 412‑683‑0363

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

16-30 Words

1X

2X

3X

4X

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

5X $27.00 $29.10

6X $30.20 $32.30

Add. + $5.00 + $5.40

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

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

info@kellyrealtyinc.­ com Oakland ‑ various South Oakland loca­ tions. Oakland Ave ‑ 2 BD/1 BA, hard­wood floors, free heat, avail‑ able Au­gust 1, 2019. S. Bou­quet ‑ 2 BD/1 BA available May 1. Ward St. ‑ studio, 1, 2, 3 BD. Free park­ing, free heat, avail­able August 1, 2019. Call 412‑361‑2695 Outstanding One Bed­rooms located throughout South Oakland; Fifth Ave, Meyran, Pier, Sem­ple, Blvd of Allies, Ward; Rents Starting at: $740‑$825 Contact: John C.R. Kelly Office: 412‑683‑7300 Email: info@kellyre­ altyinc.com Website: www.­ jcrkelly.com South Oakland off‑campus housing. 2‑6 BR apartments/­ houses for rent. Up­dated kitchens and Bathrooms. A/C, laundry, and some with parking. Avaial­ able August of 2019. 412‑445‑6117

Southside August 2019 avail­able 3 and 5 bedroom house. New kitchen, AC, 2 new bath­ rooms, washer and dryer, and dish­washer. 1508 Sarah St. Call 412‑287‑5712

Employment Employment Other Child care assistance needed, working with infants, toddlers, or preschool. Flexible scheduling, $10/hour. 412‑462‑4463 Medical and Heart Care, Students Welcome, 155 N. Craig Street, Dean Kross, MD, 412‑687‑7666 Part‑Time Job: Earn up to $200 a day driv­ ing and hanging out with senior citizens. Apply here: https:­// www.fountain.com/­ papa‑technologies/ ap­ply/pittsburgh‑pa‑ pa‑pal

North / South O Houses and Apart­ ments with Laundry and Central Air Call 412‑38‑Lease Now renting fall 2019 various two bed­rooms units in South Oak‑ land, Bates, Coltart, Edith, Halket Place, Ward Street; rent start‑ ing from $975‑$1410 Contact: John C.R. Kelly 412‑683‑7300 www.jcrkelly.com

November 20, 2018

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