11-4-15

The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh

Men soccer’s coach retires after 32 seasons.

Page 9 November 4, 2015 | Issue 56 | Volume 106

POLICE FIND MAN WITH SYRINGES

Danielle Fox Editor-in-Chief

Mechanical engineering student Todd Jasinski solders his latest project for his measurements class.

Meghan Sunners | SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SGB INVITES PPC TO ASSEMBLY Dale Shoemaker News Editor

Seeking student feedback, Pitt Student Government Board has invited a 10th student group to join its student assembly.

SGB introduced a bill at its weekly public meeting Tuesday to invite Pitt Program Council to the assembly. The assembly, which meets on the first and third Monday of every month, is an initiative SGB President Nasreen Ha-

run started in February to allow student groups to work more closely with SGB. Harun said Tuesday the Board will table the bill and post it on its website for students to review for one week and vote on it next meeting.

The assembly acts as a lower governing body to SGB, with the ability to introduce and vote on bills and resolutions it can then pitch to the full board.

Currently, the Assembly includes all eight student groups affiliated with Student Affairs, including the Resident Student Association, the Interfraternity Council and the Nursing Student Association. The assembly also includes the Rainbow Alliance and the Campus Women’s Organization.

With the addition of the PPC, the Assembly will have 11 total members.

Though PPC isn’t an official memSee SGB on page 3

Pitt Police are still investigating a man they found unresponsive beside syringes in a first floor bathroom in Wesley W. Posvar Hall Tuesday afternoon.

A Pitt senior who refused to give his name to The Pitt News said he was standing next to a man in the first floor bathroom when the man dropped syringes, lost consciousness and started gasping for air.

The senior said he called Pitt Police, who arrived at about 12:40 p.m.

Pitt Police Lt. David Basile confirmed that police removed two syringes from the bathroom.

“But we don’t know what’s in [the syringes] yet,” Basile said. “We can’t speculate.”

Basile said the man was initially unresponsive, but came to and spoke with police in the bathroom. Paramedics transported the man, who appeared shaken, sweaty and pale, to UPMC Presbyterian at about 12:50 p.m.

According to Pitt spokesperson John Fedele, the young man was not a student, faculty member or staff member of the University. The University could not release the man’s condition.

News

NEW CITY DATA PAINTS PICTURE OF OAKLAND Earlier this fall, Pitt, the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County published more than 100 public data records online. The records of 311 calls show what really bothers Oakland residents. | by Annemarie Carr To fill you in, from Feb. 20 through Nov. 2., the city received 148 calls about potholes in South Oakland.

According to data recently released by the city, Oakland residents also wish students would pipe down, pick up their trash and stop stealing street signs already.

In October 2006, the city launched a phone line, 311, where residents can report non-emergencies. For the first time since it’s conception, the city made call records public to the community. In September, the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center — a coalition of the University of Pittsburgh, the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County — released a database of its call records from 2015 as part of a transparency initiative to make public information more accessible. See pittnews.com for the full, interactive set of Pittsburgh’s 311 data.

The dataset includes 28,651 call records from Feb. 20 through Nov. 2. Of those, 877 calls came from Oakland, including 148 for potholes in the streets and 82 for brok e n , d a m aged or missing street signs.

B e hind the n u m bers lies a picture of the people in charge of fielding callers’ problems.

Assistant 311 supervisor Naomi John-

son, for example, said she remembers a woman calling about being locked in her house while she was in possession of her keys. The woman did not r e a l ize she could have unlocked the door herself and instead called 3 1 1 .

Johnson said they tried to find a way for someone to check on her and eventually got in touch with the woman’s daughter.

Right now we get about 300 to 325 [calls] a day.

-Naomi Johnson

“Not everyone realizes we are not an emergency line, and we get some off-thewall calls sometimes,” Johnson said, remembering a time when someone called to ask the phone number of the McDonald’s on Penn Avenue.

Johnson said the number of calls Pittsburghers make to 311 varies by season, but the most commonly reported problems are potholes and repaving needs.

The number of calls increases drastically during the city’s annual pothole blitz, an around-the-clock pothole filling day usually in March.

“We get an extreme [number] of calls during the pothole blitz, but right now we get about 300 to 325 a day,” Johnson said.

Johnson said about five to nine 311 operators answer calls and record information about incidents happening in the city See 311 on page 4

Top 311 Complaints in Oakland from Feb. 20, 2015 to Nov. 2, 2015

leak

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overgrowth

street cleaning traffic signal paving request replace/repair/ graffiti repair request new sign removal

weeds/debris

November 4, 2015

violations

potholes

2 See 311 on page 2

SGB, pg. 1 ber of the assembly until SGB votes on and approves the bill, PPC’s executive board director, Iris Matijevic, began attending its meetings last week.

The assembly works to establish communication between student groups, Harun said.

“The idea is to create a voice for more of the student body,” Harun said.

Along with delegates from the 10 member organizations, SGB Executive Vice President Everett Green serves as an ex officio member and speaker of the assembly, and Harun serves as a nonvoting ex officio member. Board member Natalie Dall also serves as speaker pro tempore.

So far, Harun said, the assembly has not introduced or passed any bills or resolutions, and has been focusing on networking and working out ways the groups can partner and collaborate on events and initiatives.

At the last meeting, for example, Green said members of the Asian Student Alliance mentioned they were planning a cultural event and asked if anyone wanted to help.

See SGB on page 4

Board member Everett Green and President Nasreen Harun introduce a bill to add PCC to the SGB Assembly. Nikki Moriello | Visual Editor

The Pitt News SuDoku 11/4/15 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

pittnews.com

November 4, 2015

3

311, pg. 2 every weekday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Operators then send the information to the corresponding city department, such as the Department of Public Works, and provide the caller with a reference number.

Though Pitt Police don’t receive 311 calls directly, officer Guy Johnson said 311 sends a representative to monthly Oakwatch meetings to notify police of code and ordinance violations.. Oakwatch is a division of the Oakland Planning and Development

Corporation whose members are city officials and local Oakland residents.

Oakwatch enforces codes in the Oakland neighborhood including negligent property owners, housing and parking violations, disruptive behavior, excessive noise and underage drinking, according to the OPDC communications manager, Rebekkah Ranallo.

“We promote 311, so people know about it,” Ranallo said. “We’re in touch with 311 staff to follow up on issues [after they are reported].”

Oakwatch board members encourage community members to call 311 about issues they discuss at its meetings, Ranallo said.

Johnson said it can take a few days for departments to respond to the problems.

The City usually fixes bigger issues, such as electricity outages, within 48 hours, but for longer jobs, such as potholes or properties with overgrowth, they try to get someone to take a look within three days.

“We act as a liaison between the residents and the departments,” Johnson said.

SGB, pg. 4 Though no one spoke up immediately, interactions like that, Green and Harun said, are the spirit of the assembly.

“I mean, we’re students, but we’re in it for the students,” Harun said.

Because each group SGB invited into the assembly plays a role in a significant portion of Pitt’s student body, it also disseminates information about important campus events. To facilitate this, Green said he is setting up a Facebook page for the assembly where members could post information about its members’ events, programs and projects.

“It’s a communication piece that may have been lacking before,” Green said.

At last week’s assembly meeting, Matijevic, a senior European Union, German and Political Science major, said she used her time there to inform members about upcoming PPC projects and events.

“It’s beneficial to everyone involved because it opens up lines of communication between them,” Matijevic said.

Allocations: Lady Panther Lacrosse Club requested $10,000 to attend the Santa Barbara Shootout in Santa Barbara, California.

The board approved the request in full.

The Club Golf Team requested $8,086.49 to attend a national tournament. The board approved $5,601.49 and denied $2,485.

The Quidditch Club requested $1,234.43 to attend a tournament. The board approved the request in full.

WANT MORE CONTENT? GO ONLINE TO

pittnews.com pittnews.com

November 4, 2015

4

Health & Fitness

RISKING CHANGE

the customer’s sake.

“There has to be an operational change that filters down to products, innovation and culture,” Kwasnik said.

When competition or controversy strikes, yoga studios “Changing a name is like waving a flag. take a deep breath, strike a pose and change their names Waving a flag is great, but you better

by Lauren Rosenblatt have a good army behind it.” inspired yoga, which follows a series of Yoga is about focusing on the moFor Sara Azarius Eichmiller, owner poses in a 105 degree room to sweat out ment, the pose and the current breath. of Yoga on Centre, a studio on Centre impurities while improving flexibility, But for some yoga enthusiasts, accepting Avenue that specializes in Iyengar yoga, but will now expand to several different the history behind a certain yoga brand building the size of the army is not as imtypes of yoga, including Vinyasa Flow, a is too big of a stretch. portant as showing that your army is the dance-like yoga that focuses on breathWhen five women accused Bikram only one of its kind. ing.

Choudhury — founder of the extremely Eichmiller said the company plans “We repopular branch of yoga, Bikram Yoga to change alized our — of several instances of sexual assault, their name name was human trafficking and racist remarks last to Iyengar not reflectMarch, several studios in the country Yoga Ining the inchanged their names to disassociate with stitute of clusive nathe founder. Choudhury is still awaiting Pittsburgh ture of the trial, but yesterday, Bikram Yoga Squirrel to reflect studio.

It Hill joined that list, effectively changing their own David Kwasnik mission of was limitits name to I am Yoga. ing,” Rankin Partner and creative director at Gatesman + Dave providing “It does have something to do with said. “We that. People might think ‘Oh, I don’t a different decided to go with a more expansive support [Choudhury], so I don’t suptype of yoga to Pittsburgh residents. name.” port that studio,” Rebecca Rankin, owner Just like a new name can help a studio According to David Kwasnick, a partof Bikram Yoga Squirrel Hill, said. “We distance itself from controversy, a new ner and chief creative officer for Gatesdon’t really relate to that. We’re not a name can make a studio get noticed — man + Dave, a Pittsburgh marketing franchise. It was time for a more empowin a good way. communications agency, name changes ering name.”

“The market is saturated with generic show clientele that studios are socially According to a release from Bikram yoga. People are getting more discerning aware.

Yoga Squirrel Hill, the studio will change between this style versus that style, so I For businesses that are not surroundits name to I am Yoga to more accurately think studios have to start differentiating ed by controversy, Kwasnik said, creating reflect its mission to create a nonjudgeand being more specialized,” Eichmiller a new title is always wrought with peril. mental place where everyone feels welsaid.

For Kwasnick, the only right reason is to come and empowered.

Iyengar yoga is a therapeutic type of use the change to improve something for They will continue to offer Bikramyoga that makes participants hold poses

“

There has to be operational change that filters down to products, innovation and culture

pittnews.com

November 4, 2015

for a few minutes at a time and encourages people to listen to their body when getting into a pose. Today, Yoga on Centre is the only studio in Pittsburgh practicing this kind of yoga.

Iyengar yoga is used for therapeutic purposes for people with brain tumors, Parkinson’s disease or who are recovering from a stroke. Eichmiller said when the studio changes its name, it will also change to become a nonprofit organization to provide funding for people who can’t afford physical therapy, but need the treatment.

Eichmiller opened Yoga on Centre 11 years ago. Before that, her studio was called Shadyside Yoga and was located on Ellsworth Avenue. “[When we opened], I used a more generic name because people weren’t familiar with different styles back then,” Eichmiller said. “But now, there are many studios with more generic mixing styles, so we are changing our name to be very clear about what we do and how it’s different from what everyone else is doing.”

According to Kwasnik, as long as there are no customer service issues and the clientele is happy, a name change should not affect the success of the company significantly.

“They’re going to the studio for the instructors, for the environment, for a place they like, and that’s much bigger than a name,” Kwasnick said. “The name changes, but the people and the experience does not.”

5

Opinions

column

from the editorial board

Transgender misconceptions cloud policy Federal education authorities have handed down their firmest stance on the rights of transgender students yet.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education determined that an Illinois school district had violated anti-discrimination laws by preventing a transgender student, who identifies as a girl and plays on a girls’ sports team, from changing and showering openly in the girls’ locker room.

This overdue precedent will hopefully inspire students to fight discriminatory policies and influence courts to let them win when they do so.

In response to the Department of Education’s finding, district officials came up with a plan to balance the rights of the transgender student and of students who complained about invasions of privacy. Officials at a Palatine, Illinois high school decided to require the transgender student, who is undergoing hormone therapy, to change behind privacy curtains.

The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Education said on Monday that the school’s policy violated the student’s rights under Title IX, a federal law that bans sex discrimination. If school officials fail to resolve the matter in 30 days, the school could lose some, or all, of its Title IX funding.

At the root of this locker room showdown is a prevailing — as well as false and backwards — idea that people “become” transgender for ulterior reasons. This baseless phobia of transgender attraction harms transgender rights. It mocks transgender issues, stunts acceptance and opens the door for people to write off the importance of using spaces that align with your gender identity.

Earlier this year, presidential candidate Mike Huckabee described the transgender rights movement’s attempts to gain access into bathrooms and locker rooms as an attempt to fulfill perverted desires.

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“Now I wish that someone told me that when I was in high school that I could have felt like a woman when it came time to take showers in P.E.,” Huckabee said at the 2015 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. “I’m pretty sure I would’ve found my feminine side and said, ‘Coach, I think I’d rather shower with the girls today.’”

This isn’t the secluded opinion of one jerk.

According to a 2014 poll conducted by CBS News, 59 percent of Americans believe transgender individuals should use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender they were assigned at birth. Only 29 percent of Americans are comfortable with individuals choosing the bathroom they use according to their determined gender identity. This bigotry dominates policy.

Disputes between schools and transgender rights activists are nothing new, and they’ve surfaced on Pitt’s campus.

In 2012, former Pitt Johnstown student and transgender man, Seamus Johnston, filed a lawsuit against Pitt Johnstown after the university expelled him over a dispute concerning his use of the men’s bathrooms and locker rooms. Federal Judge Kim R. Gibson dismissed Johnston’s suit on the basis of Pitt Johnstown’s argument that Johnston could not claim protection based on transgender status without completing a gender transition and being recognized as a man by legal authorities.

Transgender individuals often have to jump through hoops before society even considers acknowledging their true gender.

Have they undergone a sex change? Do they have the right paperwork? Are they taking hormone therapy?

Where a transgender individual falls on the transitioning spectrum does not affect how strongly they identify with their gender.

So why does it affect how others perceive them?

Illustration by Terry Tan

MORE THAN AN ART: WRITING SKILLS ARE LIFE SKILLS Marlo Safi Columnist

You may be good at calculus or separating a compound, but can you describe these skills in a cover letter?

As a country, we’ve overlooked the importance of strong writing skills, siphoning language’s complexities out of our education system.

Although math and reading comprehension are incredibly important, we can’t favor them over writing as we

November 4, 2015

continue to be a tech-heavy, numbersloving society. Even students pursuing math-intensive fields, such as engineering or medicine, have to be proficient writers. No one can evade essays, application papers, professional letters or even funding requests and research proposals.

Most students, however, lack these writing skills that can help them succeed in their college courses.

See Safi on page 7

6

Safi, pg. 6 The Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates conducted a report on California’s higher education system faculty’s opinions of their students’ abilities to read, write and think critically. They found that 83 percent of college faculty said the lack of analytical reading skills contributes to a student’s lack of success in a course.

Faculty also determined that “only about one-third of entering college students are sufficiently prepared for the two most frequently assigned writing tasks: analyzing information or arguments and synthesizing information from several sources.”

When we lose the ability to write well, we lose the ability to think deeply. In order to equip students for professional success, we need to reevaluate how we

prepare them for lab reports in college.

A pre-med or engineering student still needs to know how to write a lab report and attend to a number of other writing assignments passed out in labs. Most classes require students to write papers on topics related to the coursework.

Writing is also a skill valued following college, as strong writing increases pay and hireability.

After surveying freelancers’ work and personal profiles, Grammarly, a program that corrects grammar, discovered a strong correlation between writing skills, hireability and pay. Greater writing skills also led to fewer mistakes on the job. Out of eight professions, including fields such as sales and marketing, administrative support and information technology and programming, writers ended up making the fewest errors per 100 words they wrote.

Having advanced writing skills makes

When we lose the ability to write well, we lose the ability to think deeply. teach writing in high school. Teachers should — occasionally — give writing assignments in STEM classes.

By assigning writing in classes that don’t traditionally focus on writing, students have more practice writing essays and more opportunities to expand their vocabularies. These future engineers and statisticians will learn the greater value of writing and the answer to the question “when am I ever going to need this?”

For example, on the AP U.S. History test, students are required to answer a free-response question that requires analysis of a topic and asked students to develop their answer in a way that exercises critical thinking. In biology, writing may allow students to better understand biological and chemical processes and

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you more competitive when you enter the workforce.

According to the College Board’s National Commission on Writing 2004 report, two-thirds of salaried workers in large U.S. companies have jobs that require writing. Employers spend $3.1 billion dollars annually training workers to bring their writing skills up to the standard required for their work.

Strong writing has more than aesthetic appeal. It demonstrates work aptitude, so we need to put it to work outside of the English classroom.

The Pitt News Editor-in-Chief DANIELLE FOX

Managing Editor HARRISON KAMINSKY

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

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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 Jenna Stearns | Social Media Editor

Katie Krater | Assistant Copy Chief

editor@pittnews.com

manager@pittnews.com

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

Marlo Safi primarily writes about public policy and politics for The Pitt News.

Write to Marlo at mes26@pitt.edu

November 4, 2015

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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7

Sports

Natalie Wilk prepares to ride at the start gate. Courtesy of Katie Epner

SNOW PATROL

In its third year back, the Pitt Ski and Snowboard team is chomping at the bit to hit the powder this winter. | by Steve Rotstein

Captain Kyle Wakeen competes in the slalom.

Courtesy of Katie Epner

pittnews.com

Katie Epner, a passionate downhill skier, couldn’t find see the sport she wanted at Pitt, but rather than wallow in her sorrows, she went and created a club for it.

Epner is a lifelong skier who competed in races as a high school student in Rochester, New York. A senior media and professional communications major, she founded the Pitt Ski and Snowboard team along with Kyle Wakeen as a sophomore in 2013.

Today, the experienced riders on the Pitt Ski and Snowboard team are waiting for the snow to fall and the racing gates to open

November 4, 2015

for them to continue their competition successes.

“Competing in races was the best decision I made in high school, and starting the team has been the best decision I made in college,” Epner said.

Epner got the idea to start the club before she even arrived at Pitt while researching extracurricular activities at the school.

“When looking at Pitt, I saw there was a ski team, but it wasn’t [University]-certified.

So, sophomore year I said, ‘If no one’s going to do it, I will,’” Epner said. “Only one student remained from the last time the club was operated, so I had to

start fresh.”

The team competes within the Allegheny Collegiate Ski Conference, pitting them against schools from across the region, including Carnegie Mellon, West Virginia, Penn State, Villanova, Bucknell and the Naval Academy.

While another club meant added competition, opposing schools were more than cordial during Pitt’s return to the slopes.

“Hey, Pitt’s back,” or “Nice to see you again,” competitors exclaimed.

But the club wasn’t happy with only bringing Pitt back to See Ski on page 10

8

MEN’S SOCCER’S LUXBACHER RETIRES AFTER 32 SEASONS Dan Sostek Sports Editor

Pitt men’s soccer head coach Joe Luxbacher is retiring after 32 years as head coach, the University announced Tuesday.

Luxbacher is only the second coach in the program’s history and a two-time Big East Coach of the Year. He compiled a 224-267-69 record during his career at Pitt, highlighted by a 2000 season in which the team garnered 13 wins and earned a No. 7 national ranking. The University said the search for Luxbacher’s successor will begin immediately.

“I’ve enjoyed many great experiences, met many fine people and made lifelong friendships with many individuals, both within and also outside of the athletic d e p a r t m e n t ,” Luxbacher said in a release. “As a college soccer coach, I’ve worked with many outstanding young men over years and hope that, in some way, I’ve had a positive impact on them.”

While Luxbacher’s career at Pitt holds a history of success, the Pitt men’s soccer team has not compiled a winning season since 2000. Luxbacher compiled a 67-144-31 record over his final 14 seasons at Pitt. The team hasn’t won a con-

ference game since 2011.

At the start of the season, he said they’ve faced extremely high competition during the span.

“The Big East and the ACC have been the top two conferences in the country over the past 15 years,” Luxbacher said. “[The ACC] is the highest level we’ve played against for sure” Regardless, Luxbacher is still the winningest and longest tenured men’s soccer coach in program history. He also played for the Panthers from 1970 to 1973 and holds the program records for both career goals

I simply feel this is the right time to turn the page.

pittnews.com

-Joe Luxbacher

and points, 37 and 84, respectively.

He graduated from Pitt in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and received his masters in health, physical education and recreation in 1978.

Luxbacher earned a doctorate in administration of physical education and ath-

letics in 1985.

Luxbacher, 64, said he hopes to further other pursuits after walking away from his coaching post.

“While I enjoy coaching and love the sport, I also have many other interests outside of soccer,” Luxbacher said in the release. “Coaching at the collegiate level can be an all-consuming job, and I simply feel that this is the right time to turn the page and pursue some of my other varied interests.”

Pitt athletic director Scott Barnes praised the departing coach’s tenure at Pitt.

“Joe leaves a wonderful legacy at the University of Pittsburgh,” Barnes said in the release. “Using his own experience

November 4, 2015

Courtesy of Pitt Athletics as a Pitt student-athlete, he has impacted countless lives on and off the field.

He is a lifelong Panther, and for that we are eternally grateful.”

Luxbacher said he plans on staying involved in soccer although “not primarily as the coach of a team.”

He also expressed his thanks toward the Pitt athletic department and wished the program future success. “[The athletic department] made my job even more enjoyable,” Luxbacher said in the release. “Pitt has a great team of coaches in place, a talented and committed group of women and men. I wish them much success and plan to follow their achievements going forward.”

9

pittnews.com

Panthers of the Week Mariah Bell

Bell had a sensational weekend for the Pitt volleyball team, garnering ACC coPlayer of the Week honors for her performances in the Panthers’ wins against No. 15 Florida State University and University of Miami. Bell totalled 16 kills against the Seminoles on Friday night and 11 against the Hurricanes on Sunday. She has recorded six double-doubles on the season, leads the Panthers in service aces with 23 and is second in kills with 222. Bell and her team kick back into action this weekend, with a Friday contest at University of Louisville and a Sunday match at Notre Dame.

November 4, 2015

nathan peterman

quarterback | FOOTBALL

the mountain. The team wanted to win, and it came close, finishing in second place in the conference in their first season back.

“That first year was awesome,” Epner said.

There were 18 skiers and 12 snowboarders during the club’s first year, but participation tailed off last year with only eight skiers and 10 snowboarders.

The team hopes to reverse that trend, and early recruiting efforts have been effective so far. Although the team’s official roster has not been set, Epner said 25 skiers and 24 snowboarders expressed interest in participating this year at various tabling events and preliminary meetings.

They are still accepting registrations.

“I’m most excited to get out there with all the new members, skiing with everyone, riding with everyone, bonding with the team,” Epner said. “It’s so much fun.

The competition is cool, too, but it’s a lot more fun than it is competitive.”

Despite the friendliness and the fun, everyone can’t go home a winner.

“We let people know this is an intense sport, we’re competing, we want to win, and I think we have a really good chance to do that this year,” Epner said.

Epner hopes the team can improve its freestyle — competitions in which judges grade competitors based on tricks — the other area they compete in besides the downhill races. The team will rely heavily on first year students and the 10 returning members from last year’s team. There are between 20 and 30 spots available on the team.

Natalie Wilk, a junior architecture major and Epner’s roommate, has been a snowboarder in the club since Epner founded it two years ago. Like her roommate, Wilk is ready to mix it up with the new additions.

“It seems like there’s a lot of new team members coming in, lots of new blood,” Wilk said. “I’m excited to get out there and meet new people.”

Karlos Jeri, a freshman athletic training major, is a new member who is eager

to find a venue to snowboard competitively.

“I’ve always been interested in snowboarding and always wanted to join a team, but there were no clubs or teams near my high school,” Jeri said.

Growing up in small town of Mansfield, Massachusetts, Jeri took weekend trips to go snowboarding and practiced his skills after school in his backyard.

The sport has built-in expenses, so naturally joining a club comes some financial cost. According to Epner, the registration fee — which she said will probably be around $400 to $500 this year— covers expenses including lodging and lift tickets for the club’s five trips. Members have to provide their own gear, and helmets are mandatory. Weekly practices at Seven Springs are also not included in the fee.

All competitions are on double black diamond runs, which are the most challenging courses available. The team doesn’t hold tryouts, so Epner and other officers insist that all applicants are advanced riders to make sure everyone is comfortable going down the runs and facing the ice.

“This doesn’t mean that anyone who hasn’t raced before shouldn’t join. They just need to be extremely comfortable on skis, and snowboarders just need to be able to perform on some features in the park. Most boarders already know if they’re capable or not,” Epner said.

The new season begins on the first Friday of the second semester when the team will embark on the first of five weekend getaways to different mountains across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland. The team leaves for competitions on Friday afternoons and returns on Sundays.

After carrying out her vision at Pitt, Epner hopes the team leaves a legacy that stretches far past her graduation date.

“As I’ve learned, these things can just die off, and people can completely forget they ever existed,” Epner said. “We want to make this year better than ever just to keep the legacy going and to show our members that we’re looking for people to take this over ... also, we want to win.”

outside Hitter | volleyball

Ski, pg. 8

Although the Panthers lost on Thursday to the North Carolina Tar Heels 26-19, quarterback Nathan Peterman had one of his best showings of the season. The junior University of Tennessee transfer completed 27 of 42 passes, throwing for a career-high 262 yards and one touchdown. He also carried the ball 12 times for 42 yards. He has thrown for 1,373 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in the season so far. Peterman and the Panthers return to the gridiron Saturday, when they kick off against Notre Dame at noon.

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-NORTH OAKLAND -SOUTH OAKLAND -SHADYSIDE -SQUIRREL HILL -SOUTHSIDE -NORTHSIDE -BLOOMFIELD -ROOMMATES -OTHER

3 & 4 bedroom apartments. Available immediately. Newly remodeled. Air conditioning. Bigelow Blvd, N. Neville St. Call 412-287-5712

**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.

pittnews.com

Employment

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

Classifieds

For Sale

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

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

Call after 5:00 pm.

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.

2,3,4,5,6 bedroom houses in South Oakland. Available for rent August 2016.

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

Large sleeping room.

Available Nov 1st. $295. Utilities included. Call 412-877-6555.

3 & 5 bedroom. May 2016. Sarah St. Large bedroom, new kitchen, air conditioning, washer & dryer, dishwasher, large deck. 412-287-5712.

Services

-EDUCATIONAL -TRAVEL -HEALTH -PARKING -INSURANCE

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

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.

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

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

Personal, professional masseuse needed. Long term position. 2X/week.

Washington County location. Call 724-223-0939 or 724-229-8868 any time. Pager: 888-200-8220

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)

The Pitt news crossword 11/4/15

I Rentals & Sublet N D E X

November 4, 2015

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pittnews.com

November 4, 2015

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