11-9-17

The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | November 9, 2017 | Volume 108 | Issue 65

Protesters silently disagree with media mogul

#TAGDAY

Sid Lingala Staff Writer Less than a few minutes into Christopher Ruddy’s presentation at the Pittsburgh Playhouse Wednesday night, about 30 Point Park University students stood up silently with their fists in the air, showing off shirts emblazoned with colorful messages such as “People not Profit” and “Love not Hate.”

Ivan Bracy was among the students at the event silently protesting Ruddy’s visit. Ruddy — a long time friend of President Donald Trump and founder and CEO of conservative media outlet Newsmax Media —- was in Pittsburgh to give a presentation and hold a Q&A session concerning the one-year anniversary of Trump’s election.

The Point Park students were inspired by a silent protest organized by Harvard students at a Betsy DeVos speech, Bracy said, during which Gabriele DeWeese, a senior majoring in biology, chemistry and philosophy, smiles at the camera for Thank-A-Giver students did not verbally interrupt the speaker day — an all-day event celebrating individuals who donate to Pitt. Chiara Rigaud | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER but tacitly held up signs and stood to show solidarity.

“We didn’t want to completely block Ruddy’s speech. We wanted to show a message that Elise Lavallee Students convened in the University portation, athletics, utility infrastructure would not impede the event for others and give Contributing Editor Club Gold Room Wednesday night for and the use of existing space on campus, him a chance to speak,” Bracy said. “We wanted When asked at a Campus Master Plan three Campus Master Plan focus groups to for which different developers have been Ruddy to notice that we did not agree with most focus group meeting about what kind of provide input about improvements to the contracted. of Trump’s policies and wanted our voice to be Project analyst Peyton Brailsford and future aesthetic students want Pitt to have, student union and student recreation faheard.” students made it clear that functionality cilities. The University’s developing master assistant project manager Caroline EdRuddy’s talk was part of the Point Park Uniplan — a plan for what campus will look wards — both employees of Brailsford & comes before aesthetic for them. versity Talk Back Series, which promotes forums “Functionality first,” one student said, like in the next 30 years — encompasses Dunlavey, a program management firm — elements such as student housing, transSee Protesters on page 7 before others chimed in agreement.

See Focus Groups on page 3

Student dissatisfaction aired at focus groups

News

Student scores scholarship to start LGBTQ+ initiative on campus

As a result of winning the AT&T and HRC contest, Amy Kelley plans to start a new LGBTQ+ club on campus.

Bethany Krupicka | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Remy Samuels Staff Writer Amy Kelley said she was “living the life.”

Why? Because she got to hear Hillary Clinton speak and had people drive her around the nation’s capital as part of her invitation to attend the Human Rights Campaign’s National Dinner in Washington, D.C. Oct. 28.

“It was really awesome,” Kelley said of the dinner. “The whole thing has been kind of unbelievable.”

Kelley — a junior at Pitt studying applied developmental psychology and one of the winners of the first ever Live Proud on Campus scholarship contest — attended the HRC dinner as part of her prize. AT&T and the HRC announced the winners, including Kelley, Oct.19. The contest called on college

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students, ages 18 and over, to submit video pitches for projects that would support and foster LGBTQ+ acceptance and equality on their campuses.

As a resident assistant in Nordenberg Hall, Kelley went through training week for RAs, before the fall semester, which includes information on study skills, resumés, mental health, alcohol awareness and sexual assault. But she felt something was missing — a basic education in LGBTQ+ issues.

With her project, Kelley aims to implement training for all incoming students that follows the guidelines of The Safe Zone Project, a program that educates people on LGBTQ+ issues. Although this training already exists for RAs at Pitt, she said it’s important to spread this knowledge to everyone on campus.

“I think there is just a general lack of education on the ‘qia’ part of LGBTQIA+,” Kelley said.

Kelley wants to help educate people on the nuances of sexuality and gender identity.

“I just want to make people more aware,” Kelley said. “When Pitt went gender neutral for one of the residence halls, some people didn’t understand what that meant.

I just thought, what if we made some kind of basic literacy so people understand these things?”

Three AT&T employees from the Leadership Development Program, who all have a background in working with LGBTQ+ organizations and marketing, were the first round of judges, narrowing the videos down to the top 15. The public voted for

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its favorite videos on the contest web page and pared it down to six contestants. From there, the HRC selected the final three winners.

The prize for the three winners included a $10,000 scholarship, a $2,500 budget for the project, a semester-long mentorship program through video conferences with the HRC to develop and organize their projects and a ticket to the HRC’s annual National Dinner in Washington, D.C. Before entering — and winning — the contest, Kelley would constantly see ads about Live Proud on Campus as she scrolled through her Facebook feed. But it was not until after she witnessed the first Westboro Baptist Church protest on Pitt’s campus that she was inspired to enter the contest.

“When everyone gathered and counter protested, that really affected me,” Kelley said. “I googled ‘how to win a video contest,’” Kelley said. “It said you have to tell a story with it, ... so I decided to make a little drawing.”

In her video, Kelley pitched her idea in a storybook format, flipping through pages in a spiral-bound notebook of stick figure drawings and dialogue bubbles she created to communicate her message.

In the video, she explained how her mother would always tell her to give people the “benefit of the doubt” and to be understanding because people grow up in different environments. But Kelley said this ideology can be problematic at times.

“Because of how [people are] raised doesn’t excuse them for being intolerant,” Kelley said. “That may explain how they feel right now, but we should push people and encourage them to keep growing.”

Kelley said because she is reserved by nature, being on camera the entire time would have made her flustered and nervous. Her storybook video format allowed her to hide her face and voice over the video.

See Kelley on page 3

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Kelley, pg. 2 Robert Hebert, senior marketing communications manager and the LGBT marketing lead for AT&T, said Kelley’s unconventional storybook approach was partly why her video received so many votes, allowing her to become a finalist. Her video met the contest criteria of “impact, feasibility, and originality.”

“She was really the only one to tell and illustrate a story, and that was really impactful,” Hebert said. “If you want to be a leader, you have to do a lot of communicating and the ability to tell a story that captures people’s imaginations and attention is really important.”

At first, when Kelley saw she was in the top six, she thought it was “pretty cool” and something to put on her resumé. But finding out she was a finalist was a shock.

“The voting came out and I refreshed [the page] and I was like ‘oh that’s me up there again!’” Kelley said.

Deputy Director of Employee Engagement at the HRC Beck Bailey will be virtually mentoring Kelley, along with other HRC members, on how to plan and execute

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her project. They will help her to stay within the $2,500 budget and come up with an operational plan.

“We’re essentially a team of coaches and experts that’s going to help each person make their project successful,” Bailey said.

“Amy’s project, once completed, has the possibility to be something that lasts long after she graduates.”

Kelley wants her project to be studentrun and plans to reach out to Pitt’s LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group to utilize their resources with allies training and mentorship.

She recently had the idea to also create an anonymous survey in which people could submit questions they are afraid to ask about the LGBTQ+ community. She said a lot of project specifics aren’t yet solidified, but her main objective is to involve people and have them feel open to asking questions.

“I think there’s so much fear of people attacking [the LGBTQ+ community] and others judging them for not being socially aware,” Kelley said. “I’d like to believe that people don’t have hatred. They might express or say hateful things, but I think it’s a lack of understanding.”

Focus Groups, pg. 1 led the focus groups. The two work for a division of the company that specializes in planning non-academic college and university facilities. The University recruited them earlier this year to provide advisory services as the University assembles its master plan.

Brailsford said hearing from students in person helps them better understand the more nuanced concerns and problems students have.

“Focus groups are great,” Brailsford said. “The purpose is to get an understanding of how students interact with these facilities.”

Broken into on-campus undergraduate, off-campus undergraduate and graduate student sections, 39 students total attended the focus groups. The on-campus undergraduate session — lasting 45 minutes starting at 4 p.m. — had 14 students attend, and the off-campus undergraduate portion — lasting 45 minutes starting at 5 p.m. — had about 25 students from various student clubs and organizations in attendance. No graduate students showed

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up to their scheduled portion.

Several students at the off-campus focus group voiced their concerns about Pitt’s student union not feeling like a place where students can relax. Several attendees said unless a student is part of an organization with an office, the union doesn’t provide a place for students to congregate and interact as a community when they are not in class.

“I always feel like I’m in the WPU elevators with adults,” one student said. “I thought that would change after summer term ended, but it didn’t.”

But Gerard Tessier, a fifth-year mechanical engineering student, disagreed with other students on this point. As a member of the Student Office of Sustainability, Tessier spends much of his time on the fifth floor of the union.

“I like the student union,” Tessier said.

“I can understand how [if a student doesn’t have an office in the building] they might not feel the same way.”

Other concerns about the union from off-campus students included a lack of spaces for storing items and relaxing See Focus Groups on page 7

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Opinions from the editorial board

column

Pennsylvania ballot question doesn’t solve property tax problem

STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK OUR BONES BUT MEMES SHOULD NEVER HURT US

If you voted Tuesday in Pennsylvania’s election, you were presented with an interesting ballot question — should the state legislature allow local taxing authorities to exempt 100 percent of any family’s primary residence value when collecting taxes?

Pennsylvania voted yes by a margin of 54 to 46 percent, effectively taking the first step toward significant property tax reform. This would allow the legislature to write a law eliminating property taxes. But while eliminating the property tax could aid individual families in the short-term, the ballot question has the potential to seriously harm the long-term stability of the Commonwealth.

Public schools in Pennsylvania — a state known as the “Wild West” of property tax laws — are among the most contentiously funded in the nation, which creates real problems. In fact, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently reinstated a controversial case that claims Pennsylvania’s system for funding public schools violates both the state constitution’s equal protection provision and its guarantee of a “thorough and efficient system” of education.

At the root of the public school funding issue in Pennsylvania is the property tax. According to The Notebook, a Philadelphia-based independent news source, the effective tax rate across Pennsylvania varies greatly by county with no discernible pattern and results in massive school funding disparities. To make matters worse, the average effective tax rate in Penn-

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sylvania is one of the highest in the nation.

This means some counties have superb schools, while others have seriously underfunded ones — and in Pennsylvania this has little correlation to the type of neighborhood the school is in. Schools in socio-economically similar counties are vastly different — the Inquirer reported the City of Reading spent roughly $6,500 per pupil during the 2015-16 school year compared to Lower Merion Township’s $17,000 per pupil. Reading and Lower Merion both have property tax rates in the top 20 percent across the state.

It’s clear Pennsylvania should be reforming its property tax laws — but the confusingly worded question on Tuesday’s ballot does not reform anything. All it does is give the Pennsylvania legislature incredible power to remove the single greatest source of education funding in the state.

And in light of the recently reinstated Supreme Court of Pennsylvania lawsuit, it’s clear we cannot trust the legislature to provide a fair and equal education funding system — even if property taxes are available to be spent.

Instead of granting broad power to the state legislature like we did Tuesday, we should be demanding detailed tax reform from the bottom up that ensures all Pennsylvania children receive equal education, regardless of the county their parents own property in.

Neena Hagen

For The Pitt News The Senate is used to strange occurrences, but Nov. 1, our legislators discussed a group of memes which are purportedly evidence for Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election.

The U.S. intelligence community thinks the memes were part of a sophisticated network of propaganda used to support President Donald Trump and denigrate Hillary Clinton, which they detailed in a January intelligence assessment.

But all the signs seemingly point in different directions. Contrary to popular belief, Russian propaganda wasn’t used to simply support Trump — the campaign was one to undermine faith in the U.S. democratic process and exacerbate the already vast political divides in our country.

The fake Facebook ads were formatted as memes, or photos and posts that go viral, and strategically planted on social media and tailored for very specific demographics. They covered controversial issues from the Black Lives Matter movement to gun control, ensuring a plethora of opportunities for online outrage and tension.

Some featured radical left-wing statements promoting the Black Panthers as a U.S. anti-Ku Klux Klan organization dismantled by the U.S. government —

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others appealed to the conservative base by likening Clinton to the devil fighting against a Jesus wearing boxing gloves.

Yes, a majority of the ads were seemingly targeted toward conservative voters, but there were a few targeted toward a liberal base — such as a LGBTQ+ rainbow coloring book featuring Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Seeing conservative memes is nothing new — in fact, a popular right-wing photo of Pepe the Frog was best known for its ties to white supremacy after the 2016 election dust settled. But the revelation of Russia-generated liberal-leaning memes in addition to conservative content conflicts with the U.S. intelligence community’s report that the effort was pointedly pro-Trump.

Instead, it’s clear looking at the ads that Russia’s intent was to sponsor instability on a national level.

“Essentially what they’re doing with some of these memes is like a culture mash,” Professor Jennifer Grygiel of Syracuse University said. “It’s almost like remixing American culture, and in this case some American fears.”

Grygiel teaches communications at Syracuse and specializes in memes. In an interview with Wired, they spoke about the memes’ divisive intent and lazy content alike.

Grygiel referred to the numerous See Hagen on page 5

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Hagen, pg. 4 noticeable mistakes in the English language memes, including problems with verb conjugation and misused idioms — mistakes they claim could have been a purposeful attempt to imitate the average American on the internet.

The posts were very image-heavy, both to minimize the possibility of linguistic giveaway errors and because the ads were specifically designed to play upon identity politics, an emotional and messy field of politics. Photos have an emotional power, particularly on social media, that essays or wordy posts simply could not achieve.

The content of the ads fed into voters’ greatest concerns about America — on both sides. Grygiel specifically noted the provocative composite of cowboys, pride flags and women in burqas making up one Heart of Texas ad. Anyone living in America in 2017 would understand how inflammatory this combination would be.

But the most embarrassing part of this entire propaganda debacle is not

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the trolling itself — it’s the U.S. government’s response. At the congressional meeting Nov. 1, the government obsessed over the memes as if they were a crisis of national integrity — as if there had been direct influence on Election Day at polling places.

Now, instead of being embroiled in arguments

about who will become our president, Americans fight over emotional issues that often distract from greater, more pressing matters at hand.

The fact is, the United States is a more divided country than it has ever been, and the tensions are only further ex-

Liam McFadden | STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

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acerbated under our current president. Russian propagandists may have attempted to worsen these divisions, but this is a problem Americans have ultimately created on their own.

And it’s a problem Americans can ultimately solve on their own, without regulating platforms meant to promote free speech. Russia’s attempts should have fallen flat considering their main approach used memes — perhaps evidence of the hold internet culture has on society, but even more so a call for Americans to remember the old adage they’ve probably heard from their parents.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Yes, it seems simplistic — but if we all remembered these Russian memes have no true political power, we might just have the power to ignore them and work on healing the divisive wounds left by the past two years.

At the very least, all of this has made one thing clear — we’d be much stronger as a country if we could shrug off a few Facebook memes as easily as we do responsibility for our own shortcomings.

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Culture

BOB DYLAN CONCERT REVIEW

online

Pastels and

Paints:

ARTificial club provides students with outlet for art

Siddhi Shockey

For The Pitt News The silence of creative focus cuts short sounds of laughter and chatter as students begin to paint abstract designs with vibrant yellow and pink acrylics on large, white canvases.

ARTificial — the first club on Pitt’s campus dedicated solely to visual arts — is a space for both artists and appreciators of art to create, discuss and learn about art outside of class. The club meets every Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Center for Creativity, a room filled with creative resources located in the basement of the University Bookstore.

The president of ARTificial, Sana Mahmood, carries herself with an unrestrained yet balanced air. As a senior majoring in biology, history and philosophy of science and history of art and architecture, she finds it difficult to make time for hobbies like art. After years of pursuing art in high school, Mahmood looked for a way to channel her affinity for aesthetic when she arrived at Pitt.

During the fall semester her first year, Mahmood and a few friends walked into the student activities fair looking for a visual arts club, but were disappointed to discover there wasn’t one at Pitt. Mahmood and her friends planned to pursue medicine, dentistry or engineering. Art was just a pastime, but according to Mahmood, it grounded each of them.

Mahmood and her friends approached the Student Organization Resource Center in the fall of 2016 with the idea for a new club. After it was

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approved, Mahmood and fellow board members printed business cards and spread them around campus to try to get word out about ARTificial.

“We do try to create a balance where the club is for both the creator and the appreciator, in the sense that people that want to make art pieces and get their hands dirty and have a time and a space to do that in our club,” Mahmood said.

The first hour of the meeting is for members to create art, providing a time for those who enjoy making. Students can knead leftover clay into small sculptures or use magazine clippings and tissue paper to create collages — but most pick up a white canvas and some paints, letting their hands guide their focus.

The artists then get a chance to experience art in the following segment, “Artist Spotlight,” which features artists ranging from Pittsburgh native Andy Warhol to Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. The club supplements this aspect by providing workshops and taking members to museums.

The club has taken many trips, including an excursion to the Carnegie Museum of Art in September and to the Warhol Museum in midOctober. The club also invites artists to talk to the members and even teach them how to make art — just this spring they hosted a ceramicist, Chuck Purviance, who worked alongside members to craft pieces of pottery. Purviance’s works typically feature delicate ceramic works with etchings of animals or scenes of nature skillfully carved into the pieces.

They plan to go to both the Mattress Fac-

Students meet Wednesday nights in the Center for Creativity as part of the ARTificial club. Betty Shen | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER tory, a contemporary art museum located in the North Side, and Randyland, folk artist Randy Gilson’s home — which is filled with vivid murals and works of art — in the near future. The club also plans to bring about 15 members to visit local artist and Pitt alumna Sarah Zeffiro, whose work is primarily abstract and is featured in many hotels and yoga studios both in and outside of Pittsburgh.

At a large research University like Pitt, many individuals, like Mahmood, feel it’s easy to overlook the arts. Board member Sydney Smith, a junior writing major working toward becoming a physician assistant, said she felt the same struggle about pursuing creative expression.

“Pitt is not a predominantly art school. It’s

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mostly STEM, so everyone’s priority is to join academic clubs, which is great for your resumé, but it’s not easy to make time for hobbies,” Smith said.

Smith also has previous art experience — during her first year, she went through a similar experience that Mahmood and the founding members went through at the fall activities fair.

As a future medical professional, she too found balance in art, but did not wish to establish a career as an artist.

“I really like how it forces me to sit down and relax and do something that’s beneficial for your mental health rather than working on school work all the time,” Smith said. “Especially now that I’m on the board.”

See ARTificial on page 7

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ARTificial, pg. 6

Focus Groups, pg. 3

Smith, Mahmood, and other club members have worked to strengthen the aims of the club, hoping to draw in more student artists from all backgrounds each year.

Yolanda Hong, a junior engineering major from Singapore, has been creating art for much of her life. Even during her first visit to the club, Hong said she felt welcomed and having a club like this on campus has allowed her to dive back into creative expression.

“I feel like anyone can be an artist and I feel that this club provides a platform for people from different backgrounds, such as engineering and political science, to come together and create something together,” Hong said.

After three years of starting, organizing and shaping a club that allows students of all disciplines to create and appreciate art, Mahmood said she feels both nostalgic and proud of how far the club has come.

“When I came to college, in my mind I told myself I would have to stop making art,” Mahmood said. “But I honestly find that when you take a little bit of time out every week or every day [to make art], suddenly everything else falls into place, too.”

outside of a study environment.

Some of the students involved with recreational clubs on campus, including dance, hockey, and mixed martial arts, said though Pitt has a multitude of recreation facilities, it’s difficult to find space for organized team practices unless rooms are reserved far in advance. They said more space would be beneficial.

Following the meeting, Pitt seniors Jackie Sharp and Breanna Doherty and Pitt junior Dana Julian of Pitt women’s ice hockey approached Edwards and Brailsford about the possibility of a Pitt ice rink.

The three mentioned how women’s ice hockey has attracted students to the school because it’s not something commonly offered by other universities — especially not to women. The trio mentioned the Hunt Armory in Shadyside is for sale, and fielding proposals for development. The 1.8 acre property was previously used as an auditorium to host concerts and political events.

“The building is big enough to house two ice rinks, as well as an off-campus

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recreation facility that could be used both

by Pitt students and the Pitt community,” Sharp said. “Low-income kids in the area don’t have access to facilities like [ice rinks] and Pitt helping to build a facility like this would give them those opportunities.”

Brailsford & Dunlavey will be circulating a student survey with similar questions to those asked at the focus group meeting by email some time within the next week. This survey will provide them with the opportunity to field comments and concerns from as many students as possible so they have a broader understanding of what kind of changes students at Pitt want to see in the union and recreation facilities.

While students understood campus improvements won’t happen while they’re enrolled, some students, such as Josh Chamberlain — a WPTS radio member and junior information sciences and psychology major — still recognized that positive changes could benefit both future students and themselves.

“If it adds to the University in the future, that helps us out too,” Chamberlain said.

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Protesters, pg. 1 of debate across different ideologies and allows people in the audience to “talk back” to presenters on stage by handing questions to moderator Andrew Conte for discussion.

Sean Gossard, a first-year student at Point Park, said coming to politically charged events and demonstrating about major policies and ideas is a necessary action.

“I believe it is important to show our issues,” Gossard said.

Ruddy described his own views on journalism as crucial to maintaining democracy. He described how America was founded on speaking out against central powers and prioritized freedom of speech above other rights.

“There is a reason our Founding Fathers made freedom of speech part of the First Amendment.

Free speech equals free society,” he said.

Ruddy brought up the danger of “fake news,” a common issue cited by Trump. He said although he thinks it is a rising problem, it is not an unsolvable one.

“A free and diverse press fights against fake news,” Ruddy said. “An educated society can combat it rather than the government coming in to See Protesters on page 10

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Sports

Katie Hazelton brings fighting spirit to Pitt diving

Katie Hazelton was hired as the new head coach of Pitt Diving in June.

Jordan Mondell | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Trent Leonard When an athlete suffers a severe, lifealtering injury, it usually means the end of a career — time to hang up the jersey, pack up the gym bag and abruptly find a new way to pass the hours.

Unless that athlete is Katie Hazelton.

Hazelton, the new head coach of Pitt diving — brought on by Athletic Director Heather Lyke in June — didn’t let a careerending perforated eardrum keep her out of the pool. Instead, she used it to her advantage to become a coach and leader.

“I got injured at the age of 18 and had to stop diving,” Hazelton said. “But I knew

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early on that my future was in the sport.”

For Hazelton, aquatic excellence was part of her upbringing. She was born and raised in Harpenden, England — about 20 miles north of London — where both her parents worked as diving instructors and judges.

“I started diving at 5 years old because my parents were my coaches,” Hazelton said. “I was just always at the pool, they were coaching, so naturally I started diving.”

Hazelton excelled in the sport, competing at the national level for the United Kingdom throughout her youth until she encountered further medical complications from her ear affliction.

Hazelton realized she would no longer be

able to dive, but she was unable to leave such an integral piece of her life behind. So, after graduating with a degree in sports science and physiology from the University of Leeds in 2005, Hazelton worked as a diving talent development officer for the Amateur Swimming Association.

While recruiting and travelling to elite training facilities across the country, Hazelton got a firsthand look at the varying coaching methods from Britain’s best.

“Although I wasn’t coaching, it gave me a really big insight into what styles of coaching I like, what I don’t like, and learn from some of the best coaches in the world,” Hazelton said.

Hazelton then applied her expertise as the diving operations manager for the 2012 London Olympics. In this role, she helped organize the diving events to make sure they followed international regulations.

After the Olympics ended, Hazelton decided to undertake a new challenge: coaching in America, with the goal to one day coach within the American collegiate system — where school, sports and personal endeavors converge. The NCAA and its blend of academics and athletics, which doesn’t exist in England since athletics are run through their own separate clubs, intrigued Hazelton.

“I always knew that sports were big here, but I really didn’t have any idea until I got here,” Hazelton said. “I still, today, am amazed by the support that the athletes have.

The fan bases, and all the support for sports science, along with academics … it’s incredible, and it’s really unique to America.”

But Hazelton didn’t become an NCAA head coach right away. Her first job in the United States was as the head diving coach for the Duke Diving Club, an amateur program in Durham, North Carolina. In her four years leading the club, Hazelton’s divers won more than 10 national titles, and USA

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Diving recognized the club as its most improved in 2014.

During this time, Hazelton also had to make a difficult life decision.

When Hazelton was in her early twenties, nearly 10 years earlier, she tested positive for a genetic mutation that put her at a 70 percent chance of developing breast cancer by the age of 80. She faced the issue directly, and at the age of 33 made the difficult decision to undergo a double mastectomy The disease had afflicted her grandmother, mother and aunt, and Hazelton was determined to be proactive and eliminate her risk of inheriting the disease. Now that she was in America and beginning to think about her future — her career, her family — Hazelton decided it was a choice that would benefit her long-term.

“It’s made me a lot more up-front in all aspects of life,” Hazelton said. “It’s made me a lot more organized, in my coaching especially.”

Hazelton finally achieved her goal of coaching at the collegiate level when Lyke hired her. Hazelton was enticed by the ambitious atmosphere around Pitt’s up-and-coming program. It is led by second-year swimming coach John Hargis, a 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist, and Lyke, who has a strong focus on creating Olympic-level athletes.

“It’s really exciting to be part of this bigger community,” Hazelton said, “because it’s going to make me a better coach, and ultimately make my athletes better athletes.”

Through the first four meets, Hazelton has already made a tangible impact. The women’s team (8-2 overall, 1-2 ACC) has benefited from consistent top three performances by senior Meme Sharp, while sophomore Joe Ference has done the same for the men’s team (5-2 overall, 0-2 ACC).

“When Katie came along, she brought a new dynamic to the team, and I think it’s See Hazelton on page 10

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PREDICTION: PITT SHARES QUARTERBACK WOES WITH UNC

Adin Link Staff Writer

The narrative for the football programs of Pitt (4-5 overall, 2-3 ACC) and UNC (1-8 overall, 0-6 ACC) have been similar this season. Not only are both teams experiencing hangovers from successful 2016 campaigns, but the teams’ disappointing seasons can be attributed to one major similarity — the loss of quarterbacks.

The Buffalo Bills snagged Pitt’s Nathan Peterman in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft, while the Chicago Bears drafted Tar Heel quarterback Mitchell Trubisky second overall. The two players were both assets to their teams last season — leading their squads to winning records and postseason bowl games.

Trubisky’s play defined Pitt and UNC’s matchup last season. He exploited a weak Panthers secondary, exploding for 453 passing yards and five touchdowns. Even with Trubisky exploiting the Pitt defense, an offensively savvy Panthers team found itself up six points with three minutes left to play.

The Tar Heels drove down the field and

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Panther fans could only watch as UNC receiver Bug Howard reeled in a touchdown. The pass was from Trubisky, and as time expired, UNC had the final advantage, winning 37-36.

With Peterman and Trubisky gone this season, both teams are without a strong signal caller. Pitt has had three different quarterbacks with playing time with Max Browne, Ben DiNucci and Kenny Pickett all at the helm. Likewise, UNC has seen four different quarterbacks in Brandon Harris, Chazz Surratt, Nathan Elliott and Manny Miles.

While these situations are similar, UNC has faced more quarterback turmoil. The Tar Heels brought in graduate transfer Harris from LSU at the start of the season, but quickly shifted their game plan to redshirt freshman Surratt. Surratt carried the weight, with Harris getting only a few snaps a game, if any at all.

But following an injury to Surratt two weeks ago against Miami, sophomore quarterback Elliott found his chance to take the field.

While UNC’s offense has faltered this season, some of the blame can be placed on an

extensive Tar Heel injury report. Three of the players who sustained season-ending injuries held prominent roles on the Tar Heel offensive line — true sophomore guard Tommy Hatton, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Luke Elder and true sophomore offensive tackle William Sweet.

A weakened UNC offense line would give Pitt the edge it needs. The team’s defense hasn’t been doing well, giving up more than 30 points in four games this season. If UNC doesn’t have the gall to drive down the field and make plays, Pitt has the capability to stop them.

Expect the Tar Heels to give multiple quarterbacks opportunities against Pitt, as UNC will likely give playing time to both Surratt and Elliott. Elliott turned in a strong performance against Miami two weeks ago — when he threw 173 passing yards — and this performance likely opened a door for him to start competing for playing time, starting with Pitt.

DiNucci also should be highly anticipating this matchup against UNC. While the story of late for the Panthers has been their

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adequate ground game, DiNucci may look to change this against the Tar Heels — moving from a comfortable rhythm of running on the ground to passing in the air.

The Tar Heel defense is allowing 7.7 yards per attempt to opposing quarterbacks and has allowed 21 passing touchdowns through 9 games. If there were any time for DiNucci to step out of his box, now would be the time.

Prediction: Pitt fans should expect their winning streak to continue against UNC. Pitt is on an upward trajectory, and they are playing their best football of the year. They now find themselves pitted against the worst team in the conference. As long as the Panthers stick with the recent dedication to the running game and continue their defensive improvements, they will step on the Tar Heels.

UNC seems like a team hungry for an upset, sitting at a shameful 0-6 in ACC play.

They followed an undefeated Miami team closely in their last game — falling short by only five points — and if this is any indication of how the season is trending for UNC, Pitt should be on the lookout for an upset.

Final: 24-13, Pitt

9

Hazelton, pg. 8 going to benefit me and everyone else,” Ference said.

In her new role as coach, Hazelton’s main focus is improvement. She expects each one of her athletes to do better than last year, and has set high — yet attainable — standards for each diver to reach by season’s end. Because she is a detail-oriented individual, it was important to Hazelton to outline these goals and work with her divers to achieve them.

“With every individual diver, we’ve looked at what they’re capable of,” Hazelton said. “For example, with Joey, we want him to final on two boards at ACC’s. With Meme, we’re looking to medal. If we just stick to the plan, we’re going to see some pretty big performances out of everyone.”

Hazelton is tasked with ushering in a new era after her predecessor, Julian Krug, who coached the diving team for 38 seasons. Already, her divers have noticed a difference in the way she coaches and trains with them.

“Julian definitely had a more general type of coaching,” Sharp said. “He coached

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the general dive, whereas Katie is really focused on details, and that’s something I think, as a team, we needed.”

Hazelton also aims to build positive relationships with her athletes — not just ones on the pool desk, either. One of the ways she does this is by meeting with each diver individually at least once a week.

During these meetings, Hazelton and the athlete typically engage in an open discussion about their diving, schoolwork, and whatever other personal topics may come up.

“I care about them, and I care about their future, and if I can work that relationship, then we’ll see the performances in their sport anyway,” Hazelton said.

Hazelton’s athlete-centered approach, international connections and experience as a talented scout bode well for the team’s recruiting outlook. Her ambitious nature and lifelong expertise should help Pitt divers reach their full potential for years to come, even if starting off with a blank slate.

“There seems to be a huge culture shift in Pitt athletics,” Hazelton said. “I feel like this is the start of something really exciting, and that we can be one of, if not the best teams in the ACC.”

Protesters, pg. 7 censor it.”

Ruddy also spoke about his relationship with the President and his role as one of Trump’s confidants, saying he considers the president a friend despite not agreeing with him on everything.

“I don’t speak for the president. I am not representing his views,” Ruddy said. “I will give him advice and feedback, but it is public, not in private.”

Norma Hahn, an 84-year old housewife, said Ruddy’s talk gave her more insight on what Trump is like as a person and a politician.

“I come to all the Pitt lectures. I agree 50-50 with Ruddy’s views but I was able to gain new perspectives on politics and Trump,” Hahn said.

Ruddy described how Trump was different than how the media portrayed him and justified his controversial rhetoric in media, saying Trump in person is very different from the Trump seen on TV. “He is engaging, remarkably intimate, friendly and has humility,” Ruddy said. “He is the first non-political person to get elected and doesn’t have the etiquette of previous presidents.

He’ll talk what he feels, bad-mouth you, but at

November 9, 2017

the end of the day he’ll still be your buddy.”

After his talk, Ruddy answered questions submitted by audience members through queries written on cards or tweeted with #MediaPioneers. In response to questions about the president, Ruddy dispelled any notions of Trump being racist or incapable of taking feedback.

“There is a myth that Trump can’t take criticism. He is actually very good at taking criticism and is always asking for it,” Ruddy said. “He doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. I have heard ‘locker room talk’ from him and there is no racism.”

Ruddy also answered questions regarding his role as a former reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and illustrated what he believes is the duty of a reporter.

“My job as a reporter is not to tell you the truth, because I don’t know the truth, but to give you as much information as possible that I think is accurate,” Ruddy said.

After the event, Ruddy emphasized how bias is present in the media and in everyday life, although it can be managed by acknowledging it.

“Everybody has a bias. We can’t avoid it but we should balance it,” he said. “I believe we should admit our own biases while accounting for other perspectives and positions.”

10

I N D E X

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

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

6 or 7 BR House on N. Dithridge St. Available beginning in August 2018. 3 full bathrooms. 2 kitchens.

10 rooms total, on 3 levels, with one bathroom on each level.

Refridgerators, ranges, ovens, dishwashers included. A/C. Washer and dryer in basement. On Pitt and CMU shuttle routes. $3600/month + gas and electric. Owner pays water, sewer, and city garbage collection charges.

Please leave message at 412-372-9185.

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

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Ready for August of 2018. $2400/ month. Call Larry at 412-596-8732.

Apartments for rent.

2,3,4, and 5 bedroom apartments available. Some available on Dawson street, Atwood street, and Mckee Place. Newly remodeled. Some have laundry on site.

Minutes from the University. For more info please call Mike at 412-849-8694 August 2018 rental.

3 BR/1 BA apartment.

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Furnished 6 BR House. 3 bath, a kitchen and living room. Greek-life friendly. Atwood St. Call Helen at 412-461-5709 M.J. Kelly Realty.

Studio, 1Bedroom Apartments, N. & S. Oakland. $725-$850. mjkellyrealty@gmail. com. 412-271-5550. www.mjkellyrealty. com Oakland Ave. - Garden Court Apartments.

Charming 2BR, hardwood floors, free heat. Move in May 1 or Aug. 1, 2018. Call 412-361-2695.

Ward & S. Bouquet Streets - Studio, 1, 2 & 3BR apartments. Free parking.

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

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

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

Employment Employment Other Seeking an experienced, female Elderly Caregiver to start work immediately. $25/hour, she would be working for up to 5 hours daily Mon-Fri for my diabetic Grandma. All applicants email stephen. lamar@outlook.com directly for further details.

Services Services Other Busy? Hate doing laundry? Personal laundry for Shadyside, Oakland, and Squirrel Hill. Call Eva 412-334-1743.

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

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Phlebotomy Training Centerwww. justphlebotomy.org 2 evening classes weekly, 5 weeks + excellent Clinicals.

Call 412-521-7334.

November 9, 2017

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November 9, 2017

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