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The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | December 7, 2017 | Volume 108 | Issue 81

PITT UPGRADES PHYSICS RESOURCES

WHAT MAKES A HOUSE A HOME

Anish Salvi

For The Pitt News Pitt’s Department of Physics and Astronomy has received a new gadget that will help students make massive academic strides in the near future — a mass spectrometer.

Students in Pitt’s Department of Physics and Astronomy are set to make massive academic strides with a new mass spectrometer.

Pitt acquired Extrel’s educational mass spectrometer, IQ-2000, in October. The device — which identifies gases based on their molecular mass to charge ratio — will allow physics majors to develop their understanding of electricity and magnetism by exposing them to these concepts in their laboratory course sections.

Steven Dytman, a Pitt professor who has taught Modern Physics for about 25 years, said the mass spectrometer has become key to scientific research and an important educational device in physics.

“Every lunar lander that wants to go to the moon and sample the surface, sample the air, they always have a mass spectrometer. It is an absolutely essential part of biological research, chemical research,” Dytman said.

Aware of this importance, Istvan Danko, a lab instructor for the department of physics and See Upgrade on page 2

Sophomore Sarah Gross, an English fiction writing major (right), and sophomore Anya Braggs, a sociology major, decorated a gingerbread house in the WPU Ballroom Wednesday night. Chiara Rigaud | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

TOOMEY’S GOT MAIL: GRAD STUDENTS DELIVER LETTERS

Rachel Glasser News Editor

The Grinch is best known for stealing Christmas, but he left Whoville and showed up on the doorstep of U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey’s Downtown office Wednesday.

It was a blustery day, windy and in the low 40s, but Ph.D. epidemiology student Abby Cartus attributed the conditions to something other than the weather.

“It’s the chill of Pat Toomey and his horrible

tax bill!” Cartus said into her megaphone.

Cartus, the Grinch — a United Steelworkers staff member clad in the full-body costume — and organizers from Pitt’s Graduate Student Organizing Committee delivered more than 1,000 letters expressing student and faculty concerns with the proposed Republican tax plan to Toomey’s office.

Jeff Cech, an organizer and staff member of the Academic Workers Association of the USW, estimated a crowd of about 45 gathered in front

of the office at 310 Grant St. to chant and share personal testimony against the bill before a few attendees, including the Grinch, walked inside the building to deliver the letters.

“I think Toomey, he’s gonna be warmed by these letters,” Cech said. “Maybe his heart will grow five sizes.”

Attendees expressed concern over the GOP tax plan’s education-related policy changes — particularly a provision included in the House See Letters on page 2

News Letters, pg. 1

version of the bill that repeals Section 117(d)(5) Qualified Tuition Reduction Programs of the current tax code. A repeal of this section would reclassify deductible tuition waivers granted in exchange for employment as taxable income. Organizers also raised concerns about other provisions, including one that would eliminate student loan interest deductions.

While the Senate version of the tax plan — which supporters argue will spur economic growth — did not include these particular educational provisions, it’s uncertain whether the provisions will make it into the final version of the bill once the House and Senate reconcile their proposals.

Jordan Hayes, a Ph.D. student in the English department, said he wants to see graduate education made more accessible. But making higher education a tax burden, he said, would make it become an increasingly elite institution only wealthy individuals would be able to afford.

“To reclassify money that never — it never enters our bank accounts, never comes in our pockets — to reclassify that as income is not only sort of logically imprecise, but it’s an attack on people who are trying to participate in endeavors that will give back to the community and the world, in time,” Hayes said.

Some graduate students, such as Hayes, teach undergraduates, while others engage in research.

Aaron Anthony, a Ph.D. student in Pitt’s School of Education and a candidate running for the U.S. Congress to represent the 12th District, said the graduate students’ impact is significant.

“Graduate student researchers — we fuel the innovation and the discovery and the research

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that benefits everybody collectively,” Anthony said.

Chancellor Patrick Gallagher highlighted the impacts the tax bill would have on research and higher education in an email he sent Nov. 17 in opposition to the plan. In the email, he said he has decided to join with other leaders from the higher education community to collectively express concerns.

“I am deeply concerned by these proposed changes, which would be detrimental to the entire Pitt community,” Gallagher said.

Hayes said, as a fourth-year student, he’s committed to finishing his program whether the tax bill passes or not, unlike other students who said they might have to leave. But he hasn’t had to take out additional student loans in a while — something he might be forced to do if he has to pay taxes on his tuition.

“This provision will increase my tax burden.

Right away,” Hayes said. “You just do the math and it’s pretty ugly.”

But it’s not just the tax provisions within the tax plan — which students said could increase their taxes by 250 to 400 percent — that students expressed worry about. The 500-page bundle contains a repeal of former President Obama’s health care law nestled within its pages.

This addition is personal for Caitlin Schroering, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in sociology and stage IIIC colorectal cancer survivor. She was diagnosed at age 27, and although she’s been healthy for three years, she will require expensive scans to maintain her health for the rest of her life — making health insurance a top priority for her on top of her graduate education.

“The current Senate tax bill is also a health care bill. And it will seriously impact the 100

million Americans who rely on the federal government for health insurance,” Schroering said.

“This isn’t about politics. This is about people’s lives.”

After a few speakers shared their perspectives on the tax bill, about five organizers entered the building to deliver the letters. Beth Shaaban, a Ph.D. candidate in epidemiology and one of the organizers who went inside, said they were not allowed to go up to Toomey’s office. After GSOC organizers insisted that a staff member from Toomey’s office travel downstairs to retrieve the letters, one came down and picked up the letters — at that point loose-leaf, rather than in boxes.

“We took all of the letters out of the two boxes so he could physically see 1,000-plus letters from constituents,” Shaaban said.

Shaaban and other organizers also dropped off a meeting request form for next Monday or Tuesday with Toomey, which they left with the security guard. Shaaban said she hoped GSOC representatives would have the opportunity to sit down with Toomey and discuss their concerns face-to-face.

“We need to hold them accountable for this request,” Shaaban said. “We will follow up with them.”

Pat Toomey’s office did not respond to an email or a phone call on Wednesday about whether he received the letters and about his stance on the education tax bill provisions.

Anthony said if higher education unravels, it won’t just be graduate students who are affected — the tax plan’s implications will be widespread, reaching University employees and beyond.

“This is not just about graduate students,” Anthony said. “This is not just about graduate students because we’re all connected.”

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Upgrade, pg. 1 astronomy, and Dytman, applied for a $20,000 grant from the University of Pittsburgh to purchase Extrel’s mass spectrometer. Extrel, a local Pittsburgh company founded by former University of Pittsburgh Professor Wade Fite, develops gas analyzers for research and industry, which universities can purchase to improve laboratory curriculum.

According to Dytman and Danko, there was a consensus in the department to find a replacement for the old mass spectrometer three years ago, but additional funding was needed at the time to purchase this type of device. Originally, the new mass spectrometer cost $60,000. However, after a 20 percent discount and an educational grant from Extrel, the price was brought down to $28,000, which was shared between the University of Pittsburgh and the department.

“It’s not cheap,” Dytman said. “On the other hand, [the students] get to use some fairly interesting equipment at a young age, and we think that’s wonderful.”

Jen-Feng Hsu, a postdoctoral associate at Pitt, was a teaching assistant for the Modern Physics laboratory course when the old mass spectrometer was retired. He said that the device was difficult for students to use and extract data from.

During his time working with the old device, Hsu was involved in helping students conduct laboratory experiments. “[The mass spectrometer] is a highly selective filter for a certain charge and mass combination, so this is how you precisely know the mass of a composite gas sample,” Hsu said.

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Opinions column

from the editorial board

Franken shows need to unite against sexual assault Twitter’s time stamps proved just how planned politics can be yesterday. Over the course of an hour, 11 female Democratic senators made coordinated statements calling for Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota to resign from office amid mounting allegations of sexual harassment.

As of now, eight women have accused Franken of sexual misconduct, with allegations spanning back as far as 2003. Most Democrats’ immediate responses were ones of confusion — Franken, a rumored candidate for the 2020 presidential election, was supposed to be one of the good guys. As the accusations multiplied, he issued numerous apologies ranging from “it was clearly intended to be funny but it wasn’t,” to “I’m going to try to learn from my mistakes.”

Calls from Republican Party members for Franken’s resignation began Sunday when Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said to CBS Miami that Franken “should consider resigning.” On Wednesday, Franken’s female counterparts in the Senate voiced their concerns. For example, Kirsten Gillibrand from New York said on Twitter she “believe[s] he should step aside to let someone else serve.”

President Donald Trump even contributed to the dialogue with a flurry of tweets condemning Franken — but has taken a different stance when it comes to Republicans accused of sexual misconduct. Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for Jeff Sessions’ empty Alabama Senate seat, now faces at least eight accusations of initiating sexual contact with significantly younger women. Some of the women were teenagers as young as 14 years old when Moore, a public official in his 30s, approached them.

Despite this, Trump publicly endorsed Moore Dec. 4, demonstrating a clear break from establishment Republicans’ point of view.

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For example, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said he believes Moore’s accusers and that Moore should “step aside.”

Although the rest of the GOP is not quite as outspoken in favor of Moore stepping down, many — including Jeff Sessions, whose vacant seat Moore is in the running for — have been reluctant to support his candidacy.

Faced with political opponents that are even more divided over the issue of sexual assault than they are, liberals must show unity and commitment to what is right regardless of whether or not that means disavowing their own establishment in the process.

It is entirely unacceptable that it took Democrats until yesterday to deliver a powerful message to Franken — in waiting, the party verged on being complicit with sexual misconduct.

Of course, the eventual decision to demand Franken’s resignation distinguishes the Democrats from the Republicans, who themselves are led by a President facing at least 20 accusations of sexual assault from different women.

But just because Trump won’t resign or Moore won’t step out of the Alabama special election doesn’t mean Franken shouldn’t. In responding to The New York Times’ article detailing the Democratic demands for Franken’s resignation, one commenter wrote, “If we keep holding Democrats to higher standards than republicans are holding themselves to, there won’t be anything but republicans left to govern the country.”

That’s not entirely true. We must hold all our representatives to a higher standard than they hold themselves to — and if it results in every last one of them fired, we should take that opportunity to fill their empty seats with leaders that will fight to make the world fairer and more just for all.

GOP TAX PLAN THREATENS GRAD STUDENTS MOST

Maggie Durwald Columnist The Republican Party has once again proven itself to be an enemy of science and higher education — this time in the form of its new tax plan, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. With a vote of 51-49 during the early hours of Dec. 1, the Senate passed the GOP’s latest plan — a draft riddled with last-minute revisions scribbled in its margins — just hours before the vote. Beside tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy that could amount to $1.5 trillion over the course of the next decade, many students are upset with the plan for more personal reasons. In its current form, the plan may make it impossible for some to attend graduate school or pursue Ph.D. programs.

Many graduate students obtain tuition waivers from their universities — exemptions from certain portions of tuition — as a way to pay for their education without taking out more loans than they can handle. The waivers often come with a stipulation that recipients must work full time in research or teaching positions. This earns them an average reduction of more than $12,500 per year that goes directly into paying for tuition.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act also repeals a section of the current tax code exempting tuition reductions from being considered taxable income. If the bill becomes law, tuition waivers will be considered taxable income, according to the seven brackets proposed by the new plan.

But this is a tax on money students nev-

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er get to see. The tuition waiver reduces the total cost of tuition for the student, but doesn’t put a check in their hands. It would be like applying a sales tax to the amount of an item that was removed through a coupon. The money never actually belongs to the student, just as the money from a coupon never belongs to the consumer — and many think it’s wrong to apply taxes to money that seemingly doesn’t exist.

The average salary of U.S. grad students falls at just over $30,000 per year, meaning students who accept the average $12,500 waiver would be taxed for an income that represents roughly 140 percent of their actual income. For students who already face tens of thousands of dollars of debt — and particularly for low-income students — the extra tax burden may make the difference between pursuing a higher education and not.

Academia already has a huge privilege problem — according to a 2016 report by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, college graduates whose families earned more than $116,000 annually accounted for more than 50 percent of degrees awarded in 2014. Graduates from families that earned less than $35,000 accounted for only 10 percent of degrees awarded. That is, more than half of all graduate degrees were awarded to students who came from families making twice as much as the median household income of about $54,000, while only a fraction of degrees were awarded to students from families hovering near the federal poverty line of $24,600 per year See Durwald on page 5

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Durwald, pg. 4 for a family of four.

The GOP’s tax plan does an excellent job of exacerbating this inequality.

Only those who can afford to take out more loans to pay off

Liam McFadden |STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

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the tuition no longer covered by a waiver, or pay off the taxes on tuition waivers, will be able to continue with grad school or Ph.D. programs — pushing lower-income and middle-class families even further out of the realm of higher education.

On a larger scale, universities will lose powerful perspectives that could guide research and instruction in ways that an exclusively wealthy student body would never be able to do. We need economic diversity in our schools to promote diversity of thought, discussion and problem-solving that will translate to realworld change. Without it, American intellectual life will stagnate.

Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said as much in a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee, the head tax-writing committee in the House: “The provision [exempting waivers from taxation] is also critical to the research endeavor at major universities, particularly in the crucial science, technology, engineering and math fields.”

He cited the 57 percent of tuition waivers given to STEM students, according to figures from the Department of Education — meaning STEM, the most rapidly emerging field of education, will suffer the most when it comes to economic diversity.

If we want to create a word that’s accessible to all regardless of income, we must make sure the people designing it come from diverse backgrounds.

Students who receive tuition reductions are working in labs to cure cancer and other degenerative diseases, they’re helping educate their peers and they’re working toward raising America’s academic standing in the world. The GOP plans to cut funding for science at a time when STEM research and education should be at the forefront of our nation’s priorities.

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Decreased graduate enrollment would also harm the U.S. economy. According to a 2017 report by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, academic patent licensing created more than $28.7 billion in net sales and generated more than four million person years of employment from 1996 to 2015. The patents are for medicine and technology that come from research done by university faculty and students.

Without grad students or the financial backing to faculty that comes in the form of waivers, universities would lose the man power necessary to produce capital of that size.

The new tax plan is an attack on a group of individuals who are responsible for so much of the scientific knowledge and innovation in the United States. To discourage students from the path of higher education not only hurts them — it hurts the country.

But to the GOP, grad students are just another casualty in their war on higher education.

Maggie primarily writes about social issues and economics for The Pitt News.

Write to Maggie at mad338@pitt.edu.

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Culture

Students curate exhibit about Nationality Rooms

Marissa Perino Staff Writer Within the brightly lit rotunda of the University Art Gallery, people politely shuffle around a wall map already crowded with pushpins indicating spots where visitors’ hometowns and family origins are.

This map is just one part of “Narratives of the Nationality Rooms: Immigration & Identity in Pittsburgh” — an exhibition designed by students enrolled in the Museum Studies Exhibition Seminar course.

The show, housed temporarily in the Frick Fine Arts Building, is available for viewing weekdays from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. until tomorrow evening, Dec. 8. Shirin Fozi, an assistant professor who specializes in medieval European art and architecture, led this term’s class, which is currently only offered each fall.

“I’m in the camp of wanting to do art history because I wanted to look at objects,” Fozi said. “When Pitt hired me in 2012, one of the things that they told me off the bat was that they have a museum studies program.”

Fozi joined the University of Pittsburgh staff in 2013 and first practiced working with campus collections at Harvard University, followed by more curatorial experience at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Staff members such as Fozi, many who had thoughts of working as curators, have helped shape the seminar course with the addition of fairly new minor. The museum studies program, spearheaded by Assistant Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies Gretchen Holtzapple Bender, started in 2013, but Pitt students have been organizing displays in the University Art Gallery since the 1970s.

This year, however, students such as Darcy Foster, a senior majoring in history with an Italian minor, said she credits the class for adding new skills to her resumé.

“I [now] know how to frame and hang

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play a collection of objects from the Nationality Rooms to create installations for the exhibit. Many of these were pulled from the University’s archives on Thomas Boulevard in East Liberty.

Students launched their search for exhibit objects from a list of preapproved material, information previously cataloged by the department’s spring undergraduate and summer graduate interns. Eventually widening their search, the students made final choices including a variety of material, with documentation such as architectural blueprints, letters and photographs.

Foster helped to handle condition reports, loans and an online database to document pictures, mirroring the daily work of a museum’s registrar office. One of her finds included a set of black-and-white The Chinese Hu Vase (1939) in the Chinese Room was first displayed in 1939 to represent Chinese craft during the 19th and 20th centuries. photographs of the construction of English Anna Bongardino | ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR Room, which was delayed by almost two decades because of World War II. The photographs of the English Room also reveal a rare glimpse of the internal brick structure of the Gothic-style cathedral.

Fozi said students worked to utilize the art gallery space effectively. The visual knowledge group, who orchestrated a timeline for exhibit details, occupied the front room gallery. Identity, which featured large objects such as a Japanese kimono, encompassed the rotunda. And sacred space, featuring the smallest and most precious objects, inhabited the glass display cases in the hallway for an intimate setting.

Teaching assistants such as Abby Sites, a senior pursuing a double major in anthropology and history of art and architecture, This drawing is one of many featured in the “Narratives of the Nationality Rooms: Immigration & Identity in Pittsburgh” exhibition in the Frick Fine Arts helped to oversee the joint effort.

“It’s very much a team thing,” Sites said.

Building Monday. Anna Bongardino | ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR “From the design of the poster to the font of a painting, such as a watercolor. I know to Through the process, the class exposes par- the timeline.” handle objects — I’ve handled cloth, I’ve ticipants to subjects such as careful art presThe students’ tasks included editing an handled wood, I’ve handled painted wood,” ervation and archival research, along with interactive video for viewing, designing Foster said. the technical aspects of operating a gallery. postcards for distribution, carefully arrangThe seminar offers a hands-on curricuFozi and her team of three teaching as- ing all of the objects in their display cases lum as groups of 30 undergraduates work sistants worked with University Art Gallery See Displays on page 7 to create a museum exhibit from scratch. curator Isabelle Chartier to gather and dis-

December 7, 2017

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Displays, pg. 6 and leading public visitors through gallery talks.

The artifacts will return to the archives, where some occasionally rotate into the appropriate nationality room display cases.

Pieces such as the watercolor depictions of the original rooms by Andrey Avinoff will not be displayed again for at least three to five years because of light sensitivity ruining the artwork.

Fozi said the Avinoff watercolors are contrasted with the rest of the exhibition, which reveals the background underneath the beautiful watercolor depictions. “[Avinoff ’s paintings show] how the nationality rooms are kind of chaotic and come out of these complicated stories,” Fozi said.

Fozi said students worked to find a balance between crowd-pleasing objects and images that tell a story. Other subjects grappled with working with nations which no longer exist, such as Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. Students also dealt with rooms such as the Chinese Room, which prompted questions about a world pre-

1787, before the University was founded.

“We wanted to address conflict because it is what’s sending all these people here, obviously we’re still getting refugees today,” said Foster. “The rooms are coming out of communities in Pittsburgh.”

Fozi said the class’s exhibit is not alone in its mission, as many museums across the country are engaging in what she called social responsibility. In Pittsburgh alone, galleries have opened the doors for conversation, such as the new “20/20” exhibit in the Carnegie Museum of Art and “Go West” by Iranian artist Farhad Moshiri.

Alex Taylor, an assistant professor and art curator in the department, will lead next fall’s seminar and will continue the tradition of exploring such subjects — this time on gender and sexuality, according to Fozi.

As the semester comes to an end, Fozi said she is pleased by the topics the students chose to explore for the exhibit as well as its construction, from each leveled frame to each word in their title. “[The exhibit] is responsible, that is inclusive, that doesn’t pick fights but still opens the door for meaningful conversation,” Fozi said.

Upgrade, pg. 2 When compared to the new mass spectrometer, Hsu said the old mass spectrometer was difficult to use, had poor resolution and was not as portable because of its large size. The new mass spectrometer has dimensions of 2.5 by 2.7 by 2.1 inches — without the cart — and weighs 130 lbs.

It’s significantly smaller than its older counterpart, which had dimensions of about 4 feet long, 3 feet wide and 4 feet deep, and was immobile because of its weight and cables.

Hsu also said the new device’s computer interface will make it easier for students to use and will prepare them for work in actual research laboratories.

“Having a mass spectrometer is very good practice or an educational opportunity for the student who is taking the lab,” Hsu said. “With this new module I can see that it is modernized and it has a much better computer interface.”

While the old mass spectrometer hadn’t been in use for the last three years, the professor and the lab instructor have developed several experiments involving the new mass spectrometer for students to learn from. Some of the laboratory experiments the students could conduct include analyzing how abundant certain isotopes are in

comparison to other isotopes of the same element, the electric fields within the device and the motion of the particle because of the electric field.

The IQ-2000 Mass Spectrometer will mainly be used in physics laboratory courses as a teaching device for physics students. In these advanced laboratory-level courses, the device was previously used to determine the ratio of the mass of an element in a molecule to the mass of a molecule. Students can now use the device to gain firsthand exposure to its operation and to analyze the data it provides to determine the identity and composition of the gas.

“We are really excited to have this equipment,” Danko said. “It is a really state of the art mass spectrometer. It is a really good opportunity for physics majors, physics students to see how to put the principles of electricity and magnetism to use.”

Danko said the previous mass spectrometer used by the department was between 30 and 40 years old and was broken beyond repair due to its old age. According to Danko, one of the issues the old mass spectrometer faced was with its vacuum system.

Danko went on to explain how the mass spectrometer functions. It acts like a small accelerator, charging small particles of gas using electrons.

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The Pitt News SuDoku 12/7/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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December 7, 2017

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Sports Narduzzi signs 7-year contract extension Jordan Mondell Assistant Sports Editor Pat Narduzzi signed a seven-year contract extension to stay with Pitt’s football team until at least 2024, Athletic Director Heather Lyke announced Wednesday.

Pitt is coming off a relatively disappointing season, in which the Panthers finished with a 5-7 record and were ineligible for a bowl game. Narduzzi has posted a 21-17 record in his three-year tenure at Pitt, with wins over the No. 2 in the country in each of the last two years.

In a press release, Lyke said Pitt is committed to working with Narduzzi and his staff to build a national-caliber football team.

“We’re thrilled Pat Narduzzi is our head football coach,” Lyke said. “We are Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi has a 21-17 overall record for his three years at Pitt. John Hamilton | MANAGING EDITOR deeply committed to helping him, his

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Panthers back on track

Dominic Campbell Staff Writer

After breaking six school records during the 2016-17 season, the Pitt track and field team enters this season needing to retool after the departure of several key contributors from last year’s team.

The Panthers return five of the seven athletes that made it to the NCAA Outdoor Championships last season. Two of the five athletes returning, senior women’s hammer thrower Andin Fosam and junior long distance runner Gillian Schriever, are expected to be key contributors on the Pitt women’s team again this year.

Fosam had a solid junior year, making it to the NCAA Championships for the first time in her career and breaking the school record for outdoor hammer throw in the process. Although she finished

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staff and his student-athletes achieve at the highest levels in the ACC and nationally.”

Pitt’s tax documents show Narduzzi earned $1,768,841 during the 2016 fiscal year, the second highest salary at the University. Pitt did not release salary details for the contract extension.

Prior to coaching at Pitt, Narduzzi served at Michigan State as defensive coordinator. In 2014, he accepted the position as the Panthers’ head coach.

“When I initially accepted the head coaching position at Pitt three years ago this month, I said we could achieve great things if we were all moving in the same direction,” Narduzzi said. “We are really enthusiastic about the team we have coming back for 2018.”

23rd at the the championships, Fosam had a career year which she will look to build on in her senior season.

Schriever also recorded career performances last year. The cross-country and long-distance runner ran her best 10k in the NCAA Championships, where she finished with a school record time of 33:50.03, 13th place and second-team All-American honors.

Along with Fosam leading the throwers and Schriever leading the long distance runners, the team also returns three of the four sprinters from the women’s 4x400 who made it to the NCAA championships. Returning seniors Quadaisha Newkirk and Morgan Harvey and sophomore Danielle Leaks now have a chance to improve on their 24th place finish in the relay last year.

The biggest loss for the Panthers is go-

ing to be hurdler Desmond Palmer, who made it to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in each of his four years at Pitt.

Palmer set the school record in the 400m hurdles and in the indoor 600m during his time at Pitt.

He managed to make both finals at the championships and finished fifth in the 400m hurdles and seventh in the 110m hurdles last season. It is unlikely that Pitt will be able to replace him soon, so it will be up to assistant coach Keith Roberts to develop the younger hurdlers on the team.

Pitt will also be looking for breakout performers from more than just the hurdlers this year. Two Panthers primed for strong seasons are sophomores sprinter Jabari Michael-Khensu and long-distance runner Nick Wolk. Last year, Michael-Khensu and Wolk both competed

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in the ACC Outdoor championships as first years, with Michael-Khensu finishing eighth in the 200m and Wolk finishing 23rd in the 5000m.

Both also competed internationally last summer in the Pan Am Junior Championships in Peru, with Wolk representing the United States and MichaelKhensu representing St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

One unit that won’t be looking for a breakout athlete is the women’s distance medley relay team. The team, which had senior Joslin Sellers and juniors Makenzie Zeh and Miranda Salvo on both indoor and outdoor and senior Morgan Harvey on indoor, broke both the school indoor and outdoor records. With all runners returning except for first year Jordan Bourgeois, who left the team after See Preview on page 9

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just one season, expect this group to continue to break records in the event.

One first-year athlete that may garner recognition this year is jumper Greg Lauray. In the Blue-Gold Meet last weekend, he managed to get over 7’ 3/4” in the high jump. He caught the eye of the NCAA Track & Field Twitter account, which posted a video of the jump on Saturday.

The cold weather means that the track team starts its indoor season, which goes from now until the the NCAA Indoor Championships at the beginning of March. The outdoor season begins soon after in March and continues until the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the beginning of June.

The indoor season for the Panthers has started, and they have their final meet of the semester this weekend.

They will compete in the Golden Flash Gala at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, Friday, Dec 8, and Saturday, Dec 9.

These ionized particles pass through a magnetic field, which allows the user to obtain an analysis of the particles’ mass and mass to charge ratio. This information can later be used practically to identify a gas, detect impurities during production processes or even check for leaks in vacuum furnaces. “[Mass spectrometers] have a very basic principle that is based on electricity and magnetism, Danko said. “[This is] very useful to see for physicist and physics majors, how all these things are operated and how you can use these principles in a practice.”

Dytman said the device carries educational value because the principles of electricity and magnetism, which are necessary for the device to function, can develop a physics students’ understanding of electricity and magnetism by using the device as part part of their laboratory curriculum.

“It’s an honors course and only the best students take it, but we do get some of the best students in the science part of university,” Dytman said. “They are very eager to learn and very curious, and we want to give them the very best equipment we can.”

Pitt’s Department of Physics and Astronomy

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has received a new gadget that will help students make massive academic strides in the near future.

Pitt acquired Extrel’s educational mass spectrometer, IQ-2000, in October. The device — which identifies gases based on their molecular mass to charge ratio — will allow physics majors to develop their understanding of electricity and magnetism by exposing them to these concepts in their laboratory course sections.

Steven Dytman, a Pitt professor who has taught Modern Physics for about 25 years, said the mass spectrometer has become key to scientific research and an important educational device in physics.

“Every lunar lander that wants to go to the moon and sample the surface, sample the air, they always have a mass spectrometer. It is an absolutely essential part of biological research, chemical research,” Dytman said.

Aware of this importance, Istvan Danko, a lab instructor for the department of physics and astronomy, and Dytman, applied for a $20,000 grant from the University of Pittsburgh to purchase Extrel’s mass spectrometer. Extrel, a local Pittsburgh company founded by former University of Pittsburgh Professor Wade Fite, develops gas analyzers for research and industry, which universities can purchase to improve laboratory curriculum.

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According to Dytman and Danko, there was a consensus in the department to find a replacement for the old mass spectrometer three years ago, but additional funding was needed at the time to purchase this type of device. Originally, the new mass spectrometer cost $60,000. However, after a 20 percent discount and an educational grant from Extrel, the price was brought down to $28,000, which was shared between the University of Pittsburgh and the department.

“It’s not cheap,” Dytman said. “On the other hand, [the students] get to use some fairly interesting equipment at a young age, and we think that’s wonderful.”

Jen-Feng Hsu, a postdoctoral associate at Pitt, was a teaching assistant for the Modern Physics laboratory course when the old mass spectrometer was retired. He said that the device was difficult for students to use and extract data from.

During his time working with the old device, Hsu was involved in helping students conduct laboratory experiments. “[The mass spectrometer] is a highly selective filter for a certain charge and mass combination, so this is how you precisely know the mass of a composite gas sample,” Hsu said.

Find the full story online at

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9

I N D E X

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

For Rent North Oakland 3 BR Apartment.

Available August 1, 2018. $1320-$1620 +gas & electric.

412-441-1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesmanagement.net.

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

4BR house, 2 bath.

Newly remodeled, wall-to-wall carpeting, equipped kitchen, on busline, 15 minute walk to campus. $250/ person+ gas/electric.

Call 412-548-2214.

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.

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

Classifieds

For sale

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

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• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

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

R A T E S

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Deadline:

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

South Oakland

South Oakland

South Oakland

South Oakland

** 5 Bedroom/2 full bath; HUGE HOMEduplex style, three stories. COMPLETELY REMODELED, 2 living rooms, 2 kitchens, 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 8/1/2018.

NO PETS. Call Jason at 412-922-2141.

Pictures- Info: tinyurl. com/pitthome

2-3-4 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2018. Nice, clean, free laundry, includes exterior maintenance, new appliances, spacious, located on Semple and Mckee 412-414-9629.

Before signing a lease, be aware that no 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.

Oakland Ave. - Garden Court Apartments.

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

4 BR Home - Semple Street, located near Louisa. Equipped Kitchen, Full Basement. New central air added. Renting for August 2018.

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

Giant 7 Bedroom House with 3 Bathrooms. Near Atwood & Ward. Free parking &laundry. Available August 2018.

412-600-4219. jwquinn@mac.com.

**AUGUST 2018: Furnished studios, 1,2,3,4 bedroom apartments. No pets.

Non-smokers preferred. 412-621-0457.

1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments. $1015 + electric, $1599 + electric respectively.

Available August 1, 2018. Louisa St. 412-441-1211. info@ forbesmanagement. net. www.forbesmanagement.net.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Bedrooom Houses.

August 2018. Bouquet St, Meyran, Semple, Neville, Chesterfield.

412-287-5712.

PITT & CMU STUDENTS. Updated, spacious 3, 4, 5 Bed-

Apartments for rent.

2, 3, and 4 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 Available January 2018!

Spacious 2 bedroom apartment Newly updated, fully furnished kitchen Very close to campus on Atwood St. 24 Hour Emergency Maintenance Secured Building $1450/month Robb Real Estate Co., LLC Ph: 412-682-7622

Large 5 Bedroom.

Mckee & Louisa. 2 bathrooms, free laundry, gas included. One block from Forbes.

Available August 2018. 412-600-4219. jwquinn@mac.com 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

Add.

room Houses. Close across boulevard on Pitt bus line.

Multiple bathrooms, air conditioning, dishwashers, laundry, etc. August 2018.

bus across the street.

One block to Oakland bus. Very safe neighborhood. $895/mo.

Rent includes utilities.

Call 212-818-8607 or email: squirrelhillapt@gmail.com

Rental Other 624 Minnesota St Pittsburgh PA 15207.

3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath.

Newly updated2 blocks from Greenfield Bridge.

Large kitchen, Washer & dryer included. Rent $1100/ month. Call Jimmy 412-400-7997

Reasonable pricing.

412-445-6117.

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

Move in May 1 or Aug. 1, 2018. Call 412-361-2695

Squirrel Hill Unfurnished 1st floor of Squirrel Hill duplex. Large LR, Large BR, kitchen and bath. Also, small office. Downtown

Apartment for rent.

Highland Park area, 3rd floor, 1BR, private entrance, $700/ month +electric.

412-719-0321.

Employment Employment Other Join KEYS Service Corps, AmeriCorps this January. Mentor, tutor, and inspire local youth. Full and part time paid positions with education award.

Perfect for December grads! Possible internship credit. Call 412-350-2739. www. keysservicecorps.org

OFFICE INTERN Shadyside Management Company seeks person w/ min 2 yrs. college, for upcoming spring semester, to interview & process rental applicants, do internet postings & help staff

our action- central office. Part time or full time OK. Starting in January; full time over summer. $13/ hour. Perfect job for current sophomores & juniors, graduating seniors set to enter grad school, returning grad students, and firstyear law students!

Mozart Management 412-682-7003 thane@ mozartrents.com

For Sale Merchandise Scott’s Hot Dogs now selling Christmas trees at Frankstown Avenue and Lincoln.

Veterans welcome.

412-310-3769

Sublet - Looking for a female roommate to take over lease for Spring/Summer. Great location.

Furnished or unfurnished. Apartment is in a safe building at Bates and Oakland 540-687-1212

New 3 Bedroom on Meyran. Free parking, central air.

Available August 2018. 412-600-4219. jwquinn@mac.com

December 7, 2017

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Health Medical and Heart Care, Students Welcome, 155 N. Craig Street, Dean Kross, MD, 412-687-7666

Services Other Cell Phone & Computer Repair. Atlas.

4753 Liberty Avenue Bloomfield, Pittsburgh PA 15224.

412-681-2092.

House cleaning: Oakland House, undergoing renovations, needs cleaner/organizer one

The Pitt news crossword 12/7/17

Services

day/week. References & background required. 412-414-7290.

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

Call 412-521-7334.

pittnews.com

December 7, 2017

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December 7, 2017

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