2-23-16

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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

Pucks for Johnny: Hockey player beats cancer Page 9 February 23, 2016 | Issue 110| Volume 106

DALL, SYKES PAPER PLEDGES: PITT UNVEILS IT’S ON US PROJECT DEBATE FOR PRESIDENCY Alexa Bakalarski Staff Writer

Colorful slips of paper were draped over walls, coat racks, chairs and a podium Monday afternoon, symbolizing the pervasive nature of sexual assault on campus — but also the united fight Saskia Berrios-Thomas to stop it. Staff Writer Kristine Irwin, a Pittsburgh Action With only one chance to face their competi- Against Rape volunteer, spoke about tors head-on, Student Government Board presi- her assault and changing campus clidential candidates Matt Sykes and Natalie Dall mates, while Chancellor Patrick Galfaced off during the election debate in Nordy’s lagher, Pitt’s counseling services, Pitt Place Monday night. police and student groups revealed the With eight candidates running for eight open It’s On Us paper chain at the William Board seats, current Board members Sykes and Pitt Union Monday afternoon. Dall debated as the only two candidates compet“Today, it’s time to break our collecing for the president’s gavel in SGB’s first election tive silence about this,” Irwin said. since 2014. About 150 students, faculty and Students can vote online at MyPitt on March staff gathered in the Union’s Kurtz1. mann Room to reveal the about 800Sykes and Dall debated mental health, sexual assault, OMETs and finishing the initiatives foot chain. As the It’s On Us Task Force they started as Board members. Matt Moret, the toured campus and visited student opinions editor for The Pitt News, moderated groups asking for pledges, members gathered 4,200 small slips of paper with the event, which about 50 students attended. Moret gave the 10 total candidates running signatures from faculty, staff and stuon three slates — Incline, Keystone and H.A.T.S. dents promising to stop sexual assault — five minutes each for opening and closing on campus. Those slips form the chain, which is longer than the Cathedral of statements. For their opening statements, Sykes and Dall Learning is tall. outlined their key initiatives. In September 2014, Pitt’s It’s On Us “I feel like we’ve really come a long way mak- campaign started as part of the nationing Pitt a more open and free kind of area where wide version of the campaign launched students feel comfortable talking about this,” by President Barack Obama and Vice Sykes said. “But I think there is more work that President Joe Biden. The campaign needs to be done to really push for this culture urges colleges and universities around shift where mental health is not stigmatized on the country to pledge to create an envicampus.” ronment that fights sexual assault and Sykes, a senior majoring in industrial engi- supports survivors. neering and sociology, is running on the Incline Christopher Hoffmann, a grad stuslate, which prioritizes mental health awareness dent and member of the It’s On Us sexand student safety. At the debate, Sykes focused ual assault task force, coordinated the on mental health awareness, citing the need for chain project at Pitt with Alia Gehra first-year awareness program and increased Seloover, another Pitt grad student. training for resident assistants. Hoffmann started the chain in OcDall, a junior majoring in molecular bioltober 2014 with Megan Crilly, a 2015 ogy, is running on the Keystone slate, which prigraduate school alumna, as a way to See SGB on page 3

brr i n g the b th h e on onli n li line nee p l e dgg e “i le ledg in ntt o th thee re rreal e aall bring online pledge “into Ho off f f ma m a nn n n ssaid. a i d. ai d. world,” H Hoffmann “Wee wanted “W waa nt w nt eed d to t o have h avvee ha tth h is i rreception ecc eep ptii on pti on as a s bo b oth both ha this t h an th than a k you y ou and yo aan n d as as a w ay ay thank way t o recognize rec ecog c ogg n nii ze z e effort e fff or ortt to o to educ ed ducc at at e people pee op p ople l aabout b out educate sseeexu xxu u all assault asss ault prevensexual p tion all over campus,” Hoffman said. According to Pitt’s September 2015 report on sexual violence on 23.6 campus, percent of undergraduate female students reported experiencing sexual violence in their f o u r years o n c a m p u s . T h e sur-

all so found f ou u nd d tthat h at 6. hat 66.22 pe p per e rc rc en rce e nt of of unveyy also percent d de r g ra rg radu duat du atee men at m e n reported rree ported experidergraduate en n ci cin ngg sexual violence while encing at Pitt. After the reveal, It’s On Us Student Task Force volunteers moved the chain to Nordy’s Place, its temporary p y home for a week. On Monday, the chain will move to Alumni Hall for a few days,

See It’s on Us on page 2

Chancellor Patrick Gallagher spoke at the It’s On Us paper chain reveal Monday afternoon. Donny Falk | Staff Photographer


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2-23-16 by The Pitt News - Issuu