4-15-19

The Pitt News

Video: Bernie & guests rally support for Pitt’s grad student union pittnews.com

T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | april 15, 2019 ­| Volume 109 | Issue 142

BERNIE SANDERS CAMPAIGNS IN SCHENLEY PLAZA

Vermont Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders held a campaign rally in Schenley Plaza Sunday evening.

Anna Bongardino| contributing editor 2020 presidential election, Sanders spoke about his Sanders said he believes the future of the middle teach classes of our own,” Garrett said. “We do this Remy Samuels plans for transforming health care, labor laws, cli- class is dependent on a growing and strong trade while taking care of children, elderly parents and Staff Writer mate change and the trade deficit. union movement and that he plans to make it last of all ourselves. We are coming together as a When Sen. Bernie Sanders stepped onto the poMany advocates of Pitt’s graduate student union easier for workers to join unions, whereas he said union to demand fairness and transparency in how dium at Schenley Plaza, surrounded by supporters also attended the rally to demonstrate their sup- President Donald Trump is trying to make it much decisions are made at Pitt.” waving Bernie 2020 signs and chanting his name, port of Sanders’ policies, especially those regarding harder.

The co-chairs of Sanders’ 2020 campaign, San he couldn’t help but point out the unusually warm unionizing and worker rights. Sanders congratuBefore Sanders arrived on stage, Kimberly Juan, Puerto Rico, Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz and Pittsburgh weather. lated those who are organizing to form a union and Garrett — a graduate student employee and mem- former Ohio Democratic state Sen. Nina Turner, “We were told that it was gonna rain and it urged Pitt to negotiate with its graduate workers. ber of the graduate student organizing commit- also helped speak to the crowd, spreading messages would be a small turnout,” Sanders said at Sunday “The University of Pittsburgh is a great aca- tee — spoke about the importance of unionizing. of inclusivity and citing Sanders as a champion for afternoon’s rally. “Looks like that’s not the case!” demic institution, but I say to them your greatness She said while many graduate students generate a justice. Cruz said the U.S. needs a leader who will It certainly wasn’t the case, as nearly 4,500 peolies not only on your research and your teaching,” lot of wealth and prestige for the University, many “get the job done” and that with Sanders’ messages ple attended Sanders’ rally in Schenley Plaza amid Sanders said. “Your greatness lies on how you treat have trouble supporting themselves because of low of free health care and equality for all, he is the man clear skies and dozens of “Feel the Bern” posters your employees. Sit down and negotiate with your wages. for the job. waving in the air. As part of his campaign for the workers.”

“Along with our research, we attend classes and See Sanders on page 3

News

TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY, ALLIES ‘FIGHT THE BAN’ AT DOWNTOWN RALLY

Brian Gentry

Assistant News Editor Surrounded by supporters with signs reading “I support transgender service members” and Make America Gay Again hats, Elliot Sommer, a transgender man in the Army Reserves, spoke out about his right to continue serving his country.

“I could not help but wonder, ‘Why do I keep fighting to stay in uniform where I have to maintain integrity and professionalism, when we as a class of citizens are not even wanted?’” Sommer, a graduate student in neuroscience at Kent State University, said.

Sommer was one of many speakers at Saturday afternoon’s Fight the Ban rally outside Pittsburgh’s City-County Building Downtown. The rally, which gathered a crowd of about 40 people,

rallies held across the country on Saturday.

The organizations hosted the rally in response to President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people openly serving in the military the day before, after announcing his intent to do so over Twitter in July 2017. Many have called the ban a return to the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the 1994 policy that barred LGBTQ+ people from being open about their sexuality or gender identity while serving in the military.

Chance Thomas, a transgender former Navy Transgender rights activists placed police officer who was tried under “Don’t Ask, transgender pride flags on a Don’t Tell,” told the crowd he is confused by the statue of former Pittsburgh mayor Richard Caliguiri. ban on transgender people serving in the military, Brian Gentry | contributing editor noting that he believes transgender people in parwas organized by Steel City Stonewall Democrats, ticular are highly qualified to serve.

“The military, as an institution, deals in freeTransPride Pittsburgh, OutServe-SLDN and Minority Veterans of America, and was one of many dom, supplying freedom, protecting freedom,” Thomas said. “Trans people fight for freedom

every day. Who better to serve our country than somebody who knows how to fight for freedom?”

He said his personal experience in the military solidified this viewpoint.

“Just because I’m trans does not mean I cannot do the same job,” Thomas said. “In fact, I think it makes me do it better, because I’m invested in that freedom, I’m invested in making this country better.”

Nathan James, the vice president of LGBTQ Affairs at My Brother’s House, a nonprofit in Philadelphia that provides housing to LGBTQ+ veterans, called for people to be active in the fight to lift the ban.

“We look to our people in uniform, whether he, she, they or ze, to protect our cherished republic and keep us safe from our adversaries while See Fight the Ban on page 4

PITT GRAD STUDENTS TO VOTE ON UNIONIZATION Neena Hagen

Senior Staff Writer After several years of campaigning, rallying and dealing with University opposition, Pitt’s graduate students will vote on whether or not to form a union this week. Voting will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at two locations over four days — 2501 Posvar on Monday and Tuesday, and the O’Hara Student Center’s Second Floor Ballroom on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Now, more than two years after it began, a campaign to organize graduate assistants at the University of Pittsburgh into a labor union finally is in the hands of the students themselves,” the Pitt Grad Union tweeted Sunday.

The Graduate Student Organizing Committee at Pitt began campaigning for a union in January 2016, when it announced its affiliation with United Steelworkers to rally support for

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from 30% of graduate students — the amount needed to prompt the election.

The University then hired law firm Ballard Spahr, which offers “union avoidance training,” to argue that graduate students were not employees and therefore did not have the right to unionize. After a hearing on March 7, the PLRB dismissed the University’s opposition and ruled that about 2,000 teaching assistants, teaching fellows, graduate assistants and graduate student researchers are employees and have a right to unionize.

University spokesman Joe Miksch said the Grad students will vote on University was “disappointed” by the PLRB whether or not to establish a union between April 15 and 18. ruling, but encouraged graduate students to get Emily Wolfe | contributing editor out and vote.

“We encourage all eligible students to be the effort. Nearly two years later in December fully informed on this important issue — and 2017, organizers filed a petition for an election to vote and make their voices heard,” Miksch with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board said in March after the PLRB’s ruling. saying they had collected authorization cards Pitt graduate students’ unionization effort

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has also garnered national attention, eliciting support from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.

“Your voices are important and I want to see you win this one. I’m behind you 100%,” Warren said in a video message to Pitt graduate students Tuesday.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also voiced his support for the unionization effort at a Sunday rally in Schenley Plaza, much to the appreciation of Pitt graduate students in attendance.

“This four-year-long fight is almost finished. And I hope that every grad here will vote yes for our union this week,” Kim Garrett, a Pitt graduate student, said.

If at least 50% of graduate students vote “yes” to form a union, the organizers’ website says graduate students would be able to negotiate for improved pay, job security and lighter workloads.

Election results will be announced Friday.

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Sanders, pg. 1 “There’s only one man that will look at all of us no matter the color of our skin, no matter what language we speak, no matter where we grew up, no matter who we love,” Cruz said. “It won’t matter to him if you’re part of the LGBT community, it won’t matter to him if you’re a transgender trying to serve this country in the military, it won’t matter to him if you are a DACA student. What will matter to him is if your heart is in the right place.”

During his speech, Sanders referred to Trump as “the most dangerous president in modern American history” and accused him of dividing the country based on skin color, race, religion and sexual orientation. He said he plans to transform the government and make it for everyone, and not just the top 1%.

“We will not accept the massive levels of wealth and income inequality in this country,” Sanders said. “Justice is about ending a process by which CEOs are making 300 times as much as the average worker. Justice means that we will not accept 49 percent of all incomes going to the top 1 percent.”

Sanders took another stab at Trump by calling him a pathological liar, citing how he guaranteed health care to everybody and promised to

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Bernie Sanders waves to the crowd at the beginning of his rally on Sunday evening. Sarah Cutshall | visual editor substantially reduce the trade deficit, but instead did the complete opposite, according to Sanders.

He also strongly advocated for ensuring that the voting system is not corrupted by wealthy people like Trump, mentioning the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission — a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that under the First Amendment political donations are a form of free speech.

“You wanna hear a radical idea?” Sanders asked the crowd. “How about a political system that is about one person one vote and not about billionaires buying elections? Together we are

going to overturn that disastrous Supreme Court decision on Citizens United and have public funding for elections.”

Ava Ferry, a first-year student majoring in biology, said she liked Sanders’ view on reducing student debt, as well as his stance on ending the discrimination that Ferry said has been going on since Trump was elected. She said she was also surprised by Sanders’ stance on climate change and how he believes it is the biggest national security threat.

“I didn’t know he was so much for climate change because a lot of other politicians don’t

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really care about that,” Ferry said. “It was really refreshing to hear from someone who actually cares a lot about the planet and wants some change to be done.”

First-year student Tristin Carey, majoring in history and philosophy of science, said he came to the rally because he is a part of Community and Students for Academic Workers, an organization that supports the graduate union efforts.

Carey said he did not know how involved Sanders was with unionizing efforts and that he appreciated his pro-workers stance.

“The number of unions have been reducing and that correlates with a lot of bad stuff that’s been happening with workers’ rights, so if we start supporting unions again, hopefully workers’ rights will be improved and wages will go up,” Carey said.

Sanders concluded his speech by once again promoting the importance of middle class workers and standing together against discrimination and bigotry.

“Now, I may not be no Nobel Prize winning mathematician, but this I do know,” Sanders said.

“At the end of the day, the one percent are the one percent. And at the end of the day we are the 99 percent. So brothers and sisters, this is a pivotal moment in American history. Let us stand together and not let anyone divide us up.”

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Fight the Ban, pg. 2 we blissfully go about our daily lives,” James said.

“They have earned the right over, and over, and over again to do so in their true, authentic, correct, gender identity as our culture of freedom would allow, but for the reversing of those rights today.”

Bethany Hallam, a progressive Democrat running for the at-large Allegheny County council seat in the May primary, used her speaking opportunity to discuss other issues facing the transgender community in Pittsburgh.

“We’re here today to fight against the ban, but

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our fight for the rights of our transgender friends means so much more than just fighting against just one instance of oppression,” she said. “We need to fight against all instances of oppression.”

She discussed what she called the “psychological torture” that transgender people, and particularly transgender people of color, face in Allegheny County Jail when they are placed with their assigned sex at birth. She called for the firing of jail warden Orlando Harper — on whom she blamed the housing of transgender people in jail — and an overhaul of the criminal justice system to avoid this misgendering.

Calvin Eckers, a first-year Pitt student

studying social work and sporting a shirt that read “Trans rights are human rights,” said while he is not in the military, he attended the rally to support the right for transgender people to serve. He said he hopes the rally is the first of many steps in the fight to lift the ban on transgender troops.

“I hope that it starts a conversation,” Eckers said. “It’s really good to see people of all ages here. But I hope this starts a conversation in Pittsburgh, in Philly, nationally, on social media and in real life.”

Nathan Porter, a chapter leader for OutServe-SLDN, introduced all of the speakers at

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the event. In addition to organizing the rally, he’s also lobbied Congress to pass legislation to repeal the ban, saying that the organization met with 70 legislators just last week.

“If we get enough people on board, Congress can step in and basically force the military to stop the ban,” Porter said.

Porter said there are some Republican senators who he believes are on the fence about voting against the ban, and added that he’s confident their lobbying effort will be successful.

“I don’t know when, but it will be,” Porter said. “We’ll win.”

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Opinions

column

from the editorial board

Denison scavenger hunt wasn’t funny Pitt students and the Oakland community spent the week in fear after multiple women reported to police feeling like men were targeting women at night.

Throughout the week, students — and in particular female students — were understandably afraid to walk alone at night.

But it turns out the inciting incident of suspicious activity was part of a scavenger hunt for students from Denison University, a college near Columbus, Ohio. What was meant as a dumb prank played with the real fears of thousands of women at Pitt.

The first incident of suspicious activity happened at about 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, when two men got out of a car at the intersection of Fifth and Ruskin avenues and chased a woman to Ruskin Hall. A social media post sharing the incident circulated on campus, sparking concern among female students.

The second incident was reported Wednesday night when a student living on Atwood called police and said she heard a woman screaming and saw a car quickly driving away.

Pitt Police interviewed Denison University students Richard Calder Buonocore, Matthew Redmond, Otto Laakonen and Jack Armstrong in connection with the first incident. They confirmed the Denison students were at Pitt participating in a scavenger hunt with an informal campus group. Among the Pittsburgh-specific tasks of “visiting Pittsburgh sports venues, taking selfies at various bridges and publicly insulting prominent Pittsburgh sports figures,” Pitt Police said in a crime alert that one of the tasks was to “scare someone.”

Driving to another state to scare

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someone, among other scavenger hunt tasks, is in poor taste and a bizarre choice. But a group of men choosing to chase after a lone woman at 2:30 a.m. shows an absolutely terrifying lack of judgment.

Most, if not all, women are lectured at some point by parents, teachers and others about the dangers they face just being women. We’re taught that walking alone, walking at night and just generally minding our own business are enough to attract horrible threats like assault and kidnapping. It’s the unfortunate reality of the world we live in.

The Denison students’ ignorance of the fear many women carry with them wherever they go — whether it was willful ignorance or the result of never having to empathize with another’s position — had huge repercussions across campus.

Pitt Police had a larger presence on campus last week due to the back-toback suspicious incidents. The 10A shuttle to upper campus and the Saferider shuttle service were out more often. Some students opted to use transportation companies like Uber when they were out late, or they relied on others to give them rides. Rumors and speculation circulated on social media and around campus about possible kidnappings. All of these things cost the University and students money and played into women’s fears.

The Denison students have been banned from all University of Pittsburgh property. It’s just as well, because anyone who poses that kind of a threat to our students — real or as a part of a prank — isn’t welcome here.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOULD ONLY PERMIT VACCINE EXEMPTIONS FOR MEDICAL REASONS

Shruti Talekar | staff illustrator

Leah Mensch

Senior Staff Columnist New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio declared a public health emergency on April 8 in relation to the recent measles outbreak in certain areas of the city. Residents of certain Brooklyn neighborhoods are required to be vaccinated against measles immediately. Failure to follow the mandated orders could result in a $1,000 fine.

New York confirmed an additional 60 cases this past week, making the city responsible for about 285 cases of measles since October 2018.

Nationally, there have been 465 cases reported as of April 4. Measles often causes ear infections that can result in permanent hearing loss, as well as diarrhea that causes the infected person to become severely dehydrated. About 5% of people who contract measles develop pneumonia, which can be deadly, particularly for young children. In the most severe cases, the brain swells, resulting in intellectual disability, convulsions and even death.

Since measles is one of the most contagious

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diseases, the current outbreak makes public schools especially dangerous for children who cannot be vaccinated due to other medical reasons. For the safety of all children, public schools should limit their vaccine exemptions to medical conditions only.

The measles vaccine was licensed for medical use in 1971 and in most states became mandatory by the 1980s for children entering public school. But the law hasn’t stopped parents from finding ways around vaccinations. Typically public schools will consider exemption for two main reasons — medical recommendation or religious beliefs. Seventeen states offer the option of exemption due to philosophical or personal belief, too.

Children with certain medical conditions cannot be vaccinated, even if they have parents who believe in vaccination. For instance, the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine cannot be administered to children who test See Mensch on page 6

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Mensch, pg. 5 HIV positive. Children who are going through medical treatments that severely inhibit the function of the immune system, such as chemotherapy, cannot be vaccinated either. Additionally, children who have medical conditions that cause them to bruise or bleed easily, or have siblings with a history of immune system problems, are strongly encouraged to forgo vaccination, according to the Center for Disease Control.

These children must depend on those around them to obtain vaccination in order to prevent the disease from spreading. This is called herd immunity, and though it isn’t an ideal alternative to vaccination, for families who have children who are too sick to get a vaccine, it’s the best and only way to keep their child from developing another illness.

For those who are too sick to be protected against diseases like the measles, almost every other community member has to be vaccinated. According to the Vaccine Knowledge Project, every 19 in 20 people must be vaccinated for Herd Immunity to be effective. But in the United States, only 91.1% of the population is vaccinated against measles — not enough for herd immunity.

It isn’t difficult to find a way around the vac-

cination requirements, even in states that do not accept philosophical or personal exemption requests. Only a few states vigorously examine religious exemption requests before granting them, meaning some parents abuse the religious exemption to bypass the vaccination requirements.

While most states don’t allow philosophical arguments to be cited in a request for religious exemption, it is impossible to know what exactly people cite, and if they actually believe it, when they apply. According to the Pew Research Center, most states, like Connecticut, do not require detailed reasoning or documentation for requesting religious exemption.

Following the Disneyland measles outbreak in late 2014, California passed legislation that would only allow medical vaccine exemptions in public schools in order to curb the rate of unvaccinated children. It became the third state, behind Mississippi and West Virginia, to no longer consider religious exemptions for vaccine laws.

Laws are never perfect, but the California Department of Public Health found that the law’s efforts were effective in raising the vaccination rate. In the 2016-17 school year, vaccination rates for children entering kindergarten rose from 92.8% to 95.6%. In theory, the rate is

now high enough to protect children who cannot be vaccinated.

That same year, Mississippi’s rate of the MMR vaccine was 99.4% — the highest in the country, according to the Center for Disease Control. West Virginia, another state that only accepts medical exemption, had an MMR vaccination rate of 95.9%, another one of the highest rates in the country.

New York state is currently in the process of attempting to eliminate religious exemption.

Legislators introduced the bill on April 4.

“The goal here is to push legislation to remove all non-medical exemptions for vaccination for children to go to school in New York state,” state Senator David Carlucci said about the proposed legislation. “We’ve seen the spread of measles really spread like wildfire in communities where the vaccination rates are not high.”

This legislation is a much needed step forward, considering that very few religions even condemn vaccination outright. Though vaccines can sometimes contain pork-derived products, people of the Muslim faith who don’t consume pork products have not opposed vaccination for the most part, seeing it as necessary.

Islamic leaders signed the Dakar Declaration on Vaccination in 2017, explaining the necessity of vaccination. The Catholic Church has

also expressed support for vaccination, despite controversy surrounding the use of descendent cells from aborted fetuses.

“The reason [for supporting vaccination] is that the risk to public health, if one chooses not to vaccinate, outweighs the legitimate concern about the origins of the vaccine,” the National Catholic Bioethics Center writes on their website. “This is especially important for parents, who have a moral obligation to protect the life and health of their children and those around them.”

States need to protect children who are too sick to be vaccinated and those who complied with the laws and obtained vaccines. The best way to do this is by eliminating religious exemptions.

If parents truly are against vaccines due to their religious beliefs, they have the option to homeschool or send their child to a private school that is equipped to review and cooperate with religious exemptions. They have the right to refuse vaccinations, but they do not have the right to put others’ children in danger of lifethreatening diseases.

Leah primarily writes about social issues and sustainability for The Pitt News. Write to Leah at LEM140@pitt.edu.

The Pitt News SuDoku 4/15/19 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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The Pitt News Editor-in-Chief CHRISTIAN SNYDER

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Sports PITT’S NEW FOOTBALL HELMETS PUT SHOP412 ON THE OFFENSE Emily Wolfe

Contributing Editor Pittsburgh is so proud of its 412 area code that April 12 has become a city-wide holiday. But when the number made its way onto Pitt’s new football helmets in a redesign unveiled last Sunday, local retailer Shop412 was quick to protest.

According to a tweet from Pitt defensive back Damar Hamlin, “412” was taken off Pitt’s helmets this week in response to a complaint from Shop412.

“It was a Happy #412Day until i found out that @Shop412 made us take the ‘412’ area code off our visors..” Hamlin said in the Friday afternoon tweet. “i guess it’s not really about the city.”

The redesign for the football helmets features a gold “412” on the visor in Pitt’s new Cathedral of Learning-based font, a

412 x Pitt.”

According to U.S. Trademark and Patent Office records, Shop412 has held “412” as a trademark since 2012. The brand registered the digits as a wordmark, meaning it holds the rights to the text itself — not just in the form of its logo.

The controversy prompted viral outrage and memes from Panthers fans on Twitter, some of whom jokingly wondered if they would start having to pay just to make a call to a 412 number.

Ahead of Saturday’s annual Blue-Gold spring game, Pitt Football tweeted, “PerPitt Football displays its retro uniforms at Pitt Program Council’s Bigelow fect day for football in the 412.”

Bash on April 7. Hannah Heisler | senior staff photographer Even Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke acknowledged the drama at a press design that bears no obvious resemblance been removed.

The brand responded to Hamlin’s tweet conference before the game’s start. to the Shop412 logo. A picture Hamlin “What a beautiful day in Pittsburgh,” posted with the tweet showed a helmet after fewer than 15 minutes, saying it was from which the number had apparently “working with Pitt on a deal for authentic Lyke said. “The 412 … that’s a joke.”

3 TAKEAWAYS FROM PITT’S BLUE-GOLD GAME

Trent Leonard Sports Editor

Pitt football gave the public a glimpse at its team for the upcoming season in Saturday’s annual Blue-Gold Spring Game, a pseudo-scrimmage that involved four quarters and 11-on-11 action, though the quarters were two minutes shorter and the quarterbacks wore red to ward off contact from defenders. The Blue team, led by incumbent starter and rising junior quarterback Kenny Pickett, won 14-10 thanks to two thirdquarter touchdown connections from Pickett to redshirt senior wideout Tre Tipton.

When it comes to spring game analysis, there are two extreme schools of thought. The first is to treat it like a glorified game of two-hand touch, to dismiss it as another spring practice still several

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months removed from real-game action that indicates little to nothing about the upcoming season. The second is to become so caught up in the game uniforms and public spectacle of the event that you convince yourself that some walk-on Joe Schmo is the next Heisman winner because he torched the third string defense during a couple junk-time possessions in the fourth quarter.

The reality of the spring game lies somewhere in between. Sure, it’s a laid-back intrasquad run-through, but it can still be used to showcase certain players primed to break out in the fall, or provide a glimpse at the team’s identity for the upcoming season. Take last year’s game, for example, when the two squads combined for 8 yards rushing in a 10-3 defensive battle. The rushing yards were deceiving for a unit that finished 16th out

of 130 teams, but the game served as an accurate harbinger for a Panther team that struggled to score (86th in points per game) while succeeding with a sound defense (59th in yards allowed per game).

With that being said, Saturday’s game provided plenty to talk about. Let’s unpack which performances could indicate things to come, and debunk those that are too good — or too bad — to be true.

What’s up with the run game?

The Blue team, led in the backfield by redshirt sophomore running back Todd Sibley Jr. and sophomore back V’Lique Carter, had a tough time running the ball. Sibley led the way with 5 yards on four carries, while the unit as a whole rushed for an abysmal -12 yards.

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What’s worse, though, is that the Blue team somehow out-rushed its opponent on the day.

Gold rushed for -20 yards thanks to a series of sacks taken by first-year quarterback Davis Beville and redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Patti.

Junior tailback A.J. Davis served as the workhorse with nine carries, but picked up only 6 yards.

So, what gives? Pitt is supposed to be Running Back University, and the standard is higher than ever after the Panthers averaged a hefty 227.2 rush yards per game last season. How can these guys move the ball against top-notch ACC competition if they can’t even break the line of scrimmage against a hodgepodge opposition of backups and starters?

See Blue-Gold on page 10

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WEEKEND SPORTS: WEST K’S 12 AT COST FIELD Alexa Marzina

Thursday to Saturday while others went to Bucknell University for the Bison Outdoor Classic, which ran from Saturday to Sunday. The Panthers managed to land several athletes on the podium at each location.

First-years Crockett Schooler and Sydni Townsend led the Knoxville faction on Friday, with the former taking third in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in 53.11 seconds and the latter taking second in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.89 — a new personal record and the fourth-fastest time in program history.

Staff Writer

While many of Pitt’s teams didn’t earn their desired end result, the weekend still provided standout moments across Panther athletics, including a record-setting performance at Charles L. Cost field and the final regular-season match played by Pitt’s tennis team. Elsewhere, the track and field team saw several of its athletes reach the podium while softball suffered another sweep at Georgia Tech.

Track Pitt’s track team split up to cover some ground over the weekend, with some members heading down to Knoxville for the Tennessee Invitational from

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Redshirt Junior Derek West (46) struck out 12 Wake Forest batters in 6.0 frames. Thomas Yang | assistant visual editor

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Find the full story online at

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Blue-Gold, pg. 8 In the words of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, people need to “relax” when it comes to making snap judgments on Pitt’s ground game. In a half-organized scrimmage of this nature, it’s easier to play defense than offense, hence why the games tend to be low-scoring and unsightly. Communication and continuity are key for any offensive line, and the spring game draft system breaks up the starting unit into fragments, resulting in disjointed offensive line combinations that struggle to keep the defense out of the backfield.

“It’s hard for a broken O-line to run the ball,” redshirt junior defensive lineman Rashad Weaver said after the game.

Now, it’s unlikely that Pitt’s backfield will achieve the same level of success as last season, when the senior duo of Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall each rushed for more than 1,000 yards and made All-ACC Second and Third team, respectively. But the running game is the last thing you should ever worry about on a Pitt football team, and Davis and Carter should be expected to uphold the standard of RBU despite their ugly showing on Saturday.

Mark Whipple, quarterback whisperer Pitt’s passing problems last season were well documented. The Panthers ranked 123rd out of 130 teams with 139.7 passing yards per game.

Those struggles culminated in the ACC Championship, when Pickett threw for just 8 yards in a blowout loss to Clemson. Many called for the job of offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, and their demands were met after he was canned in the offseason.

In stepped new coordinator Mark Whipple, a coach whose resume includes a stint as quarterbacks coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers during their Super Bowl XL season. Despite being 61 years old, Whipple was billed as a fresh, innovative offensive mind with a knack for developing quarterbacks.

Saturday’s game certainly did nothing to dispel Whipple’s reputation, to say the least.

Both starting quarterbacks finished with stellar counting stats in limited action — Pickett completed 10 of 14 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns, while Beville went 13 of 17 for 157 yards and a touchdown. That’s a drastic turnaround from last year’s showing, when Pickett went 13 of 23 and backup quarterback Ricky Town went one of nine.

I’ll stop short of deeming Whipple the next Sean McVay, but it seems safe to say that fans can expect a sizeable improvement over last year’s dreadful passing attack. Pickett looked more

pittnews.com

comfortable in the pocket than he did at any point last season, likely a testament to the easier timing with receivers allowed by Whipple’s scheme. And Beville looked promising in his own right, showing off a strong arm by completing three passes for 30 or more yards.

V’Lique Carter, two-way superstar Little-known defensive backup V’Lique Carter broke through in a big way last season against Duke in Week 8, rushing for 137 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Originally recruited as a defensive back, the speedy Carter featured in the offense for the rest of the season.

Now a sophomore, Carter is expected to share a heavy workload of Pitt’s offensive production. But in an unexpected twist, he played throughout Saturday’s game on the defensive side as well, accumulating four total tackles.

It’s rare for a college player to see playing time on both sides of the ball, so some might be quick to brush this off as a spring game gimmick. But Narduzzi has shown a willingness in the past to let his athletes play offense and defense. Most recently, Jordan Whitehead — now playing in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — was utilized as both a safety and slot receiver in 2017.

Even James Conner played snaps at both run-

April 15, 2019

ning back and defensive end in 2016.

But it’s unlikely that Carter plays significant time on defense once regular season action picks up. Pitt’s defensive backfield is one of its deeper position groups, with several returning veterans like senior Damar Hamlin and redshirt seniors Dane Jackson and Jazzee Stocker.

Plus, the offensive backfield is one of Pitt’s shallowest positions, with Carter returning as the group’s leading rusher despite playing limited action last season. There’s simply no need to try and force Carter into playing an extra position — although Narduzzi may still do so sporadically just to utilize his next-level athleticism.

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 BR Apartment on 732 S. Millvale Ave. Available August 1, 2019. $1320‑$1630 +gas & electric.

412‑441‑1211. info@­ forbesmanagement.­ net. www.forbesman­ agement.net Craig Street. Safe, secure build‑ ing. 1‑bedroom, furnished. Newly remodeled, no pets, and heat in­ cluded. Rent $850 and up. Mature or Graduate students.

412‑855‑9925 or 724‑940‑0045. Email for pictures: salonre­ na@gmail.com

South Oakland ****************** Large 6 bedroom house for rent. Fall occupancy.

Atwood Street.

Close to campus.

Please call Gary at 412‑807‑8058 1‑2‑3‑4‑5 Bedroom apartments/houses.

Rents starting at $650 for 1BR. May or Au­gust availability.

412‑999‑2124 1/2/3 BR, furnished, sharing for 3 people.

Oakland Ave. $600

pittnews.com

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

per month per person, utilities included.

Available May to Au­gust. Contact 412‑848‑9442.

2 Bedroom Apart­ ment. Rent: $1690 + electric. Avail‑ able August 1, 2019 on Louisa St. 412‑441‑1211. info@­ forbesmanagement.­ net. www.forbesman­ agement.net.

2 BR house and 3 BR house, South Oak­land, very nice, good rent, close to Pitt. Avail‑ able Aug. 1, 2019.

Call 412‑881‑0550 or email apetro­v@ pitt.edu 2 BR house with off street parking & newly remodeled 2 BR apartment.

Avail­able in August.

Unfur­nished, no pets.

At­wood/S. Bouquet.

Call 412‑492‑8173 3326 Juliet St. Big 3 bedroom, 2‑story house 1.5 bath, fully equipped eat‑in kitchen/appli­ances/ new refrigera­tor, living, dining room, 2 porches, full base‑ ment, laundry/ storage, park‑ ing on premises, super clean ‑move‑in con­dition. Near univer­sities/hospi‑ tals/bus. $1800+.

412‑337‑3151 3408 Parkview Ave. Studios, 1‑2‑3 BRS

Available June &Aug. Pet Friendly & Park­

Classifieds

For sale

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

notices

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

ing. CALL NOW! 412‑455‑5600

3436 Ward. Spacious 2‑Bedroom, 1 bath, equipped kitchen, $1,195 + electric, Heat included.

412‑271‑5550 3444 Ward St. ‑ Stu­ dio and 1bedroom apartments. Free heating, free park­ing.

Available May & August 2019 move‑in.

Call 412‑361‑2695 Apartments for rent. 2 and 3 bedroom apart‑ ments 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 Atwood Street. 1/ 2BR units available now. Close to Pitt.

Parking available.

412‑561‑7964. Leave message.

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.

Brand new remod‑ eled spacious duplex.

5BR, 2BA, second and third floors with wooden floors. Laun­ dry room in apart­

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

ment. Parking avail­ able. $3200 +utilities.

Call 412‑871‑5657 Dawson Village Apts. near CMU and Pitt. One bedroom apt. available for immedi­ate move in.

On bus line, close to

restau­rants and shops. *CALL IN FOR SPE­CIALS!* Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546 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

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

16-30 Words

1X

2X

3X

4X

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

5X $27.00 $29.10

6X $30.20 $32.30

Add. + $5.00 + $5.40

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

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

412‑462‑1296

madroneproperty.com Oakland‑264 Mel­ wood ‑ 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, equipped ktichen, carpet, C/A, coin op laundry in basement of building, Close to Univeristies and Hospitals and on busline., Can be rented furnished or unfurnished Rent ‑ $1,600.00 + G/E 412‑462‑1296 madroneproperty.com Oakland‑264 Mel­ wood ‑ 4 bedrooms, 2 bath, equipped

kitchen, carpet, C/A, coin op laundry in basement of building, Close to Universities and Hospitals and on busline.

Rent ‑ $1,850.00 + G/E 412‑462‑1296 madroneproperty.com Recently reno’ed S Oakland 3BR house, $1750/mo + utilities.

Spacious, beautiful, well‑maintained.

Dishwasher, wash­er/ dryer, central AC. Close to Pitt campus & shuttle. Off‑street parking available.

Panther Properties,

412‑328‑6236, pan­ therproperties2@ g­mail.com. pan‑ ther‑life.com/oakland

apartment located be­

Spacious and bright 2BR apartment on Dawson St. Second floor. Free laundry and water/sewage.

Available August 2019. $1150/mo.

Contact Rebecca at 412‑651‑6594. Text or call.

Rent includes heat.

Shadyside 4909 Centre Ave.

Great location for

this spacious 1BR

tween Pitt and CMU. On buslines, near

restaurants, hospital.

Laundry, storage & parking available.

Up­dated kitchens and

hardwood floors. $100 Amazon gift card

upon move in. Avail‑ able spring, summer

and fall. Contact Sue at 412‑720‑4756.

Brett/Thames Manor Apts. (Ellsworth & S. Negley Ave.) near CMU and Pitt.

Stu­dio‑One‑Two bed­

Oakland ‑ 294 Craft ‑ 1 bedroom, equipped ktichen, coin op laudry in basement of building, close to uni­ versities and hospi­tals, on busline.

Rent ‑ $800.00 + Elec. / $950.00 ‑ Util­ities Inc. 412‑462‑1296 madroneproperty.com Oakland ‑ 335

N. Craig ‑ 2 & 3

bed­rooms, 1 bath,

equipped kitchen, car­

pet, coin op laundry in basement of build­ing, close to Universi­ties and Hospitals, on

buslne. Can be rented furnished or unfur­ nished.

Rent ‑ $1,050.00 ‑ $1,725.00 + G/E

April 15, 2019

11

Shadyside: Studio

($740) or 2 Bedroom ($1190). Quiet,

clean, well‑main­tained apartment house.

Great location ‑ in

heart of Shady­side!

Fully equipped

kitchenette, A/C,

laundry, wall‑to‑wall carpeting. Near

Pitt shuttle and city

busline and shopping.

No pets, no smoking.

Available Aug. 1st.

412‑628‑1686.

Rental Other Studios, 1, 2, & 3

Bedroom apartments

available August 2019 & sooner. Oak­land, Shadyside, Friend‑ ship, Squirrel Hill,

Highland Park, Point Breeze. Photos & current availabil‑

ity online, check out

www.forbesmanage­ ment.net, or call 412.441.1211

Employment Internships Concrete Casting

Start‑up company

searching for individ­

B&R Pools and Swim Shop looking for gen­eral help to maintain swimming pools. No experience neces­sary! Candidate must be 18 years of age or older with valid driver license.

40 hours per week for the entire summer, overtime possible at time and a half.

IDEAL FOR COL­ LEGE STUDENTS! Candidates should call 412‑661‑7665 to inquire. Looking for people to start imme­ diately!!!!

NOW HIRING! SET‑UP CREW NEEDED at Phipps Conservatory No Experience needed Competitive Wages Flexible Hours Full Time and Part Time Opportunities Awesome work atmo­ sphere and location Free Meal with every shift Paid Weekly Call (804)‑615‑6245 or Email Kieran.Tod­ d@Sodexo.com SUMMER WORK Landscape help, wall and patio construc­ tion, planting, mulch‑ ing, and con­crete work.

Near 279 Camp Horne Rd exit. Full time and part time. $11‑15/hour. Need transportation. Call 412‑477‑3800.

ual to engage in daily

SUMMER WORK

412‑477‑3800

Shadyside Manage­

operations. $12/hr.

pittnews.com

ment Company needs full‑time dependable

landscapers, painters, and assistant roofers

for the summer. Must be at least 18 years old. No experience

necessary. $11/hour

plus additional atten­ dance bonuses are

available, if earned.

Work involves land­ scaping, painting,

roofing, and general labor. Perfect sum­

mer job for college students!

Mozart Management

phone:412‑682‑7003 email:thane

@mozartrents.com Team Scotti (insur­

ance broker for major

league baseball) seek­ ing an information

technology intern to

assist in technical sup‑ port, troubleshoot­ing issues, organiza­tion and maintaining IT

resources. Help with upgrading net­work

equipment, as­sisting IT and other depart‑ ments with re­ports,

tracking hard­ware and software in­ventory and other du­ties

as assigned. Ideal

candidate would have strong computer

skills and a passion to

learn. Fa­miliarity with Access is required.

Ability to work in a

team en­vironment as

well as independently is nec­essary. Contact Dave Webster at

dweb­ster@team‑

scotti.com for further informa­tion.

4/15/19

Shadyside: 1 and 2BR, great location, hardwood floors.

Free heat. Immedi‑ ate occupancy. Call 412‑361‑2695

Employment Other

The Pitt news crossword

room apts. available for immediate move in. On bus line, close to restaurants and shops. *CALL IN FOR SPECIALS!* Contact Jerry at 412‑722‑8546

April 15, 2019

12