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April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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Vol. 105 Issue 152

@thepittnews

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Pittnews.com

Workers march to increase minimum wage Elizabeth Lepro and Dale Shoemaker The Pitt News Staff Rev. Rodney Lyde of the Baptist Temple Church looked out on a crowd of protestors sitting in the middle of Forbes Avenue and said that he couldn’t accept Pittsburgh’s title as the “most livable city.”

Lyde disputed the ranking, which The Economist bestowed in 2014, at the Fight for $15 protest, as he said there are people in Pittsburgh who can’t afford to pay the bus fare to get to work. Fight for $15 is an international movement that began in 2012 to increase the minimum wage to $15 from the current Penn-

Rally

Slutciety magazine rebrands as The Fourth Wave Visit pittnews.com for the story.

Emily Klenk | Staff Photographer

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RALLY

sylvania minimum wage of $7.25. Students at Pitt, the Pittsburgh branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Fight for $15 Pittsburgh organized the Wednesday night protest in Oakland. The protest had a turnout of about 800 to 1,000 people.

The crowd sat across all four lanes of traffic and listened as Lyde spoke. Some held signs that read, “Unite!” Other signs read “Fight for $15.” One person held a giant paper mache figure in the form of a white CEO with a cigarette dangling from large pink lips. Back on their feet, the Westinghouse High School marching band danced and led the crowd toward Schenley Plaza with trumpets and trombones blaring and silk flags whirling.

National organizer Ashona Osborne, who has worked at the Arby’s in the Edgewood Town Court for a year, heard about the campaign from a representative in her neighborhood last year.

“We are changing the conversation community and politically-wise,” Osborne said.

The movement seeks to change the debate about income inequality and encourages

April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com workers around the globe to strike, rally and protest to raise the minimum wage, according to the Fight for $15 website.

“It’s really difficult having to decide which priority is more important,” Osborne said, describing her difficulties supporting herself, her five-year-old child and the “three major bills”: gas, electricity and water.

The rally started in front of the Cathedral of Learning on a peaceful stage with Jasiri X, a local hip-hop artist and community activist.

Other speakers from community and religious groups around Pittsburgh and Pitt student activists like Josh Orange and Bempoma Pieterson spoke over the microphone to the crowd..

“I am here because I am a poor boy from Detroit, Michigan, raised by a single mother,” Orange, a junior urban studies and French major, said. “We cannot remain complacent.

We have a responsibility to each other more so than we do to ourselves.”

As Orange led the charge of marchers onto Forbes Avenue at approximately 5 p.m., the SEIU workers who have been protesting in favor of a better contract with the University followed the crowd.

Ricky Elison, a member of the SEIU, had just gotten off of work at the Graduate School

of Public Health and came to Bigelow Boulevard in support of the cause.

“These people are hardworking people just like everyone else,” Elison said. “[Corporate wage-makers] can’t give the little man any respect.”

Pitt spokesperson John Fedele said the University had no comment on the protest.

Not everyone in the crowd, like Dave Swanson, pastor of the Pittsburgh Mennonite Church, was presently living on the current minimum wage.

“Our congregation and our neighborhood are full of folks where daily life is a struggle,” Swanson, who was marching as part of the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network, said.

Over the railing of the Litchfield Towers patio on the Forbes Avenue side, Ben Case and other Pitt students draped a canvas banner that called on UPMC to raise wages for its workers. Below them, the protesters marched under the skyway.

“People are struggling, we’ve gotta have each other’s backs,” Case, a graduate student in Pitt’s sociology department, said.

Case acknowledged that after he graduates, he will likely take an adjunct position at a university and earn little money as a result.

“It’s not in their corporate interest to pay people a living wage,” Case said. “If we want something for ourselves, if working people want something, they have to fight for it.”

The protesters sat down across Forbes Avenue in front of the McDonald’s to chant, “Whose streets? Our streets.” McDonald’s locked its doors at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday to protect the safety of customers and workers, according to a sign hung on the door.

McDonald’s did not contact Pittsburgh Police for security during the protest, according to Lt. Ed Trapp, but security guards stood in the lobby of McDonald’s watching the protestors.

“I think this McDonald’s is supposed to be open 24 hours a day, does anybody know what happened?” Lyde asked the crowd of people sitting on Forbes. “I think we shut it down.”

Lyde also spoke up for workers at UPMC, as protesters chanted “UPMC, you are not a charity.”

The hospital system is exempt from paying taxes because of its official status as a charity.

“What you got to do today, is show some love,” Lyde said. “You don’t have a UPMC without these workers. In Pittsburgh, it is people over profit.”

April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS

Remember, donʼt repurpose, the Holocaust

Wednesday night marked the beginning of Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, a period of mourning and reflection on the mass genocide of millions of Jews, Roma, Slavs, political dissidents, people with disabilities and gays victimized by the Nazis.

A student organization at Pitt, Students for Justice in Palestine, has planned an event in its commemoration.

However, given the event’s potential for controversy, and out of concern for the University’s liability, we believe the University should remove the event’s OCC eligibility, which incentivizes students for their attendance.

SJP will co-host “Holocaust Remembrance Day: Edith Bell on Palestine,” with the Pittsburgh branch of Jewish Voice for Peace from 6 to 8 p.m. today in the William Pitt Union. Students can earn OCC credit by attending the event.

Bell, a holocaust survivor from Pittsburgh, plans to “share her experiences about her life under the Nazi regime, her later experiences in Israel and how her overall life experiences and witnesses have affected her stance on Palestine,” according to the group’s OCC event page.

Israel’s relationship with Palestine has led to a variety of heated debates, but SJP’s position is clear. On the OCC’s website, the organization’s profile lists that it intends to “provide the community with a better understanding and to educate the media of the various issues concerning Pales-

tine with efforts toward helping the region to reach a goal of peace and justice.”

Kenyon Bonner, vice provost and dean of students, said, “OCC designation does not imply University endorsement of an event’s stated and/or implied viewpoint.”

Though, by providing OCC credit for the event and rewarding students for attendance, the University is inadvertently promoting SJP’s position. Given the controversial subject matter, we believe that the University should remain objective.

The OCC program is meant “to help students receive a wellrounded education,” according to Pitt’s website. One of the areas in which OCC promotes growth is “Global and Cultural Awareness.”

Bonner also said “the event description for the Students for Justice in Palestine event fit into the global and cultural awareness goal area based on the description provided by SJP.” However, we must respectfully disagree. Hosting an event that repurposes a symbolic occasion in the Jewish community as an advocation for conflicting interests does not promote “Global and Cultural Awareness.” It promotes a position.

We should remember and acknowledge the Holocaust without ulterior embellishment. As a University, we must not repurpose a historical abomination such as the Holocaust to fit modern tragedies and advocate personal stances.

DUSKY

Itʼs time to rebrand the feminist movement Elizabeth Dusky For The Pitt News

I am a feminist. But that does not mean I am a brutish woman, rallying in the streets, shouting about how men are the oppressive pigs while setting my bra ablaze.

So why is it that I am met with sighs and eye rolls when I tell people that I support feminism and consider myself to be a feminist?

Modern feminism has garnered a lot of positive attention recently, including Playtex’s “Like A Girl” campaign and Emma Watson’s viral United Nations address introducing her HeForShe campaign, which calls on both men and women to actively change the dialogue and redefine feminism.

Our goal of equality is simple, but negative stigmas — like saying feminists are just pushy women who are out to knock down men — are what ultimately obstruct the cause.

In order to continue moving forward, the modern feminist movement needs rebranding.

In light of this stigma, I was interested in gauging Pitt students’ opinions on gender equality and recording their sentiments toward feminism, so I posted a poll via Facebook on Feb. 23 to six student groups.

Within a few short hours, the poll had 100 respondents: 79 women and 21 men. Of the 100 respondents, 64 individuals identified as feminist.

And yet, of the 64 exclusively Pitt respondents who stated that they identified openly as feminists, 51 respondents stated that they faced criticism for it. Individuals who did not identify as feminists noted they were discouraged to use the term due to the stigma attached or felt that feminism didn’t accurately reflect their beliefs on gender equality.

Given the option to elaborate on why they declined to call themselves feminist, respondents stated, “The term is too liberal in nature,” “I fully support the ideology of feminism; however, the recent trend of radical feminism is something I am strongly against,” “We need equalists caring about the equality of all people” and the always appreciated, “Cause nah [b*tch].”

When terms begin to repress ideology, it’s clear that the conversation needs to change.

Respondents had the option to opt out of answering certain questions. Of 99 respondents, 99 individuals believe in the political equality of women and men. Of 95 respondents, 93 believe in the social equality of women and men. Of 98 respondents, 96 believe in the economic equality of women and men.

Fundamentally, the grand majority of the 100 respondents believes in feminist ideals, yet when asked if they identify as feminist, they fail to. At its core, people do not feel comfortable with the word.

To truly generate change, it is imperative that men join the conversation and advocate for gender equality. In Watson’s address to the United Nations, she stated, “I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with hating men. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop. It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.”

In late October, actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hiddleston began to advocate for gender equality with the promotion of the “This is what a feminist looks like” T-shirt.

I applaud these men for creating a dialogue and encouraging other men to take the cause to heart. But

they have been celebrated for their open-mindedness when it should be a standard for modern men to support the feminist cause.

I received scattered results when I asked male respondents at Pitt, “If you are a man who identifies as a feminist, do you identify openly and publicly?”

Of the 21 male respondents, five men chose to abstain from answering, five men stated that they consider themselves to be feminists and 11 men did not.

Because of a stigma attached to a label, we fail to address the greater inequality problems. So, it’s time to re-coin feminism.

It’s time to advocate for equality.

Rather than focusing on a term that ostracized an entire demographic, let’s work toward the advancement of women and men.

Millennials need to change the conversation and aid in the elimination of gender bias through the education of future generations.

We must discuss gender equality in the home as much as we talk about it publicly. For every commercial advocating for women’s rights, there are dozens promoting sexist behavior and imagery.

It is the modern family’s duty to implement gender positive ideals in the household. We can achieve this by condemning misogyny in media and creating an environment that promotes a healthy gender discourse.

With all the positive strides and recognition of the last few months, we must use this attention to foster a dialogue for the unification of women and men. Our generation can turn the tide and join together across genders to achieve true gender equality.

Write to Elizabeth at ead61@ pitt.edu.

April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT

Garland goes back to the future with ‘Ex Machina’ Ian Flanagan Staff Writer

“Ex Machina” Directed by: Alex Garland Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander Grade: B+ Looking past smartphones and Google Glass to the next level of digital advancement, Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina” brings artificial intelligence uncomfortably close in the form of a flirting humanoid-cyborg.

Garland, the writer behind horror/thriller blockbusters “28 Days Later...,” “Dredd” and “Sunshine,” makes his directoral debut with “Ex Machina.”The sci-fi thriller follows the same cinematic recipe of graphic visual effects and bleak depictions of the future.

The film starts out with Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), an unassuming programmer for a Google-esque company. Caleb wins an office lottery to spend a week with the company’s CEO, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), in his remote estate and research facility. There, Nathan reveals that Caleb will deliver an in-house Turing Test, an experiment that measures a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent human behavior. The test subject is Ava (Alicia Vikander), Nathan’s latest humanoid-cyborg prototype.

But what appears to be the opportunity of a lifetime slowly dissolves into conflict and suspicion. Nathan’s alcoholism and cavalier attitude escalate to episodes of abuse toward his as-

Machina

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TNS

Curren$y cashes in with ʻPilot Talk IIIʼ Nick Mullen For The Pitt News

Curren$y

Pilot Talk III Grade: B

Jet Life Recordings

Grab a good pair of headphones, because New Orleans rapper Curren$y has returned with his long-awaited third installment of Pilot Talk.

The album sees the reunion of Curren$y and producer Ski Beatz, who worked on the first two Pilot Talk albums in 2010 to help launch Curren$y’s career.

Beatz’s layered tones come back perfectly crafted to

fit Curren$y’s lyrics and flow. The reunion makes Pilot Talk III an exciting and satisfying, though slightly redundant, addition to Curren$y’s extensive catalog of work.

With the first two Pilot Talk albums, the lesser known rapper earned some mainstream publicity.

Pilot Talk III hasn’t quite matched the hype of these releases, but it furthered Curren$y’s cult following among fans of “weed rap.” This loosely defined — and notoriously infused with weed — genre has launched the careers of many contemporary artists like Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, who is featured on the album, and the lesser-known Smoke DZA On “The 560 SL,” former collaborator Khalifa

Curren$y

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April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 8

MACHINA sistant/lover, Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), and others. While Ava’s increasingly human flirtation and emotional manipulation give Caleb cause to question their motives.

Much less poetic than “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” certainly smarter than “I, Robot” and hardly as romantic as “Her,” “Ex Machina” seems aware of the familiar ground it treads, but is satisfied to treat its subject as if it’s never been done — the film is cold, calculated and stylishly minimalist, approaching the potentially ridiculous with deadpan seriousness.

Though “Ex Machina” possesses a general simplicity — one real location, three essential characters — Garland’s crafty writing and elegant direction elevate its well-worn premise into intellectually engaging sci-fi. The film discusses big ideas without talking down to the audience, and the plot is refreshingly unpredictable.

“Ex Machina” also benefits from its actors’ performances. Vikander is exceptional as the android. Her scrupulous acting — as well as seamless visual effects — enhance the film’s

believability.

Isaac brings his typical dramatic chops to a silly character — his portrayal of a genius drunk who prefers guy-talk to heady science jargon works better than one might expect. Gleeson is easily the cast’s weakest link because of his stiff American accent and plain personality, but he plays the role of the everyman well.

The film’s chilly cinematography and electronic score establish a gripping atmosphere to an otherwise meditative experience. Garland builds tension so naturally that there is

no need for off-the-wall third act craziness, like the trite explosions found in other sci-fi flicks, to sustain the audience’s attention. The film resists cheap gimmicks and false thrills, making the quiet climax tangibly exciting.

“Ex Machina” banks its significance on the earnestness of expressing its ideas by tossing around questions and ruminations on consciousness and the God-complex of manufacturing it. The film’s highlight moments are often found in the near-comic banter between Caleb and Nathan — the programmer with plenty of knowledge and genuine interest,

9 and the CEO with much greater knowledge and far less concern for it. Garland’s dialogue makes abstract topics conversational and extracts all the mind-bending delights from his own concoction of hard science fiction. The film’s indie modesty and mainstream highconcept appeal may take it to sci-fi cult classic status, or at least make it an underground hit.

For all of the film’s successes, its most valuable asset may be its aura of coolness. With the intelligent script and quiet but clever effects, “Ex Machina” makes science sexy without breaking a sweat.

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CURREN$Y muses about his career and life while Curren$y raps materialistically about the classic Mercedes that he bought “on the low like a coke sale.” He doesn’t usually flash his wealth, but he makes an exception with this lyric. The track begins with the classic Curren$y sound bites of clicking lighters and long inhales imposed over a slow burning beat, with glittering high-pitched notes in

April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com the background.

Some newer artists stop by on the album, too. On “Froze,” RiFF RAFF’s animated and outrageous style meshes with Curren$y’s notoriously relaxed flow. RiFF RAFF’s featured auto-tuned hook,“Feel so cold/I came up in the world so cold/That’s why my heart on froze” is reminiscent of Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak.

From there, the song revives the classic RiFF RAFF barrage that his fans have grown to expect. RiFF RAFF even

manages to coax some intensity out of Curren$y in the last verse, where his focused, steady bars sounds more passionate than anywhere else in the album.

Other highlights include “Audio Dope 5,” where Curren$y raps about how he makes music addictive and his fans clamor for more, like it was a drug. On “Pot Jar,” featuring Jadakiss, Curren$y raps about finding answers at the bottom of his pot jar. This song hosts some of the best production on

the album, including a catchy 1970’s soul sample.

On “Opening Credits,” the album opener, Curren$y describes his journey from obscurity to fame. He opens the album: “It was right around the time/I thought I had to move back with my mom,” referring to his failed partnership with DD172, the record label that released the first two Pilot Talk records.

After signing with Warner Bros. in 2011, he created Jet Life Recordings, his own imprint, which released Pilot Talk III. Hip-hop and rap are entering an era where sonic experimentation and innovative projects are becoming commonplace, but Curren$y avoids that trend by staying consistent. His albums have remained unprecedented, hazy glimpses into his hedonistic lifestyle.

Yet, this approach isn’t always successful. Although Curren$y is a talented artist who backs his vocals with impressive and well-crafted beats, it’s hard to track growth or change in Pilot Talk III, despite the return of Ski Beatz. That being said, Pilot Talk III still remains as one of Curren$y’s better records since Ski Beatz’s absence post-Pilot Talk II. Quality aside, the question remains: Who doesn’t want to indulge in music about a carefree lifestyle filled with cannabis, cars and cinema every now and then?

April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

BASKETBALL

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SPORTS After the final buzzer Xxxxx Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxx

Brianna Kiesel looks to WNBA following Pitt career Jasper Wilson Senior Staff Writer Even though Brianna Kiesel’s college basketball career has ended, she may not have taken her last shot.

After a decompression period following the Pitt women’s basketball team’s 77-67 loss to University of Tennessee on March 23 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the senior met with associate head

coach Kathy McConnell-Miller to discuss the possibility of pursuing a WNBA career.

“I’m like a kid. I’m nervous.

I don’t know what to expect,” Kiesel said of transitioning to the next level.

The nerves subsided when her coach laid out a plan.

McConnell-Miller would serve as her go-between with agents, some of whom had attempted to contact Kiesel directly via social media during the season. McConnellMiller had already been in contact with WNBA coaches who expressed interest in the point guard. In the coming weeks lead- ing up to the

WNBA draft, she and the coaches would work out .

“Anything I could help her with, I did,” McConnell-Miller said.

Toward the end of her junior year and start of senior year, Kiesel began seriously considering the possibility of continuing her career after college.

Over this past season, though, she wanted to keep her focus on the time she had left at Pitt. The coaching staff encouraged the approach, not bringing up any aspects of what was to come after Kiesel’s last basket for Pitt.

“She did a really good job of staying present in the moment,” McConnell-Miller said.

Basketball

Alyson Derrick | Staff Photographer

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BASKETBALL Now that her collegiate career has ended, it is time for a new reality.

A major first step in the professional recruitment process is the draft, which starts at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, April 16 . ESPN2 will broadcast the draft’s first round, and the second and third rounds will subsequently be available on ESPN3.

The 12-team draft consists of 36 picks broken up over three rounds.

April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com Shavonte Zellous is the only former Panther to be selected since it began in 2001, going 11th to the Detroit Shock in 2009.

In addition to the aid of McConnellMiller, who has WNBA coaching experience herself, Kiesel also had the experience of head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio to draw from.

McConnell-Serio coached the Minnesota Lynx for three and a half seasons, and she played with the Cleveland Rockers for three years.

Before joining McConnell-Serio af-

ter she was hired at Pitt in 2013, McConnell-Miller spent two seasons with the Tulsa Shock as an assistant coach.

Kiesel’s college career has positioned her well to find an opportunity at the next level, however it comes. She was a first-team All-ACC selection this year and ranks fifth on Pitt’s all-time assists and scoring lists. She led the team in both categories each of the past four seasons.

Since that final, memorable postseason game , in which she scored a career-high 32 points, Kiesel has been

working out and going to class.

The workouts, run by McConnellMiller, are meant to incorporate professional elements and terminology into Kiesel’s game. They build on what she did the last two seasons running the pro-set system McConnell-Serio uses, which features the different types of pick and rolls and screens all over the floor that are common in the pros .

“So if I do get an opportunity to go to a training camp, I’m not completely bamboozled and I have no idea what to expect,” Kiesel said.

If she goes undrafted, Kiesel’s next goal becomes just that: getting invited to a team’s training camp, which start two weeks after the draft. There, she can compete for — and hopefully earn — a roster spot.

“We know for sure she will be in somebody’s training camp,” McConnell-Miller said. “We just don’t obviously know if it will be through the draft.”

Former Pitt players Marcedes Walker and Laine Selwyn appeared in WNBA regular season games in 2008 after taking this route — Walker with the Houston Comets and Selwyn with the Indiana Fever. The teams waived both players before season’s end, however.

According to McConnell-Miller, teams can invite 15 players to camp, but need to cut that number to 12 by the start of the regular season in June. Many of the contracted players on WNBA teams arrive to camp late because of their just-ended or currently ongoing overseas seasons, resulting in some players being brought in just to serve as practice players in the interim.

Selwyn, who has participated in multiple other WNBA training camps in addition to primarily playing abroad, said in her experiences, making the final roster after coming in as a free agent is a challenge.

“Everyone is good. It’s extremely difficult,” Selwyn said. “And I have to admit, I’ve been in situations where they’ve drafted a player than I might be better than, but they kept that player because they drafted her. It would look bad if they cut that player after they drafted them.”

Basketball

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April 16, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 12

BASKETBALL If Kiesel doesn’t secure a place at a training camp, overseas possibilities will likely come, in an instance where having an agent — Kiesel signed one within the last week — is crucial, given the need for foreign connections.

And if those opportunities do come, she’ll go.

“What better way to travel the world than doing something that you love?”

Kiesel said.

Despite so much uncertainty about her immediate future, Kiesel maintains a positive outlook.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s stress, I think it’s excitement,” she said.

“There’s always something that I can fall back on. I really want to play basketball. I really do. And I want to give it my all. But if they’re not interested, then they’re just not interested.”

If Kiesel doesn’t stick — or does, but her playing career ends prematurely — she is still confident in her future plans.

She received a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice last spring and is nearing completion of another one in legal studies, as well as a certificate in communication.

Graduate school is a possibility, too.

On Feb. 19, Kiesel received a $5,000 scholarship from the ACC to pursue a graduate degree. The conference distributes awards to student-athletes who have “performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community,” according to the ACC’s website.

Additionally, she is looking into the possibility of entering coaching. She pent the Final Four weekend in Tampa, Fla., taking part in the “So You Want To Be A Coach” program sponsored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association — an educational and networking event for female college basketball players interested in possibly entering the profession.

“I may not make a team, or I may only make it to the first day of training camp,” Kiesel said. “But the point is to make it, just to get an opportunity. ‘Cause all anybody wants is just a chance.”

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