4-6-2016

The Pitt News

April 6, 2016 | Issue 137 | Volume 106

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

Joe Biden visits Pitt Students critique Biden event As part of the White House’s It’s On Us campaign to fight sexual assault on college campuses, Vice President Joe Biden spoke in the Petersen Events Center Tuesday.

Though about 1,000 students cheered for the vice president on Tuesday, hundreds were turned away while others complained about the event’s tone.

Joe Biden spoke in the lobby of the Pete on Tuesday. Will Miller STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Roc the Panther touches a cheerleader at the event. Kate Koenig VISUAL EDITOR

Andrew O’Brien and Lauren Rosenblatt

Andrew O’Brien and Lauren Rosenblatt

The Pitt News Staff

With his right hand raised, Vice President Joe Biden put sexual assault prevention “on us,” leading several hundred Pitt students in a pledge Tuesday to eliminate campus sexual assault.

“I pledge to recognize that non-consensual sex is sexual assault, to identify situations in which sexual assault may occur, to intervene in situations where consent has not or cannot be given and to create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and sur-

vivors are supported,” Biden said, instructing students to repeat after him.

Biden took the stage in the Petersen Events Center lobby around 12:40 p.m. as the first leg of a three-part tour of college campuses to promote the national It’s On Us campaign. The White House campaign started in September 2014 to fight sexual violence and eradicate rape culture on college campuses around the country.

“Everyone — I mean everyone — from new chancellor to dean of students, from coaches to band directors to members of the

The Pitt News Staff

After waiting in line for more than an hour to hear Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday, Megan Boyle left before Biden ever stepped foot on stage.

“I’ve never seen something more disorganized or poorly executed than this #ItsOnUs talk,” Boyle, a senior English and communication major, tweeted after she left. “It’s representative of how this univerSee Biden on page 2 sity actually feels about sexual assault on

this campus.”

Boyle, who came to the noon event more than two hours early — around 9:50 a.m. — said event staff funneled her and three of her friends up to the food court, where she said she could not see or hear the action in the Petersen Events Center lobby.

After 15 minutes, they left and opted to watch the speech at home on video streaming app Periscope, where they figured they would get better quality.

See Students on page 3

News

Biden, pg. 1

band to students — everybody has an obligation to speak out [against sexual violence],” Biden said.

Sharon George, a Pitt sophomore and national campaign representative for Pitt’s chapter of It’s On Us, said the White House chose to hold this event at Pitt because of the University’s recent focus on combating sexual assault. In the fall, Pitt formed a sexual assault task force, and in February, Pitt’s chapter of It’s On Us unveiled a paper chain made of 4,200 pledges students, faculty and staff made to fight sexual assault on campus, which it displayed during Biden’s speech.

On college campuses, Biden said sexual violence harms more people than just the survivors, and parents shouldn’t have to add sexual violence to their list of “nagging fears.”

“They may not have known the statistics, but they’d think the last place you’d have to worry about dropping your son or daughter off is a college campus,” Biden said. “That should be the safest place in the world.”

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SGB looks to make Pitt smoke-free.

See online.

See more photos and video from Biden’s talk online.

Biden’s speech came about six months after Pitt released the results of its 2015 Campus Climate Survey on sexual assault and sexual misconduct. The survey revealed that 21 percent of female Pitt undergraduates and 6.2 percent of their male counterparts experienced nonconsensual penetration or sexual touching during college.

“For too many parents, that fear has been realized or will be realized,” Biden said.

Biden discussed the U.S. Department of Education’s investigations into more than 100 colleges and universities for Title IX sexual assault violations, including Carnegie Mellon University, though not Pitt.

Gallagher said the It’s On Us pledge, which asks people to vow to fight sexual violence, is really a promise “that we will care for and respect each other.”

The victims of these violations have suffered in silence for too long, Biden said, as he called upon the crowd to shift the cultural tide.

“Ask yourself: are you doing enough to change the culture that asks all the wrong ques- Joe Biden said it was up to Pitt students to fight sexual violence on campus.

See Biden on page 4 Will Miller STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Students, pg. 1

The Pitt News SuDoku 4/6/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

Roc the Panther threw T-shirts to students at Tuesday’s event. Some students said this made the event seem too upbeat. Will Miller STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER While many students championed #bidenday @PittStudents #itsonus.”

Another user @shessoluckyyy tweeted, Biden’s visit to campus, a part of the White House’s It’s on Us Campaign, the event’s lo- “They’re playing ‘Tonight’s Gonna Be a gistics and environment disappointed oth- Good Night’ at a sexual assault rally. The irony and disrespect.” ers.

Twice on Tuesday, Pitt spokesperson Students tweeted their frustration over the organization of the event and music se- Joe Miksch declined to answer a question lection, stating it was too light-hearted for asking who from Pitt was responsible for an event focused on sexual assault. Other choosing the music at the event and why tweets focused on the small venue and the those songs were chosen.

Outside, security turned away almost number of ticket holders security turned 800 students who reserved tickets, accordaway from the event.

Before Biden took the stage, the Pitt ing to Pitt spokesperson Shawn Ahearn, marching band played songs it normally because the space had filled to capacity. performs at sporting events, including the Ahearn said Pitt distributed 1,791 tickets fight song. Roc the Panther mascot threw T- through the William Pitt Union box office shirts into the crowd as music blared from but only admitted about 1,000 people.

In a statement, Miksch said the fire mara PA system.

Students, staff and community members shal directed the University to stop admitlistened to songs like “I Gotta Feeling” by ting students.

“During planning and execution of this the Black Eyed Peas and “Blame” by Calvin event — intended to draw attention to sexHarris. “‘Blame it on the night/Don’t blame it on ual assault — the University was directed me,” Twitter user @jessthan3 wrote, quoting to follow protocols that are not usually relyrics from Harris’ song. “Great song choice quired for a Pitt event,” Miksch said in an for the speech on campus sexual assault.

See Students on page 5

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April 6, 2016

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Biden, pg. 2 tions?” Biden said. “Don’t look to your left.

Don’t look to your right. Look in the mirror.”

Biden said society must not criticize women for what they wear and or blame them for their own attacks. “[We need to] make the abuser the pariah and stop focusing on the women,” Biden said.

“What difference does it make what a woman is wearing [when she is victimized]?”

Biden told the stories of two rape survivors he knew personally, and who had faced victim blaming from their friends, family and society

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in general.

One of the survivors was a first-year student at Saint Francis University who went to a bonfire before a school soccer match. It was a cold night, Biden said, and a young man who dated a friend of hers told the woman he wanted to stop at his dorm to get a coat. There, the young man raped the student.

“She said, ‘I ran back to my dorm, took off my clothes and took a scalding shower,’” Biden recalled, adding that she had said, “My RA came in and said, ‘You’ve been raped.’ And I said, ‘No, I haven’t. I knew him.’”

Biden said it was essential to dispel the notion that the woman is to blame if she knew

her attacker.

Security personnel admitted between 950 to 1,000 people to Biden’s speech, Student Affairs spokesperson Shawn Ahearn said, though Pitt released 1,791 tickets for the event.

Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch said in a statement the Pittsburgh fire marshal ordered police and event staff to turn people away once the venue was at capacity. While students began lining up as early as 9 a.m. for the noon event, security began to stop admitting people around 11:15 a.m.

From the floor above the lobby, about 10 rows of students who couldn’t fit inside the security perimeter craned their necks, prompt-

April 6, 2016

ing further complaints. The White House, not Pitt, was in charge of choosing the venue for the event, Ahearn said.

While members of It’s On Us and other campus organizations stood behind Biden on the stage, student speakers, such as Pitt wrestler Dom Forys and Student Government Board President Nasreen Harun, addressed the pressing problems of sexual assault and rape culture on campus.

“Orange is the New Black” actor Matt McGorry, known feminist activist with the It’s On Us campaign, also stepped up to the podium to show his support for survivors of sexual assault and the terrible mental trauma it causes.

“Whether you’ve been able to speak out about your experiences or not, you’re not alone,” McGorry said. “I love you, I believe you and I stand for you. No matter what, it is never your fault.”

Introducing Biden, Mayor Bill Peduto said society must stop assuming all victims of sexual assault are female. Everyone, he said, has a responsibility to fight sexual violence.

“It is not [about] a change in policy. It’s [about] a change of culture,” Peduto said.

After Peduto, Gov. Tom Wolf expressed his commitment to ending sexual assault, for the sake of current and future generations.

“Safety is a fundamental civil right, and sexual assault is a clear violation of that civil right,” Wolf said. “I am determined to make Pennsylvania a shining example to the rest of the world as to what citizens can do to truly make the world a better place.”

For senior Luke Burke, having high profile celebrities and politicians like Wolf and Biden is a huge boon to the movement against sexual violence. Burke, an accounting major, said he came out for the “once-in-a-life opportunity” to see Biden speak.

“Everybody knows somebody that’s been affected by sexual assault,” Burke said. “It’s probably a bigger issue than I’m really even aware of. I can’t even imagine what it’s like [to be a victim].”

Lindsey Hern, Pitt junior and social work major, said sexual assault and rape culture need to be addressed throughout all of our society, not just at Pitt. Biden’s appearance, though, was a solid first step, she said.

“It’s good that he is here raising awareness of sexual assault,” she said. “We have to stop blaming the victims. We have to teach men not to assault women instead of teaching women it’s their fault.”

Above all, Biden said, students must understand that sex with anything other than clear, constant, informed, mutual consent is assault.

“It must be clear that no means no,” Biden said. “No means no whether it’s in the classroom, in the backseat of a car or in the bedroom when you start then change your mind.”

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Students, pg. 3 email. “We apologize to anybody who was denied admission or inconvenienced in any way.”

Boyle said it seemed like Pitt was not prepared.

According to previous Pitt News reporting, Ahearn said Pitt found out Biden was coming March 28, giving Pitt about a week and a half to prepare for the visit.

Dan Lapidus, a sophomore who got turned away from the event after missing two classes to wait in line, said he sent an email to Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner expressing his disappointment and questioning what had happened.

In the letter, he asked why the event was not held inside the basketball arena, why Pitt distributed more tickets than there was space for and why they added an extra day to reserve tickets.

Although Lapidus called the experience “an annoyance,” he said he would be satisfied if Bonner answered all of his questions.

The ticket office had a disclaimer stating that students were not guaranteed a spot at the rally, and Ahearn said the White House determined the location and the ticket distribution process.

Ahearn did not respond to an email sent at 6 p.m. Tuesday asking if Bonner had received Lapidus’ email.

Kristen Houser, chief public affairs officer for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, who was in the audience but didn’t have a hand in organizing the event, said she did not notice the pop music playing from the loudspeakers, but said music with references to sexual violence are a part of the larger cultural problem that Biden referenced in his speech.

“That is an example of the cultural change we’re talking about,” Houser said.

“Sometimes our culture is complacent in that we don’t listen to the words and don’t think about how something comes across because it’s popular.”

Houser said she did not think the It’s On Us event had any inappropriate moments, but said it was important for students to communicate their concerns to administration in order to make the cultural change that will ultimately help end sexual assault.

Carly Wallick, a junior psychology and anthropology major, said the music choice belittled the event’s message rather than displaying the passion people had for the issue.

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“It was trying to be more peppy than it needed to be in that environment. It didn’t seem serious when it started and it was making [the problem] into less of a big deal,” Wallick said.

Shaelyn Zimmerman, a sophomore neuroscience major who got to the event at 9:15 a.m., said she thought the music and activity helped students who were weary after waiting so long to enter.

“I think they were just trying to keep the audience excited,” Zimmerman said. “You can tell people were passionate about the event.”

April 6, 2016

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Opinions column

from the editorial board

Biden appearance the wrong place for pep Pep rallies are a lot more fun when you aren’t discussing sexual assault.

Hundreds of people trudged up the hill Tuesday to the Petersen Events Center for Vice President Joe Biden’s speech about the It’s On Us awareness campaign. But what could have been a moment for a united campus to advance a somber subject was instead one tainted with disorganization, symbols of rape culture and misguided messaging.

Leading up to a group of speakers, including “Orange is the New Black” star Matt McGorry and Gov. Tom Wolf, Roc the Panther skipped through the cheerleaders, throwing T-shirts. Meanwhile, pop songs, such as Calvin Harris’ “Blame” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” blasted through the building’s speakers.

Organizers somehow found it appropriate for a sexual assault awareness event to feature songs with the lyrics “Blame it on the night, don’t blame it on me” and “Fill up my cup, mazel tov/ Look at her dancing, just take it off ” while our school mascot blew kisses.

In doing so, the organizers utterly missed the point of Biden’s visit. And with hundreds of students turned away before any of them even knew about the pre-talk festivities, it’s safe to say students didn’t a need a pep band and a free shirt to pump them up for a conversation about sexual assault.

The speakers, including Biden, discussed violent assaults and continually hammered in the idea that protecting one another is a moral imperative. This was not the proper environment for festivities — it was a space to come together and discuss how we can better accomplish that task. It’s confusing, then,

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why it seemed like Pitt was celebrating instead of teaching.

The inappropriate environment didn’t create a space for personal connections to survivor experiences. Instead of fostering empathy, it promoted enthusiasm. A lack of personal perspective widened the gap between audience members and the survivors whom speakers broadly discussed.

It was good to see students represented by leaders from student minority and activist groups on stage with the vice president. But it would have been more useful to hear from survivors of sexual assault or activists who were willing to speak from that vantage point.

Adding to a lack of useful conversation, poor planning meant that more than 800 other students — some of whom had tickets — didn’t even make it through the door to hear anything because the event happened in the lobby of the Pete instead of the actual arena.

While this was the White House’s decision, according to Pitt Student Affairs spokesperson Shawn Ahearn, Pitt should have made it clear from the beginning just how many students would be able to enter the Pete, and offered a separate live streaming somewhere on campus to ensure anyone who wanted to could hear Biden’s message.

Instead, the University continued ticket sales for an additional day and noted that the tickets did not guarantee entrance.

Life doesn’t have to be wrought with doom and gloom, but there are some moments that warrant a serious tone.

Biden’s It’s on Us speech was one of them.

INJECT EQUALITY INTO CONTRACEPTION Bridget Montgomery Columnist

There’s a new birth control for people who have penises that’s been making waves in the medical field.

It’s non-hormonal, long-lasting and likely reversible. The catch?

It’s a shot to the balls — literally.

Vasalgel, a new contraceptive, was developed by the nonprofit Parsemus Foundation as a “social venture” to ensure affordability and widespread accessibility — a refreshing change from the usual big pharma productions. According to the foundation, “the goal is for it to cost a day or two’s average wages in wealthy countries, not a week’s wages — $800 or more! — like current long-acting contraceptives (IUDs) for women in the U.S.” The foundation will soon test the drug on humans, and is optimistic that Vasalgel will hit the market as early as 2018.

That gives people with penises about two years to decide if they want a needle anywhere near their genitals.

Though I do not have a penis, I’m very excited about this new breakthrough. All people with penises who are in a relationship where an unwanted pregnancy could occur should seriously consider this birth control method, shot be damned.

It’s high time that the medical field develop a way for people with penises to actively participate in contraception in a

April 6, 2016

“

more reliable way than an 82 percent effective condom or in a less permanent way than a vasectomy. The penis-having community should jump at this chance.

As of now, the burden of contraception falls almost entirely on people with vaginas. There are more than 11 complex and thoroughly researched types of birth control for women, yet the only thing a person with a penis can do is wear a condom, undergo a vasectomy or, God forbid, use the pull out method.

This unfair dichotomy is only adding to the patriarchal stereotype that people with vaginas are responsible for all things pertaining to children. It perpetuates society’s view that women are to blame for unplanned pregnancies. If we’re the only ones with effective birth control, then obviously it must be our fault when something goes wrong. In actuality, the responsibility for preventing unwanted pregnancies should be shared equally between partners.

Like most things, the responsibility gap comes down to money. According to the Parsemus Foundation, big pharma stopped its research on new contraceptive devices for people with penises because it didn’t believe the market would be lucrative enough, and it didn’t want to potentially damage existing sales on contraceptives for people with vaginas. Most smaller companies do not have the funding to adequately create an effective, mass market birth control.

See Montgomery on page 7

As of now, the burden of contraception falls almost entirely on people with vaginas.

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Montgomery, pg. 6 Partly because of its relatively smallscale funding operation built on investment partnerships, while it is prepping to do so soon, Parsemus has not yet started tested Vasalgel on human subjects. All of its results are still speculative to an extent since the only test subjects have been rabbits.

How Vasalgel works is actually pretty simple. Doctors inject a gel into the vas deferens — the tube that sperm swim through to make their daring escape. Once injected, the gel adheres to the wall of the vas deferens, making the available pathway too small for sperm to pass through. Unable to get by, the sperm simply reabsorb into the body.

During these rabbit trials, researchers found that 11 out of 12 rabbits had seminal fluid free of sperm for an entire year.

That means this shot that seems so daunting may only have to be annual.

Do you know what’s not an annual burden? Kids. They’re a 24/7, 365 days of the year kind of thing. And don’t forget about those nine glorious months before they come along when you’re living your life with a hormonally imbalanced partner who probably alternates between sobbing uncontrollably and wanting to rip your head off.

That shot’s probably not looking so bad now.

And speaking of hormones, Vasalgel being hormone-free means no unwanted fluctuations in testosterone and estrogen.

Your sex drive and erections won’t droop.

In comparison, almost all birth control for people with vaginas is hormone-based.

Oral contraceptives, contraceptive patches, vaginal rings, injections and intrauterine systems all affect the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body. These fluctuations in hormones can produce lessthan-pleasant side effects, such as irregular bleeding, breast tenderness, nausea, headaches, abdominal bloating, weight gain, increased risk of developing a blood clot and decreased bone density.

The reversibility of Vasalgel is what’s most questionable at the moment, though arguably the most important aspect of the treatment. But when researchers injected seven rabbits with sodium bicarbonate to flush out the gel, “semen samples showed a rapid return on sperm,” for all seven rab-

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Illustration by Michelle Reagle

bits.

Though the initial human trial will involve people with penises who accept the possibility of irreversibility, the creators are optimistic that the contraception will

all aspects of male reproductive and sexual health in both human and animal models.”

But the question remains: Will people with penises actually use this contraceptive measure?

If you consider all aspects and still come to the conclusion that Vasagel just isn’t for you, that’s completely fine. be completely reversible when put on the market. As of March 30, a full report of the trial, entitled “Azoospermia in rabbits following an intravas injection of Vasalgel,” is now available on Basic and Clinical Andrology, an open-access journal “covering

There’s no market research on the topic yet, so I have taken it upon myself to ask people whether they’d be willing to get a shot in their balls for the good of their relationship. My results were rather varied.

I’ve gotten anywhere from “no way”

April 6, 2016

and “I’m uncomfortably sweating just thinking about it,” to “maybe, it depends” to complete silence to — finally — a resounding “of course.”

I would hope the majority of people would give positive affirmation. I’m not saying that refusing to use this contraceptive device is inherently bad. I would never want to police someone’s choices about their own body, and I realize that contraceptive choices are personal and people should not take them lightly.

All I’m asking is for people with penises to try to look past the daunting needle and see the big picture — there may finally be a reliable, reversible, affordable way to help avoid unwanted pregnancies.

If you consider all aspects and still come to the conclusion that Vasalgel just isn’t for you, that’s completely fine. And if you come to the conclusion that it is, that’s great, too.

Just don’t let fear of the shot cloud your judgment, because it really is like your nurse always says — “This will only hurt a little. It’s just a prick.”

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Sports

Illustration by Terry Tan

JOYSTICK JOCKS The eSports industry is an international phenomenon, garnering as many dollars and fans as traditional sports teams do, but has it changed the rules of the game?

Ryan Reichardt Staff Writer

The clicking is incessant.

Only the clinking of sword fights and cheers from winning players interrupt the sound, and with each tap on the mouse, the tiny, goblin-like figure on the computer screen dodges colorful explosions from circling opponents.

Thousands of mouse clicks — rapid and uninterrupted — from players around the globe control the elaborate weaponry used in League of Legends’ magical dueling universe, streamed on YouTube.

Mix these clicks with a combination of buttons quickly hammered on the keyboard, and you can become the LeBron James of video gaming. eSports — skill-driven, online gaming with competitions and tournaments for cash prizes and international sponsorship — comes with high stakes worldwide. The enterprise draws in more than 57 million people over 12 years old in North America alone, according to Forbes.

The monstrous eSports industry was worth $750 million in 2015, according to VentureBeat.

College students compete in tournaments for cash prizes in the tens of thousands — some universities, including Robert Morris University in Chicago, Columbia College and Southwestern University are now offering scholarships for student gamers.

As the eSports industry continues to proliferate, our definition of a traditional sport gets muddled. Is money, passion and intense competition all it takes to make a sport? If so, are gamers athletes?

For dedicated eSports enthusiasts, Ryan Pollich, media manager of Pitt’s League of Legends Club, said following rankings and competitors is like being in the Oakland Zoo. “You get the same feeling as you would at the championship basketball game,” Pollich said, and as a player? “You get the same

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feelings as scoring the game winning goal.”

Michael Sherman is the North American collegiate play lead at Riot Games, a video game developer and eSports tournament organizer. His job is to build opportunities, like scholarships and competitions, for college gamers.

He said competitive gaming is an alternative for students who don’t get excited about traditional sports.

“I think [sports and eSports] are very comparable. I was a student who played League of Legends in college and ... I had no fandom for any sport in my university except for when I watched my team play in these sort of college eSports events,” Sherman said.

“That was when I cared.”

Since he’s gone to college, Sherman said people have changed their perception on video games.

“Gaming is ... moving into a place where it’s way more accessible,” Sherman said.

“People who play together can sort of build their social life around these things.”

The vice president of Pitt’s League of Legends club, John Villandre, said the line between eSports and sports is blurring as more money gets involved.

“I think it’s a monetization of it,” Villandre said. “It legitimizes it for sponsors.”

And that cash pile is massive. VentureBeat estimates that the eSports industry worldwide will grow to almost $2 billion by 2018 — more than the average worth of an NBA team.

Professional gamers, even in college, rake in thousands of dollars from sponsors and tournament winnings.

Big brand names, like Coca-Cola, sponsor professional tournaments. According to Fortune, League of Legends generated approximately half a billion dollars in ad revenue in 2015.

“Heroes of the Dorm,” Blizzard Entertainment’s online gaming tournament for college students from all over the world, offers a prize pool of more than $450,000. It’s aired on ESPN3 from the end of March to

the end of April.

“We see an evolution to corporate moneyball,” Rob Ruck, a Pitt history professor and sports historian, said. “We have seen the corporatization of sport.”

Ruck said historically, the definition of traditional sports — basketball and football, for instance — shifted toward a focus on sponsorship and revenue, as opposed to on the game itself. eSports has followed that same wave, becoming bigger and more popular with an influx of sponsorship, as companies jostle to get in on the commercial success.

Pitt’s unofficial Dota 2 team, a game where players compete online for free in a five-on-five battle to destroy an enemy base first, ranked in the top four for the American collegiate Dota 2 league.

The team flew out to compete in San Francisco and placed third overall behind the University of British Columbia, and the eventual winner, UC Berkeley. The tournament and its sponsors, Razer, Asus and Braingear, covered all of the costs, including airfare, which Duy To, president of the Dota 2 club, estimated cost more than $1,000 for

April 6, 2016

his team.

“It’s basically like you’re playing professionally,” To said.

Lars Langenstück, CEO of eSports Business Solutions UG in Berlin, said from what he’s seen, other countries have already legitimized eSports.

“It’s kind of already a traditional sport in Asia,” Langenstück said. “In my opinion, eSports is the next thing in sports entertainment.”

They may be harnessing a new era of gaming and even changing the definition of sports, but whether these masters of the mouse are athletes of any kind is debatable.

Pollich put gaming in the same “nonsport” category as poker and NASCAR, which require significant hand-eye coordination or brainpower, but not much brute power.

“It’s missing the athletic element that is found in traditional sport,” Pollich said.

The Pitt League of Legends club organizes playoffs for Pitt gamers, which begin in March and run until the last week of classes.

The club’s executive board laying out the See eSports on page 9

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PENN STATE CLOBBERS PITT, 7-0

Steve Rotstein Staff Writer

Coming off a gem of a series in Clemson last weekend, the Pitt baseball team put up a lackluster effort in State College Tuesday night.

The Panthers (13-12, 5-7 ACC) ran into Penn State senior left-hander Nick Hedge, who had no trouble slicing through Pitt’s offense. Hedge was nearly unhittable, tossing six scoreless frames while allowing only two hits in a 7-0 win for the Nittany Lions (16-12, 4-2 Big Ten).

Junior Sam Mersing had a rough start for Pitt, giving up three singles in a row to load the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first inning.

Penn State cleanup hitter Greg Guers brought two runs home with a double to right, and a sacrifice fly by Tyler Kendall gave the Nittany Lions an early 3-0 lead.

Panthers cleanup hitter Ron Sherman led off the top of the second with his 11th triple of the season, but Hedge stranded him after striking out the next three batters.

Penn State piled onto its lead in the fifth when leadoff man Conlin Hughes tripled to center field then scored on a wild pitch.

Mersing then gave up a double and a walk before Pitt head coach Joe Jordano pulled

eSports, pg. 8 bracket based on the each team’s regular season performance.

Each week, the teams, selected by volunteer team captains in a draft, face off against an opposing team at Pitt for a best of three series.

Rankings go up from bronze to silver to gold to platinum to diamond.

Despite the drafts, awards, cash prizes and

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him for freshman reliever Tyler Garbee.

Guers bunted the runners over to second and third for the Nittany Lions. Kendall then brought them both home with a single before scoring himself on a wild pitch and throwing error to extend Penn State’s lead to 7-0.

Dakota Forsyth replaced Hedge on the mound for the Nittany Lions to start the seventh inning, but Pitt struggled to get any offense going.

“Tonight was as poor an offensive performance as we’ve had this season,” Jordano said in a release. “Disappointing to say the least. We obviously got off to a slow start, giving up three runs in the first. We simply cannot have innings like that.”

Forsyth shut the Panthers down in the seventh and eighth innings before senior Jared Fagnano retired the side in the ninth to close out the 7-0 shutout for Penn State.

“We have to put this behind us quickly because we have a very talented Georgia Tech team coming in this weekend,” Jordano said.

The Panthers return home from their four-game road trip to begin a three-game series against ACC opponent Georgia Tech at Charles L. Cost Field at 6 p.m. Friday, April 8.

The Pitt News Editor-in-Chief DANIELLE FOX

Managing Editor HARRISON KAMINSKY

editor@pittnews.com

manager@pittnews.com

News Editor DALE SHOEMAKER

Opinions Editor MATT MORET

newsdesk.tpn@gmail.com

tpnopinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor DAN SOSTEK

Culture Editor JACK TRAINOR

tpnsports@gmail.com

aeeditors@gmail.com

Visual Editor KATE KOENIG

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pittnewsphoto@gmail.com

tpnlayout@gmail.com

Online Editor PETER LOREI

Copy Chief MICHELLE REAGLE

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Zoë Hannah | Assistant News Editor Lauren Rosenblatt | Assistant News Editor Marlo Safi | Assistant Opinions Editor Elizabeth Lepro | Assistant Sports Editor Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor Danah Bialoruski | Assistant Layout Editor Eva Fine | Multimedia Editor Amy Beaudine | Social Media Editor

Chris Puzia | Assistant Copy Chief Copy Staff Bridget Montgomery Anjuli Das Sierra Smith Sydney Mengel Sarah Choflet Kelsey Hunter

Matthew Maelli Kyleen Pickaring Casey Talay Corey Forman Alex Stryker Maria Castello

Editorial Policies Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each.

Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration.

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Business Manager MATT REILLY

advertising@pittnews.com

sponsorship opportunities, Villandre is still not persuaded that eSports fit into the language of athletics. “[eSports companies are] always trying to legitimize it as a sport,” Villandre said, but compared to the adrenaline high of playing a game of baseball or basketball, he said, “You don’t get the rush in your stomach when you’re playing League.”

Sales Manager DAVE BARR Marketing Manager KRISTINE APRILE

University Account Executive ALEX KANNER

Marketing Assistant LARA PETORAK

Digital Manager ISAAC PROCH

Graphic Designers Jillian Miller Maya Puskaric

April 6, 2016

Inside Sales Manager KELSEY MCCONVILLE

Account Executives Dave Barrone Steve Bretz Rob Capone Sean Hennessy

Mathew Houck Calvin Reif Allison Soenksen

Inside Sales Executive Marissa Altemus Victoria Hetrick Arianna Taddei

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I Rentals & Sublet N D E X -NORTH OAKLAND -SOUTH OAKLAND -SHADYSIDE -SQUIRREL HILL -SOUTHSIDE -NORTHSIDE -BLOOMFIELD -ROOMMATES -OTHER

3 bedroom apartment. $1450 (utilities included). 704 Enfield St. 5 bedroom house. $2200 + utilties. 35 Enfield St. Call 412-969-2790. **Large efficiences, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments available for August 2016. Clean, walking distance to campus. Great location. $575-$630$900-$1100. Utilities included. No pets/ smoking or parties. 412-882-7568. +++5 bedroom, 2 full baths, huge house, nicely updated, shuttle across street, washer/dryer, $2595+, August 1, photos www.tinyurl.com/pittnewsad4 coolapartments@gmail.com 724-935-2663

pittnews.com

Employment

-CHILDCARE -FOOD SERVICES -UNIVERSITY -INTERNSHIPS -RESEARCH STUDIES -VOLUNTEERING -OTHER

Classifieds

For Sale

-AUTO -BIKES -BOOKS -MERCHANDISE -FURNITURE -REAL ESTATE -TICKETS

2 bedroom. 343 McKee Place. $1200 (heat included).

2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house. 3201 Niagra St. $1200. A/C, dishwasher, washer and dryer.

1 bedroom. 365 Ophelia St. $550+ electric.

Call 412-969-2790.

310 Semple Street, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. $1500 for 2 person occupancy, $1600 for 3 person occupancy including gas, water, and electric. Very close to campus. Off street parking available. 412-559-6073. marknath12@gmail.com

Available 8/1, 1 BR/1 Bath, 5 min. walk to Cathedral, A/C, hardwood floors, newly renovated, starting at $995+, 412.441.1211 Available 8/1, 3 BR/1 Bath, less than 1 mile to campus, updated, Dishwasher and AC, starting at $1325+, 412.441.1211

Services

-EDUCATIONAL -TRAVEL -HEALTH -PARKING -INSURANCE

Brand new 2BR apartment in central Oakland for $1800 per month. Apartment has A/C, stainless steel appliances, washer/dryer in unit, spacious living room & bedrooms, heated bathroom floor, hardwood floors and more! Call 412.682.7622 or email sarah@robbrealestate.com for more info on this gorgeous apartment for FALL 2016.

FOR RENT AUGUST 1 2016: Completely remodeled, spacious 3BR 1.5 BA home on tree-lined residential street. $1695/mo + utilities. Original woodwork, high ceilings, large bedrooms.

Parking available.

Panther Properties of PA, pantherproperties2@gmail.com.

Photos: https://panther-life.com/properties/oakland/

Announcements -ADOPTION -EVENTS -LOST AND FOUND -STUDENT GROUPS -WANTED -OTHER

South Oakland Duplex. 4 bedroom 2 baths. Central air, dishwasher, washer and dryer. Available August 1.

(412)915-0856.

Spacious 2-BR apartments on Dawson Street, single or double occupancy. Partially renovated & improved. August 25 availability. Very affordable rent. Limited parking spaces also available. Call 412-692-1770 to see apartment, parking spaces.

Studio ($665) and 1 Bedroom ($699). 216 Coltart. Off Street Parking. Available Aug. 2016. Free heat.

Greve RealEstate.

412-261-4620.

Large 1-2-3 BR apartments available August 1st. 3450 Ward Street. 312 and 314 South Bouquet Street.

Free parking. Minutes to campus. Cat friendly. Call 412-977-0111.

R INSERTIONS 1X 2X 3X 4X 5X 6X ADDITIONAL A 1-15 WORDS $6.30 $11.90 $17.30 $22.00 $27.00 $30.20 $5.00 T 16-30 WORDS $7.50 $14.20 $20.00 $25.00 $29.10 $32.30 $5.40 E S DEADLINE: TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR BY 3 PM | EMAIL: ADVERTISING@PITTNEWS.COM | PHONE: 412.648.7978 (EACH ADDITIONAL WORD: $0.10)

Studios, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom apartments available August 2016 & sooner. Oakland, Shadyside, Friendship, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park,

Point Breeze. Photos & current availability online, check out www.forbesmanagement.net, or call 412.441.1211 Large 1,2,3 bedrooms available for rent starting June-July.

Prices range from $695-$1490/month.

Includes gas, heat, and water. See websie www.rentnearpitt.com. Call or text 412-725-1136. Don't call after 8 PM. 1,2,3,5,6, & 8 bedroom houses. August & May 2016.

Bouquet, Atwood, Ward & Dawson.

Please call 412-287-5712.

April 6, 2016

Bates St. 3BR, livingroom, dining-room, eat-in-kitchen. $1095 + utilities. Senior/ Graduate students.

Available May 1st.

Call Ralph 412-608-2543.

M.J. Kelly Realty Studio, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom Apartments, Duplexes, Houses. $775-$1650. mjkellyrealty@gmail.com. 412-271-5550, mjkellyrealty.com 3444 WARD ST. Studio, 1-2-3 BR apartments available Aug. 1, 2016. Free parking, free heating. Call 412-361-2695. No evening calls please.

3 & 5 bedroom. May 2016. Sarah St. Large bedroom, new kitchen, air conditioning, washer & dryer, dishwasher, large deck. 412-287-5712.

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.

4909 Center Ave. Updated 1 BR with new kitchen, dishwasher & hardwood floors.

Laundry, storage and parking available.

Close to Pitt & shopping district. Available now and for August. 412-720-4756.

Real estate advertising in The Pitt News is subject to the Fair Housing Act. The Pitt News will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate which violates the law. To complain of discrimination, call HUD at 1-800-6699777 or email fheo_webmanager@hud.gov. For the hearing impaired, please call TTY 1-800-927-9275.

HYATT House Pittsburgh Southside Seeking full time and part time valets.

Experience with valet and manual transmission a plus. Must be able to work nights and weekends. Shifts are 7am-3pm & 3 pm11 pm. Pay is $8.25/hr +tips. Apply in person at 2795 South Water St.

Come work where it’s Oktoberfest every day. Now hiring for all positions at Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh.

Apply in person Monday through Friday.

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Seasonal Work: Shadyside Management Company needs full-time dependable landscapers, painters, and assistant roofers for the summer.

Must be at least 18 years old. No experience necessary. $10/hour.

Mozart Management, 412-682-7003. Email: thane@mozartrents.com.

SUMMER HELP NEEDED, Ice company close to campus. Weekends necessary. Production/driving/maintenance positions available. Good pay, part-time/full time. Contact Mastro Ice Company 412-681-4423. mastroice@aol.com

pittnews.com

SMOKERS NEEDED! Researchers at UPMC are looking to enroll healthy adult cigarette smokers ages 18-65. This research is examining the influence of brief uses of FDA-approved nicotine patch or nicotine nasal spray on mood and behavior. The study involves a brief physical exam and five sessions lasting two hours each. Eligible participants who complete all sessions will receive up to $250, or $20 per hour. This is NOT a treatment study. For more information, call 412-246-5396 or visit www.SmokingStudies.pitt.edu

The Pitt news crossword 4/6/16

Caregivers and babysitters needed.

FT/PT. Earn $25/hour. No experience required. Will train. Call now.

888-366-3244 ext. 102.

April 6, 2016

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pittnews.com

April 6, 2016

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