7-12-17

The Pitt News

Med students put on a show page 6

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | July 12, 2017 | Volume 108 | Issue 10

Pitt extends winter break

I LOVE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

Henry Glitz News Editor

Pitt’s Student Government Board announced Saturday that University administrators will be extending winter break by several days for the 2017-2018 academic year.

The announcement, which SGB made in a post on its Facebook page, was accompanied by an academic calendar showing a break between semesters lasting from Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, to Monday, Jan. 8, 2018.

Last year’s spring semester began on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017 — giving students little more than two weeks of break between semesters. Looking at next year’s academic schedule as it currently Bobby V, a singer and guitarist from Monroeville, plays his own rendition of several 70s songs at the Italian StrEAT stands, the spring 2018 semester will end in the Festival on Penn and 6th Avenue on Sunday afternoon. Anna Bongardino VISUAL EDITOR last week of April, just as it did last year.

Incoming SGB president Max Kneis made extending Pitt’s winter recess a key element in his platform for election in the spring semester, telling The Pitt News that the school’s break was one of the shortest among our peer institutions.

“I benchmarked every ACC school, looked burgh, last night’s meeting had an air of gathered around him. at all their winter breaks and then got really upset Henry Glitz Peduto’s arrival signaled the begin- triumph for the city employees gathered, News Editor when I saw almost everyone has an extra week,” ning of a community meeting billed as who almost outnumbered the commuAs Mayor Bill Peduto stepped out the Kneis said in February. “Students are really upset.” a chance for residents of Uptown and nity members.

Kneis’ proposal appeared to enjoy wide sup- back door of his official car into the rain “Remember how vividly we dreamed West Oakland to discuss the final stages port among the undergraduate student body, in Uptown last evening, people from the of development for the City’s EcoInno- of this when we first began?” Peduto with more than 450 likes and 90 comments as of community queued in front of a local vation District project. Begun in 2015 asked the assembled group once inside Middle Eastern food truck turned and See Winter Break on page 2 See Revitalization on page 3 as the first project of its kind for Pitts-

PEDUTO, COMMUNITY GATHER TO KICK OFF REVITALIZATION PROJECT

News

interactive crime map online

PITT RESEARCHERS HOPE TO INCENTIVIZE TRANSPORTATION

After their first NSF proposal fell through the end of the summer, with a total of 20 if their last year, Labrinidis and co-principal investigator funding is approved. But the more in-depth and Kostas Pelechrinis went to Pitt for funding, which research-based part of the project involves perA Pitt research project is attempting to “dethey received, to implement the pilot program. sonal, not public, screens. mocratize” and incentivize public transportation If they get funding, the project will include Pitt is paying for the TransitScreen subscription in Pittsburgh using public information screens for one year — which retails at $3,000 per year developing an app that will allow for multimodal and a mobile app.

The Pitt Smart Living project is currently in the pilot phase, according to Alexandros Labrinidis, the Pitt computer science professor leading the project. This phase involves installing screens, powered by startup company TransitScreen, displaying data from multiple feeds — including Port Authority buses, Pitt and UPMC shuttles and Healthy Ride bikes.

“What it does and why it’s cool, is that it aggregates multimodal transportation information,” Labrinidis said, adding that the real-time aggregated feeds allow commuters to decide how to get around without “pulling up five different apps.”

Recounting something he was told by Karina Ricks, the head of the city’s new department of mobility and infrastructure, Labrinidis said the Alexandros Labrinidis, left, and Costas Pelechrinis, the lead researchers of screens are “democratizing information because the Pitt Smart Living Project, stand next to an info screen in Sennott Square now it becomes available to everybody, not just John Hamilton EDITOR IN CHIEF people with smartphones.”

The project has two phases, Labrinidis said.

— and for the physical screens. However, most trip planning, a feature Labrinidis says is not The first, which is in progress, involves installing of the screens are located off-campus — three at currently available on apps like Google Maps. It screens around the city and gathering data — UPMC, one at SkyVue Apartments, one Down- would allow a user to plan a trip where they take namely whether people have flexibility in their town at City Hall and the single campus location a bus for a segment, then switch to, for example, a schedules concerning transportation. They hope bike share or a Pitt shuttle. at Sennott Square. the data they’ve gathered from this “pilot proAdditionally, they hope to implement an Labrinidis said there are plans for a screen gram” will secure them a National Science Founat Carnegie Library in Oakland, but there aren’t incentive program with the app. For example, if dation grant, allowing them to implement phase any concrete plans for more campus locations you’re waiting for a bus but the app says the bus is two — an app with an incentive program, where — though he said the Cathedral of Learning or full, it will offer a small discount for a nearby cofdiscounts will be offered to travelers at local busifee shop while you wait for the next bus.

Litchfield Towers would be good locations. nesses.

“My quality of life is a little bit better because They hope to have about 12 screens up by

I was not a sardine on a big bus,” Labrinidis said.

“The rest of the [bus riders’] life is also better.

They were a little bit sardinized, but it didn’t get worse.”

They hope to subsidize some of the discounts at first, but expect that local businesses will be willing to provide the discount in exchange for the additional traffic. Pelechrinis sees the businesses fitting into the this new approach to public transit. “[We’re] looking at the holistic way. Local businesses rely on public transit to bring people there, Pelechrinis said. “Now they’re also trying to help improve the quality [of life] for these people.”

The Oakland Business Improvement District agrees with the researchers, in a press release calling the project a “business development initiative” that would help attract people to Oakland businesses. Georgia Petropoulos, the executive director of the OBID, said the incentive program will benefit the neighborhood’s business.

“Our retail and restaurants will benefit from new promotional activities designed to take advantage of transit riders waiting time,” she said in the release.

The discounts will work by way of push notification, Labrinidis said. After inputting your destination, the app will ask if a user is willing to skip with upcoming bus and opt for the next one, offering a small discount in return.

Though they aren’t at the stage of implementing the incentive program, the researchers hope the knowledge and data they’ve gained from the pilot program will secure the NSF funding needed to move onto the next step.

“As soon as the funding hopefully comes through, we’ll hit the ground running,” Labrinidis said.

versity started the semester for undergraduate students on the Wednesday immediately following.

Other students feared the schedule change might interfere with spring break, delay the end of the semester or reduce the number of days off during the semester. As it currently stands, the academic calendar for next school year does none of these things.

The most common complaint among Face-

book users was that Pitt hadn’t made this change before they graduated.

“One of the biggest advantages of our academic calendar is our early end to the school year, which has not changed,” Kneis told The Pitt News, pointing out that Pitt students have a head start for summer opportunities over students at other colleges. “This is a strategic advantage for Pitt that we want to keep.”

John Hamilton Editor-in-Chief

Winter Break, pg. 1 Tuesday night on SGB’s post about the change.

SGB itself suggested that the move was popular among students and touted its success as evidence of the University administration’s desire to listen and make changes.

“This change is a great example of how student voices impact the student experience,” the

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post said. “You asked for change, and the University listened.”

While most students reacted positively online, a few remained skeptical or unimpressed.

Joseph Chen commented that the change was less significant than many thought. “[W]hat was the alternative[?] starting spring semester on Monday, January 1st?” Chen wrote.

“Pitt’s acting as if they’re so generous.” Last year, when January 1 landed on a Monday, the Uni-

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Revitalization, pg. 1 out of the rain with several large diagrams and illustrations of planned developments to the area standing as tall as the ceiling behind him.

The EcoInnovation District, a revitalization project specifically directed at the neighborhoods of West Oakland and Uptown, initially aimed to improve the district with input from both interested private development parties and from community members. Peduto stressed that the project aimed to better economic conditions in the area, improve environmental sustainability and ensure that current residents were not left behind as the neighborhoods moved forward.

“If we see this area change, we want to see it change with you still here,” Peduto said. “This is your plan — you put it together.”

Peduto said he was committed to making the planned Bus Rapid Transit system work for the area, as well as his hopes for an economic and cultural revival of the two neighborhoods. Among other things, the EcoInnovation District plan will work to upgrade local

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infrastructure and improve motor vehicle and pedestrian safety on Fifth and Forbes Avenues and the Boulevard of the Allies.

“When the Boulevard of the Allies was first designed, it was designed to be a grand boulevard,” he said of one of the area’s three main arteries of traffic.

“It was a front door for these neighborhoods.”

After Peduto finished speaking, several leaders from groups in the community and around the city involved in the EcoInnovation District revitalization discussed their goals for the implementation of the project.

Jeanne McNutt, executive director of the Uptown Partners of Pittsburgh — a self-described community organization dedicated to green neighborhood development — underscored the vital role played by community members up to that point in the planning process.

“It even took members of our board several months to figure out what we were doing,” McNutt said. “When things had to be understood on a smaller scale, we had meetings in people’s backyards.”

She went on to discuss some of her

group’s more specific goals for the implementation of the EcoInnovation District project, including reintroducing public meeting spaces decorated with “quirky penguins” to the neighborhood to improve the area’s sociability and culture.

This effort is part of a larger push to “reactivate” the community, which community members will also accomplish by reclaiming vacant properties.

Pitt, UPMC and Duquesne were also represented at the meeting, with each expressing strong support for the project and promising extensive involvement.

Tad Hale, a member of the University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute and head of startup group StartUptown, detailed his interest in giving local businesses a front and center seat as the revitalization plan begins to take effect.

“We want to connect local youth to the innovation economy,” Hale said.

Officials from the Department of City Planning directed the restless members of the crowd who still had questions to the EcoInnovation District’s website.

According to the officials, residents of Uptown and West Oakland have 30 more

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days from yesterday to submit any final comments or suggestions before the plan begins to be put into action. The last day residents will be able to submit comments and concerns to the project website is Friday, August 11.

But Peduto and the other speakers appeared united in their confidence that the planning process as it had been conducted over the past two years had given enough consideration to locals’ interests that there would be little difficulty moving forward with implementation. The mayor described the system of planning as a significant success for both Pittsburgh at large and for West Oakland and Uptown.

“You have given us a model to take to other neighborhoods,” Peduto concluded.

Ken Gormley, president of Duquesne University, agreed with Peduto on this point.

“It is not the people at the top [...] who make this country run,” Gormley told the assembled city employees and community members. “You are the people who make this country run.”

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Opinions

column

from the editorial board

In age of ‘fake news’ we must hold the president accountable Fake news is like a bad game of telephone — one source reports their truth, then everyone else runs with it, imparting their own spin upon it. Serious problems arise when people get their news from just one source, because that source could be the last person in the line.

And when the president gets involved, whose Twitter feed reveals that he seems to get almost all his news from Fox, things can take a turn for the worse.

President Trump took to Twitter on Monday to accuse former FBI director James Comey of leaking classified information to the media, which he called “so illegal!”

Trump tweeted his accusation after retweeting a “Fox and Friends” segment analyzing a report from The Hill — but Fox got it wrong. In the video, “Fox and Friends” claims that the documents that Comey gave to a friend of his with the intention of them being distributed to the media contained “top secret information.”

But The Hill’s report says otherwise. The Hill merely states, according to officials familiar with Comey’s personal memos, that four of the seven memos may have contained classified information. It’s also not currently known what level of classification the memos were, as there are multiple levels of classified information — such as confidential and secret — with top secret being one of them.

What The Hill does not report, however, is which of the seven memos were shared with Comey’s associate and whether or not the memos leaked contained any classified information. In fact, Comey’s friend Daniel Richman, a professor at Columbia University, told POLITICO that to the best of his knowledge the memos Comey gave him were never classified.

The issue is not yet ripe to be discussed — there is too much uncertainty surrounding

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the true contents of Comey’s memos, their classification level at the time of their release and which of them were leaked.

The larger issue at hand is that the president is so eager to criticize his opponents that he doesn’t even wait to find out if his sources are accurate. “Fox and Friends” issued a correction to reflect what The Hill actually reported, but the president did not.

When a clearly partisan news program such as “Fox and Friends” is more truthful than the president, there’s obviously a problem. And almost all of that problem stems from the tendency to get news from only one source — it all goes back to the game of telephone.

And it’s not only an issue with President Trump, nor is it only an issue with “Fox and Friends.” It would also be dangerous for a liberal politician to blindly listen to MSNBC, and it is just as dangerous for the average voter to get their news from any one source.

That’s why this is part of a broader argument regarding accountability and truthfulness, not one merely against “Fox and Friends” or Trump. The problem is that both “Fox and Friends” and Trump jumped to conclusions to support their viewpoints. This is a natural occurrence when so many people are involved in the delivery of information, and the best way to combat it is to seek news from multiple sources that report on either side of the political spectrum.

But above all, we should be able to hold our president to a higher standard of accountability. It’s time for him to take his thumbs off the screen and wait until information is confirmed before relaying it to his over 33 million followers. Eagerness like this could result in disaster — and the only way to combat it is with patience, due diligence and a commitment to relaying the truth.

THE US SHOWS HIPOCRISY TOWARD PUERTO RICO

Liam McFadden STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

Christian Snyder Opinions Editor Since the Spanish claimed Puerto Rico for their own in 1493, the land saw independent rule from July 17 to July 25 1898.

Eight days.

The American invasion of Puerto Rico on July 25, 1898, changed the land, politics and people forever. And today, it’s for the worse. Puerto Rico is in serious economic distress, and it’s almost entirely the United States government’s fault — and we’ve done nothing to fix things for our territory.

It’s time for the U.S. to make some serious changes to the way it treats Puerto Rico, namely allowing the territory to file for bankruptcy and funding a binding referendum that will empower the people with full autonomy of choice.

Today, Puerto Rico exists as a commonwealth — not quite a territory, not quite a state.

Residents of the island receive full U.S. citizenship

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at birth, but are also disenfranchised while they live in Puerto Rico. In fact, any American living in Puerto Rico does not have the right to vote in the U.S. presidential election, nor do they benefit from representation at the federal level.

But there are some positives to the commonwealth status as well. For example, workers in Puerto Rico do not have to pay a federal income tax, nor do they pay into programs such as Social Security. However, as with everything on the island, this comes at a cost — Puerto Ricans are subject to a much lower Medicaid federal match rate than residents of US states are, meaning the commonwealth received only 14 percent of its total Medicaid costs in 2015, compared to the state average of 57 percent.

To address issues like these, Puerto Rico held three referendums since 1998 on the issue of statehood — most recently, on June 11, statehood See Snyder on page 5

4

Snyder, pg. 4 won with a staggering 97 percent of the vote. But there’s one big problem with the results. Only 27 percent of eligible voters showed up at the polls, and many, including U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), say that only those in favor of statehood voted.

“Those who advocate statehood in Puerto Rico will claim that this Sunday’s vote is a referendum on statehood. That is a fiction, because it’s clear that only one party will participate in the one-sided election ... the June 11 plebiscite is a farce.”

Gutierrez also pointed out that the U.S. government made no claims to honor the results of the referendum, leaving many voters rightly wondering — what’s the point?

But the governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, sees a reason for it all.

“If we establish that the people of Puerto Rico want statehood and reject the current colonial status, then the nation that professes democracy is going to need to act,” he told The Guardian after the recent referendum.

But even if Puerto Rico were to become a state, which would take decades, there first needs to be change surrounding Puerto Rico’s economic situation.

Puerto Rico is in such serious debt that in 2015, then-Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla announced that the commonwealth’s $72 billion debt could not be repaid. This announcement surprised the creditors, which include 34 hedge funds, most of which are known as vulture funds — hedge funds that specialize in distressed debt.

Many of these hedge funds also sought to profit from the economic crises of Greece and Argentina, The Guardian reports.

These hedge funds then commissioned a report by former International Monetary Fund economists to find a solution to the problem.

They proposed that Puerto Rico should cut social services, including spending on public education and healthcare — and the Puerto Ricans are displeased.

“The simple fact remains that extreme austerity is not a viable solution for an economy already on its knees,” said the Governor’s Chief of Staff Victor Suarez Melendez.

One of the largest problems with this situation is the fact that the U.S. government is responsible for creating this debt. By incentivizing investment in Puerto Rico through massive tax breaks, the U.S. brought major corporations and the jobs they come with to the island. But this made investment in Puerto Rico only artificially attractive and created a bubble.

If the tax breaks were ever repealed, the island would lose all of its investors — which is exactly what happened when President Bill Clinton’s repeal of section 936 went into effect in 2006, launching the island into the recession that it’s still in today. And when the island lost all of its investors, it lost all of the jobs that come with it. The unemployment rate in Puerto Rico rose from about nine percent to over 17 percent from 2006 to 2011, and today it sits at 11.5 — that’s compared to the U.S. rate of 4.6 percent.

But reinstating these tax breaks isn’t the answer, nor is it a short-term solution.

In the short-term, Puerto Rico must be permitted to pursue bankruptcy as any other municipality, city or state in America can. Currently, the island can restructure its debt under an Obama-era act called PROMESA — that many, including Wall Street Journal columnists, state representatives in Puerto Rico and the director of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators say has failed to live up to its promises.

Instead, the U.S. government should do what’s within its power and allow Puerto Rico to restructure its debt like Detroit did in 2013. Under PROMESA, Puerto Rican debt is controlled by an advisory board appointed by the U.S. government, compared to Detroit’s ability to manage its debt alone, essentially stripping Puerto Rico of

autonomy, and following a centuries long trend of doing so.

But there are other steps that can be taken as well.

In light of the most recent vote, it appears — although it is not certain — that the island wishes for statehood. But that uncertainty is enough to warrant another referendum, and this time, the result should be guaranteed by the U.S. government. The cost of the referendum should also be absorbed by the U.S. — after all, it’s our fault that Puerto Rico got to this place, so the least we can do is fund a referendum.

And hopefully, Puerto Rico will serve as a model for other U.S. colonies, such as Guam, American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands. By working in cooperation with the U.S. government to pursue a plan that the residents of the island are satisfied with, Puerto Rico has the chance to succeed.

But unfortunately, the blame points back at the mainland — it’s time for the U.S. government to recognize the severity of Puerto Rico’s problems and accept responsibility for its role in creating them. And from there, as one reporter said about Detroit’s recovery, “when you hit rock bottom, the only way is up.”

Let’s hope that Puerto Rico finds its way up, whether it’s with or without the 50 states.

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

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5

Culture

BREAKING A LEG

Pitt medical students archive their plays in art exhibit

by Marissa Perino, Staff Writer

A Scope and Scalpel exhibit in Scaife Hall showcases playbills from med student productions over the past 63 years Maria Heines STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

N

estled deep within Falk Library atop Cardiac Hill sits one of Pitt’s most unknown gems — a small art exhibit comprised of artifacts from past plays performed by Pitt’s medical school.

Annually, fourth-year med students perform a pop culture-themed play with a medical twist, called Scope & Scalpel. According to the Scope & Scalpel website, Pitt Med has the largest non-professional theatrical production in Pittsburgh. This past May, med students performed “The Lord of the Ring: Enhancing Lesions” in Scaife Hall as their 63rd consecutive year producing plays.

Each graduating class writes, directs and performs a production that voices the highs and lows of being a med school student.

The Pitt Med students’ performance history is on display for the first time from now until August 15. The archival collection, titled “As The Years Go By: A Scope & Scalpel Retrospective,” includes a chronological display of past playbill posters, along with a media station with the

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original songs recorded for the productions.

The Scope & Scalpel tradition started in 1955, when Frank Dixon and med student Samuel B. Aronson II first decided to put the graduating class’s talents to good use during a “gripe session,” according to the play’s website.

After seeking approval from Dean William S. McEllroy and gaining advisor Dr. Ross Musgraves, the end-of-theyear performance launched in the spring of that year and has continued since.

Gosia Fort, the head of digital resource development at Falk Library, started working on the exhibit in 2014.

“I think [Scope & Scalpel] is one of the most colorful things about the school of medicine,” Fort said.

Fort enlisted the help of archivists in Hillman Library along with Falk colleagues, including Julia Dahm, a technical services librarian, who helped put together the slideshow and the recordings on the television after the materials were described, prepped and sorted. Much of the work included digitizing VHS and cassette tapes, along with

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vinyl records for both easy listening and library cataloging.

The graduating class of 2017 completed their performance in May, but the history of the shows will be on display through the end of the summer.

Fourth year med student Wei-Wei Lee directed this year’s production that played off of the popular “The Lord of the Rings” series.

“It’s a really nice change of pace — a really nice outlet,” Lee said. “It’s coming at the end of our fourth year — it’s a great way to do something with our class again before everyone’s out in residencies and out in different places across the country. I think another thing is just to see how talented the med students really are.”

Lee worked with classmates, some of whom she had not seen since her first year of med school due to differing schedules. This group included head writer Tim Ohlsen and team, along with the show’s producer, Eva Urrechaga.

“I did the creative stuff and Eva made it happen,” Lee See Med Plays on page 7

6

Med Plays, pg. 6

“I think that’s really great because it promotes more diversity and life experiences before going into medicine,” Lee said.

Rittenberger, a 2002 graduate of the med school, directed his class’s production “Crouching Patient, Hidden Finger.” When directing the play, Dunmire told Ritten-

“It’s always a danger when you go into a hardcore scientific field — you lose the capacity to see where arts and science intersect, and then you lose a lot.”

- Dr. Jon Rittenberger and then you lose a lot.”

Lee agreed with Rittenberger, adding that there are a lot of nontraditional applicants to medical schools who have pursued things not directly related to healthcare and medicine.

berger that his completed production was too long, causing his classmates to rework the script just days before the opening performance.

“We ended up cutting out several things and moving things around at the

last minute, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh god, it’ll never work.’ But actually, night of the show, things went fine,” Rittenberger said. “It went smoothly, but there was a lot of the eleventh hour that made that final performance work.”

Since graduating from med school, Rittenberger completed his residency and became a clinical research fellow at Pitt before assuming his role as faculty advisor for Scope & Scalpel. Like advisors before him, he never sees the script, as is tradition since the 1955 debut. While Rittenberger assists the play in many ways, he emphasizes that the production is entirely student-run from start to finish. But he said keeping staff linked to the production is an important way of ensuring faculty and student relations.

“It reminds me of their experience,” Rittenberger said. “And helps me see things through their eyes again.”

As always, after spending the winter planning, the play theme will be announced in March on Match Day, as is tradition.

Match Day is when graduates find out where they will spend the next one to See Med Plays on page 8

The Pitt news crossword 7/12/17

said. “That’s how we liked to think of things.”

Lee remarked how much of the school’s faculty were former graduates of the program — the majority of whom either participated in or came to watch their year’s Scope & ScalpeI. “The thing about the Pitt Med community is that a lot of people end up staying in here in Pittsburgh, whether they stay for residency or come back for fellowship or work as an attending physician,” Lee said.

“We actually have a lot of faculty who are Pitt Med graduates who also participated in Scope & Scalpel, so often times they are either involved in some way in the videos we’ve made in scene changes or they’ve come to the show to support us.”

Dr. Jon Rittenberger, associate professor of emergency medicine, currently serves as the program’s faculty advisor.

Though there were interim advisors in between, Rittenberger now follows Dr. Susan Dunmire’s roughly 20-year role and Musgraves’ original advising as the third longterm advisor for Scope & Scalpel.

Rittenberger commented on the im-

portance of keeping the arts connected to science programs, saying that one couldn’t exist without the other.

“The [med school] does a good job of including the arts,” Rittenberger said. “It’s always a danger when you go into a hardcore scientific field — you lose the capacity to see where arts and the sciences intersect

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Med Plays, pg. 7 seven years of their life, sometimes proving the deciding factor between two different specialities. The occasion usually occurs in the auditorium of Scaife Hall, and is one of the first times many of the students have seen one another since they started work in their third and fourth years at different hospitals or clinics.

Along with bringing med students back together again, Rittenberger said that the yearly performance brings people into the

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“weird world” of medical school and offers a taste of what working in the medical field is really like. Much of the play’s audience includes family and friends of the soonto-be-graduates, faculty and first-, secondand third-year med students who will one day perform as well.

Fort has high hopes that at some point, every year will be represented in the display, as certain playbills are still missing.

Alumni and faculty are encouraged to come forward with any materials.

“It’s also not a very typical archival collection because it is growing,” Fort said.

“We are actively collecting these materials, so every year we will be updating what we’ve got.”

All participants agree that the tradition of Scope & Scalpel is unique to Pitt. And while it is a common tradition for med schools to have “follies” or final skits and parodies — some of which, such as Harvard’s, have achieved minor YouTube fame — Pitt’s tradition of a full-length feature performance is unique. “[Scope & Scalpel] is a hidden gem on campus,” Rittenberger said. “It’s very Pittsburgh, right?”

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8

Sports column

Wyatt Geller

For The Pitt News With the season just a few months away, the Pitt basketball team is in desperate need of a leader. But for second-year head coach Kevin Stallings, the options are scarce.

The loss of seniors Michael Young, Jamel Artis, Sheldon Jeter and Chris Jones leaves the team with big shoes to fill. Ryan Luther and Jonathan Milligan are the only returning scholarship players from last year’s team, and neither has ever been a consistent starter.

But for this year’s team to have any chance to compete, one of them will have to step up. By all accounts, Luther — the more experienced and talented player — will be the one Stallings leans on.

Toward the end of his first season, at a press conference, Stallings said he talked to Luther about leadership and taking on a bigger role. Now, with 10 new players as part of the 2017 recruiting class, it’s time for him to do it.

A product of nearby Hampton High School, Luther enrolled at Pitt in 2014 and has played in 76 contests in his time with the team, averaging 4.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He has proven he can shoot the ball well throughout his time at Pitt, shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 43.1 percent from beyond the arc in his three seasons.

Assuming those numbers remain consistent, his production should rise — if not only for the increase

in playing time he’ll get as a starter. It’s just a matter of how much it will rise and how he handles the role of team leader.

He should get some help from the recruiting class though, as Stallings recruited hard this offseason after five players — Cam Johnson, Roselle Nix, Damon Wilson, Chrisshawn Clark and Corey Manigault — all decided to transfer.

Marcus Carr, a 6-foot-2 guard, is the Panther’s top prospect, rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports and the No. 142 player in the country. In high school, he played at Montverde Academy — a national powerhouse.

“Marcus’ biggest strength is that he’s dynamic enough and you can use him on and off the ball,” Vidal Massiah, Carr’s AAU coach, told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “He can set his teammates up, he can make plays for himself, and he can score with the ball. He’s a great decision maker.”

Another player that stands out is 6-foot-10 center Peace Ilegomah, a fellow Montverde Academy graduate. Pitt has been in need of a center ever since Steven Adams left for the NBA in 2013, and the lack of inside height has hurt the team in recent years. Last year was no exception, as the Panthers big men couldn’t match up against their ACC counterparts.

Other Panther recruits who could make an impact are forwards Samson George and Shamiel Stevenson, three-star guard Parker Stewart and New Hampshire

product Terrell Brown.

But while these players havee talent and excelled on their previous teams, only a few of them have experience in Division I collegee basketball. There will definitely be an adjustment period, and they’ll need a leader to help them along the way.

That’s where Luther comes into play. ay.

This past year, the 6-foot-9 forward orward had his best statistical season, averaging veraging 5.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. ame. But just as he was beginning to grow into nto a solid contributor, he suffered a right foot injury in practice prior to the team’s Jan. 14 contest against Miami, forcing him to miss iss almost the entire remainder of the season. And even though his play was improving, it was still far away from where he needs to be this his year.

In terms of what he needs to o work on, his aggressiveness is the most apparent parent problem. Last year, Luther often passed d up on open 3-pointers and lanes to the hoop, opting to defer to Young and Artis even when he had a better opportunity to score. This mindset et will definitely need to change if he hopes be the team’s eam’s leader.

Find the full column online at

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Pitt News File Photo

LUTHER MUST MANAGE UNPROVEN PANTHERS

BASKETBALL RELEASES NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE series at a game a piece. This contest will take place at the Petersen Events Center Sports Editor Dec. 9 and will be the Panthers only home The Pitt basketball team announced its game against a Power Five opponent prior 13-game nonconference schedule for the to conference play.

2017-18 season Monday as head coach To start the season, the Panthers will hit Kevin Stallings has just under four months the road to play Navy as part of the Veterto get his young players ready to compete. ans Classic, Nov. 10, in Annapolis, MaryA renewal of the Backyard Brawl rivalry land. The Midshipmen finished an even 16against West Virginia University highlights 16 last season and went 10-8 in the Patriot the slate. The teams last played during the League.

2011-12 season when they split the season Pitt will then return home to play the

Ryan Zimba

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first two contests of the four-game Legends Classic before traveling to Brooklyn to play the latter half. At home, the Panthers will take on Montana State and the University of California, Santa Barbara, before playing two games against either Penn State, Oklahoma State or Texas A&M in Brooklyn.

Other notable matchups include the annual City Game against Duquesne, which will take place Dec. 1 at PPG Paints Arena.

Last year, the Panthers lost the matchup for the first time since 2000 in a 64-55 upset by

June 21, 2017

the Dukes.

Rounding out the schedule are games against Lehigh, High Point, Mount St. Mary’s, McNeese State, Delaware State and Towson.

Looking at the slate, it’s clear that Pitt has a relatively easy schedule, giving Stallings’ players time to adjust to the Division I level. With all but three games against nonPower Five opponents, the group should have a chance to rack up wins and build confidence heading into ACC play.

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW: WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

offensively and defensively, but she was a source have the best libero/setter combination in the of constant energy and experience on the court. ACC with redshirt junior Angela Seman and Besides this, Kelsey O’Neill, another middle junior Kamalani Akeo, respectively. As the two Last season, the slow rebuild of Pitt women’s hitter with significant playing time, transferred players mainly responsible for digging oppovolleyball program came to a head when the nent shots and setting the Panthers’ attacking to Iowa for her senior season. team made its first NCAA Tournament since To fill the role, head coach Dan Fisher re- players, their roles cannot be understated.

2004. With many key players returning, it’s now In her second season with the Panthers, cruited senior middle hitter Alex Rosignol, a time for this year’s team to step up and solidify their place among the ACC’s best.

Heading into last season, a young, untested Panther volleyball team was just looking to get over the loss of a strong senior class. But they did much more than that, exceeding all expectations and finishing the year with a 25-9 record.

They proved they could compete with the best, and this year, the team is poised to continue moving forward.

Sophomore Nika Markovic, redshirt sophomore Stephanie Williams and senior Mariah Bell have shown they can produce at a top level, each averaging over two kills per set in 2016.

The feat was especially monumental for Williams, who was coming off an injury which forced her to redshirt the 2015 season.

After playing with each other for much The Pitt women’s volleyball team hopes to return to the NCAA Tournament of the past year, this three-headed monster of after qualifying for the first time since 2004 last year. Pitt News File Photo outside hitters has the experience to lead the transfer from Southern Illinois University. In Akeo excelled and won ACC Setter of the Year.

Panthers back to the NCAA Tournament. In the 2016 season, Rosignol — who started 10 or Seman is entering her third year as a starter, fact, the team made the tournament last season more games in each of her three years with the coming off of a season where she wracked up mainly due to a late-season run in which the Salukis — ranked third in the Missouri Valley close to 500 digs at libero. team won 10 of 11 matches — the only part of In addition to the immensely talented vetConference with a .376 hitting percentage and the season in which the three were on the court erans, a crop of young players and two highly second with 1.14 blocks per set. at the same time. Having them together for an She will join another standout middle hit- touted recruits — California native Kayla Lund entire season could spell trouble for the rest of ter, sophomore Layne Van Buskirk, in middle of and Texas product Chinaza Ndee — will push the ACC. the floor this fall. After earning 2016 All-ACC for playing time as well.

On the defensive side, the loss of senior Jen“These two young ladies are possibly the Freshman Team honors, Van Buskirk will look na Potts — the school record holder in blocks — most decorated recruits we have gotten in my to take the next step with the help of Rosignol. will be tough. Not only did she contribute both Elsewhere on the court, the Panthers may time here in Pittsburgh,” Fisher said last fall.

David Leftwich Staff Writer

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June 21, 2017

Lund, an outside hitter and Third-Team AVCA Under Armour Girls High School AllAmerican, highlights the two incoming Panthers while Ndee is expected to make a big impact as well, being listed as an honorable mention.

These two recruits join a roster filled with young and talented returning players which should create competitive battles for playing time during the upcoming season.

Looking at the team’s ACC picture, the Panthers finished fourth last season with a conference record of 15-5. They could have a chance to move up this year because of the turnover facing Georgia Tech, Florida State and North Carolina, the three teams that finished ahead of them.

Georgia Tech and North Carolina both lost five seniors from last season, and Florida State isn’t in much better shape, having lost four. Each of these teams is still immensely talented, but this changeover — combined with Pitt’s experience and recruits — could give the Panthers an opportunity to climb through the ranks of the ACC’s elite.

Right now, the team is about one month away from taking the floor at the Fitzgerald Field House. The annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage is August 19th at 1 p.m before the team travels to Seattle to take part in the Washington Tournament one week later. There, they’ll take on Washington, Creighton and St. Mary’s hoping to come back east with a good start to the year.

Coming off a surprisingly successful 2016 season, things seem to be looking up for the Panther volleyball team as they head into 2017.

A trip back to the NCAA Tournament should absolutely be expected, and a deep run would make the season all the more meaningful.

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I N D E X

Rentals & Sublet

Employment

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1,2,3,4,5,6 BR. Available August 2017. Atwood, Ward, Juliet, and Neville Street.

Call 412-287-5712.

2 Bedroom $750 1 mile from campus & off street parking.

412-225-8723.

2 Bedroom Apartments available August 1st. Students only. Washer/Dryer.

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Friendly Building. $1,050/month plus utilities. Contact: 412-621-2742.

2BR Ward St., second floor, with large kitchen, diswasher, parking available in back. Available immediately or Aug. 1. $1125/mo., heat included. Email oakapt12@gmail.com 3 Bedroom available 8/1/17 at $1,350/month, includes all utilities. Located on Juliet Street, security deposit required.

Call 412-608-8581.

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3-Floor Duplex. 7-8 bedrooms. 3 bathrooms. 5 kitchens.

Laundry included.

Suitable for Fraternity/Sorority groups to reside in. $3000 per month utilities included. Contact 412-683-0363.

4 Bedroom 1 Bath House. Large kitchen, new windows and paint. Security System. Available August 16th. Bates and Semple. $1,600 + Utilities.

412-287-5406.

Leave a message.

7 bedroom house available starting August 1st 2017. Five minute walk to Pitt.

No pets. 1 year lease.

Call 412-983-5222.

Adorable house 2/3 bedroom available.

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412-683-0363.

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House for Rent. Beautiful 3-BR newly renovated-Allequippa Street. Close to Peterson Center & Pitt Dental School.

Equipped kitchen, new carpeting, washer/dryer, 2 bathrooms, full basement, fenced-in back yard, security system.

Looking for 3 students to share/or single family. Discount on first month's rent.

Security deposit required. Students require adult co-sign.

Available August 1st, $1600+ all utilities.

No pets. For more information, please call 412-303-5043.

Email: dtm1003@comcast.net.

M.J. Kelly Realty.

Studio, 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom Apartments, N. & S. Oakland. $650-$1750. mjkellyrealty@gmail.com. 412-271-5550. www.mjkellyrealty.com

Newly renovated apartments for rent.

3,4 bedrooms available for August/September 2017.

Atwood, McKee, Dawson, and Bates.

Please call Mike at 412-849-8694 for more information & for viewing.

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

Super Duplex For Rent. Can RENT the whole house or a separate apartment. Central air, free laundry, exposed brick, skylights, dishwashers, big bedrooms!

Call 412-38-LEASE for info.

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3 bedroom house 3 miles from campus. $800. 412-225-8723.

FRICK PARK REGENT SQ, Modern 1BR, Furnished Apt, Convenient shop, transportation, universities, hospitals, must be seen $700+ elec 412-657-2318

Daily smokers needed for paid research study. Must be 18 to 45. Call 412-256-8722. asrl@ pitt.edu We're looking for healthy native English speakers between 18-35 to participate in a research study involving a fMRI scan. You will be paid for your participation. Contact 412-624-7083 or J.tremel@pitt.edu.

July 12, 2017

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The Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, is seeking clinical investigators. Candidates must have an MD with fellowship training or have a PhD. We are particularly interested in candidates in health services research, clinical epidemiology, health disparities, decision sciences and comparative effectiveness. Academic appointments, tenure status and salary are dependent upon qualifications and experience. Send letter of interest and CV to Wishwa Kapoor, MD, 200 Lothrop Street, 933 west MUH, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (fax 412 692-4825) or e-mail Noskoka@upmc.edu.

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