8-31-22

THE THE BRAWL BRAWL IS IS BACK! BACK!

The Pitt News

PITT VS. WVU: FOSTERING A RIVALRY see pg. 2

Sports

Cover by Hannah Wilson | Senior Staff Photographer

Pitt’s 2022 football schedule pittnews.com

‘FIRED UP’: DESPITE LONG BREAK, STILL NO LOVE LOST IN BACKYARD BRAWL RIVALRY

Dalton Coppola

on Father’s Day. have no real connection to the rivalry. HailWhile nobody on the current Pitt team ing from North Jersey, the quarterback has It’s no secret that Pitt and West Virginia has ever played in a Backyard Brawl, some no real reason to dislike the Mountaineers. don’t like one another. With their campuses have had more exposure than others. Se- But Patti said members of the program have lying just 75 miles away from one another, nior linebacker Brandon George said when already warned him that the rivalry is a conalumni and students from both schools he was younger he came to Pittsburgh for a tentious one. commingle and cohabitate. The two fan Backyard Brawl. While he can’t remember “I knew nothing at all about the Backyard bases used to clash nearly every season un- exactly which game it was, he said the atmo- Brawl,” Patti said. “When I first got here it til 2011. But both programs left the Big East sphere was one he’ll never forget. was all about the Penn State rivalry, because Conference, with Pitt going to the ACC and West Virginia heading to the Big 12.

From fans hurling bricks at the visiting team’s bus windows, Pitt infamously upsetting the 2007 No. 2 Mountaineers by a score 13-9 and Mountaineer fans burning couches in celebration, this rivalry has plenty of history and plenty of bad blood. But many of the current Panthers and Mountaineers have no attachment to this rivalry.

The last time the two teams clashed on the gridiron was in 2011 — when most of the current players were in middle and elementary school. Most Pitt players have no reason to have any disdain for West Virginia.

But it seems the Pitt coaches are making a point to make sure their players know how much this game means to both of the fanbases. While he had no previous hatred for Pitt’s Steve Malinchak (7) and teammates celebrate their 13-9 upset win the Mountaineers, senior linebacker SirVo- over No. 2 West Virginia Dec. 1, 2007, in Morgantown, W.Va. AP Photo/Jeff cea Dennis said part of the duty that comes Gentner, File with playing for Pitt is having a distaste for its rivals.

“I’m from Eastern Pennsylvania and I they were playing them. Then, when we fin“Once we put this [logo] on our jerseys didn’t grow up a Penn State fan and I didn’t ished up with that [rivalry series] I was like and that Pitt script on our helmets, whoever really grow up a Pitt fan either,” George said. ‘what’s up with this West Virginia rivalry?’ they say we don’t like, we don’t like,” Dennis “There was a point in my life where I was and they said it’s worse.” said. “It’s not hard to generate that hate at about six or seven [years old] and I came Patti hasn’t seen any of the bitterness all. Once we get in between those lines, we’re to a Pitt-West Virginia game, and I’ll never first-hand just yet. But he said based on the ready to go no matter who it is. When it’s forget the vulgarity and the craziness that stories he heard from a couple of Pitt’s fora rivalry game, we get fired up even more.” ensued. That felt like how college football mer players he’s prepared for the worst.

Some players have taken to social me- should feel. I’ll never forget that feeling ever “[I have been] hearing some of the stodia to show their display of hatred for the and it’s always stuck with me. I remember ries from the older guys like [former Pitt Mountaineers. Senior defensive lineman telling my mom how I said ‘this is where I quarterback] Pat Bostick telling me stories John Morgan III is leading the charge with want to go to school.’” and hearing about [former Pitt running his smack talk towards the Mountaineers, Unlike George, senior quarterback Nick back] LeSean McCoy when he was here,” even likening them to his children in a tweet Patti is among the majority of players who Patti said. “[Opposing fans] threw bricks Sports Editor

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August 31, 2022

at the buses and dads handed kids beer and throwing them at the buses. It’s exciting to see that there’s that much hatred. It’s exciting to see how much the fans really care about it. It’s going to be a lot of fun on Sept.

1.”

Pitt started competing in the ACC in 2013, joining a conference made up of teams that the Panthers didn’t have much history with. The ACC is a conference that lacks true rivalries. Sure, there are teams that don’t necessarily like one another. But the conference lacks historic rivalries between teams that have played against one another for decades.

When Pitt was in the Big East Conference, the Panthers took on West Virginia annually. The rivalry took a hiatus after both teams left the Big East. But the two athletic departments came together to schedule this out of conference series.

While Pitt has played in games with an intense atmosphere before, the first Backyard Brawl in more than a decade may top them all. Acrisure Stadium is entirely sold out of seats for the game, and Pitt even sold a limited amount of standing-room only tickets in response to the high demand.

Dennis said he and his teammates are ready to see an atmosphere they’ve never seen before and are preparing accordingly.

“The atmosphere of this game is going to be wild and we understand that, we know that,” Dennis said. “We already played in games with great atmospheres. Last year we played at Tennessee. My freshman year we played at Penn State. We know the feel that it’s going to have. But we think this is going to be another level so we’re getting ready for it.”

The Backyard Brawl will make its return to the gridiron on Thursday night, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium. The game will air nationally on ESPN.

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column

BREAKING DOWN THE POSITION GROUPS IN THE BACKYARD BRAWL

Frankie Richetti Senior Staff Writer

The last time Pitt and West Virginia met on a football field was Nov. 25, 2011.

Tino Sunseri was the Panthers’ starting quarterback that night. Sunseri said the reason you put on a Pitt uniform is to participate in the Backyard Brawl.

While that isn’t the case for the 2022 version of the Panthers — given that the two teams haven’t played in 11 years — the “big game” feel is still there. College Gameday is coming to town. Fans are going at it. Even Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi did some trolling of his own earlier in the offseason, tweeting out a graphic with a reference to Pitt’s 13-9 victory over No. 2 West Virginia in 2007, which ended their national championship hopes.

So who will hold the edge when these two bitter rivals square off Thursday night?

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Here is a head-to-head breakdown of how each position group stacks up against each other and which team has the edge.

Quarterback Once teammates at USC, West Virginia senior quarterback JT Daniels and Pitt senior quarterback Kedon Slovis will face off in this one.

Daniels arrived at USC as a five-star recruit, but a season-ending injury against Fresno State in week one of the 2019 season forced Slovis into the spotlight. Slovis made the most of the opportunity, earning PAC12 Freshman of the Year honors.

Daniels transferred to Georgia in 2020 and found success — going 7-0 combined as a starter, including a Peach Bowl victory over Cincinnati — but injuries again got the best of him. Slovis, on the other hand, also struggled with injuries last fall, forcing him

into a backup role.

Although I believe Slovis finishes the season as the better quarterback, Daniels gets the slight edge heading into the Brawl because of his familiarity with West Virginia offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.

Edge: Mountaineers

against Kansas — is next in line for West Virginia.

The Mountaineers don’t have a running back on the current roster who ran for a touchdown last season, so the Panthers have the clear advantage here.

Edge: Panthers

Running back Pitt returns its stable of running backs — sophomore Rodney Hammond, junior Izzy Abanikanda and senior Vincent Davis — who combined for 19 touchdowns last season.

West Virginia won’t bring back star running back Leddie Brown this season. Brown, who is now with the Los Angeles Chargers, racked up back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons on the ground for the Mountaineers. Sophomore Tony Mathis Jr. — who recorded over 100 yards in their regular season finale

Wide Receiver/Tight End Both teams lost their leading receivers from a year ago to the transfer portal, but there’s still plenty of talent on both sides.

The Mountaineers’ trio of wideouts — Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Sam Jones and Kaden Prather — have a high ceiling. The combination of Daniels and Harrell can help the three reach that potential as well. Prather in particular has star potential.

Pitt added freshman All-American Konata Mumpfield and sophomore Bub Means

August 31, 2022

See Positions on page 13

3

‘10,000 PASSES’:

PREPARATION, AN ACCURATE ARM KEY IN KEDON SLOVIS WINNING STARTING QUARTERBACK POSITION OVER NICK PATTI Richie Smiechowski Assistant Sports Editor

Kedon Slovis was on top of the college football world after his first year as quarterback of the USC Trojans. The Arizona native was stellar in 2019, passing for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns at a remarkable 71.9% completion rate.

Now, nearly three years to the day from his historic debut against Stanford, Slovis finds himself in a drastically different situation.

Once a Heisman contender and a projected first-round draft pick, injuries resulting in onfield struggles forced an early end to his college career in Los Angeles. He entered the transfer portal last December with two years of eligibility left.

On the other side of the country, Pitt’s football team just had their best season in recent memory and were losing their Heisman finalist quarterback Kenny Pickett to the NFL draft.

Seizing the opportunity, Slovis committed to Pitt, saying that the combination of the team’s coaching staff and returning talent made the perfect combination.

“When I looked at the opportunity, it was a no-brainer,” Slovis said. “It jumped to the top of my list immediately.”

Despite Slovis being a highly touted transfer portal acquisition, head coach Pat Narduzzi and his staff made it clear that he wasn’t going to be guaranteed the starting quarterback position — he needed to win the job over senior quarterback Nick Patti.

For the last few seasons, Patti was second string to Pickett, playing only in blowouts or when his counterpart went down with an injury. He finally got his chance to start when Pickett opted out of last year’s Peach Bowl, but left the game with a collarbone injury after marching the offense down the field for a touchdown on their second drive of the game.

Patti’s in-game performance sample size was small, but was enough to convince the coaching staff that a summer quarterback battle was in order. Patti said he was confident going into the competition, choosing not to focus on the hype surrounding Slovis.

“It’s another chance to prove that I’m going

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to be that dude, and that just speaks to my confidence,” Patti said. “I had an idea we were going to bring someone in, with Kenny [Pickett] leaving, with us being ACC Champions, we’re a hot spot to be ... I wasn’t worried about anything other than being healthy, learning the offense and trying to get a good connection with the guys.”

The two quarterbacks first true head-tohead matchup came in the annual Blue-Gold spring game. Patti’s years of experience with

row and LSU, in that 2019 year, that they did that,” Slovis said. “Why not strive to be like them, they’re probably the greatest offense in college football history.”

Slovis was also confident that he could win the starting spot coming into training camp.

The quarterback maintained that he wasn’t worried about the added pressure of winning the job, deciding to focus on learning the new offense.

“Day in and day out, you’re not think-

Starting quarterback Kedon Slovis at Pitt football practice on Aug. 25 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Hannah Wilson | Senior Staff Photographer the Pitt offense resulted in an impressive performance while Slovis faltered and looked uncomfortable most of the afternoon.

For the rest of the offseason the two quarterbacks went head-to-head for the coaching staff while simultaneously growing closer as teammates. They made it a priority to build a rapport with the offense and, according to senior wide receiver Jared Wayne, pledged to go beyond practices to build chemistry.

“We attributed our summer to 10,000 catches,” Wayne said. “We were out there pretty much every day getting extra work.”

Slovis said the inspiration for the 10,000pass regimen came from former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.

“Someone brought up to me that Joe Bur-

ing ‘what do I have to do different to win the job?’” Slovis said. “My idea was go out, do your job, execute the offense as well as you can and things will kind of take care of themselves.”

Both Slovis and Patti shined in training camp, making positive impressions on Narduzzi and new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. “The quarterback room is special,” Cignetti said. “Both Nick and Kedon have done an outstanding job learning the system, competing, learning with each other ... we’ve had a lot of fun doing it.”

As training camp came to an end and Pitt’s opening matchup against WVU drew nearer, the coaching staff still chose to play their cards close to their chest, maintaining that they were

August 31, 2022

still comparing the two quarterbacks’ performances.

“You grade everything,” Cignetti said.

“What’s it take to be the starting quarterback not only here at Pitt, but generally anywhere?

Which quarterback is going to make the best decisions? You got to be able to complete the ball, you got to minimize turnovers, so every period that we’re in, we’re grading it, we’re evaluating it.”

The silence from Southside persisted until last Wednesday, just over a week before the Backyard Brawl. Narduzzi scheduled a press conference where he announced Slovis as the week one starter. He and Cignetti both cited accuracy as the main distinction between the two players’ skill sets.

“Kedon is really, really good in the pocket,” Narduzzi said, “putting the ball where our receivers are going to catch it and be able to get yards after the catch.”

Although he lost out on the starting spot, both the players and coaching staff are confident in Patti’s ability to come in and perform in any situation.

“It’s great because both guys that were in that competition are great quarterbacks,” Wayne said. “At the end of the day, God forbid Kedon gets hurt or anything like that, I have faith in Nick as well, so I’m very happy for Kedon and just excited to get the season started.”

For Slovis, winning the starting quarterback job is just further recognition that he is an integral part of this year’s Pitt football team. Last Friday, he was announced as one of the team’s four captains which, according to Slovis, is the highest honor he could achieve as a player and a true measure that he belongs in Pittsburgh.

“It means a lot,” Slovis said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for those guys, and to know that a good amount of them, or enough of them voted for me to be a captain ... All the awards and accolades, they get voted on by people outside of the building, members of the media who just watch the games. They don’t know what goes on behind the scenes ... captain to me is the highest honor you can possibly have.”

4

News

Math department drops one letter grade rule pittnews.com

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, MAC-AND-CHEESE MISHAPS AND ELEVATOR RESCUES: PITT DORMS DRAW CITY SERVICES, BUT SHOULD THE UNIVERSITY HELP FUND THEM?

Punya Bhasin, Alexandra Ross, Emma Folts and Charlie Wolfson

This story was produced and co-published in collaboration with PublicSource.

When she lived in Pitt’s Litchfield Towers, student resident Emily James witnessed city EMS workers tend to a student who was found by a resident assistant slurring her words and vomiting.

Former resident Manoj Kuppusamy saw EMS workers carry an unconscious student out of the dorm last fall and city police detain a person in the building’s lobby in the spring.

Gabe Wilson, who has lived in the threedorm complex often referred to as “Towers” for two years, said city police and paramedics are a familiar presence there, for what often seem like fairly minor reasons.

The City of Pittsburgh, which supplies the services, gets a lot less in return than it would if the same incidents occurred in a typical apart-

ment building.

Pitt and other major nonprofits use city services, but unlike residents, they largely do not pay the property taxes that are crucial to funding them. And 911 calls to the Towers, the largest cluster of dorms on Pitt’s main campus, exemplify this dynamic.

Between May 2021 and the end of April 2022, there were 146 calls to the Allegheny County 911 Center regarding incidents at 3990 Fifth Ave., the location of the Towers, according to public records obtained by PublicSource and The Pitt News. The incidents — sometimes more than five a day — were mostly medical issues including those characterized as overdoses, abnormal breathing and unconsciousness, but included fire alarms, welfare checks and elevator rescues.

The Towers, which house more than 1,800 students across three buildings, are tax-exempt.

The property is currently assessed at about $45 million and would bring about $363,000 to the city each year if the address was taxable.

The city has a responsibility to provide mu-

nicipal services regardless of a property owner’s tax status. But it has also faced a growing, largely tax-exempt nonprofit presence and has relied on federal pandemic relief to balance its budget.

Now, some public safety bureaus — and taxpayers, as local officials would argue — are feeling the effects of the financial constraints.

“Quite simply, the cost of city government falls too heavily on our residents,” City Controller Michael Lamb said in an Aug. 19 statement calling for greater contributions from the major nonprofits. “While ‘eds & meds’ undoubtedly

provide a benefit to the region, they rely heavily on city resources: public safety, infrastructure, and sanitation, among other essential services.”

Jonathan Atkinson, a Pittsburgh paramedic and the leader of the paramedics’ union, said the heavy volume of calls involving university residence halls can stretch EMS thin and impact the entire city’s coverage. He said during some shifts for units covering Oakland and nearby areas, the majority of calls are alcohol-related.

“This has a ripple effect throughout the city See City Services on page 15

Pitt students check into the Towers during move-in. The cluster of dorms houses more than 1,800 students. Alexandra Ross | Senior Staff Writer

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August 31, 2022

5

NEW OAKLAND SPORTS BAR AND GRILLE ‘THE PANTHER PIT’ OPENING FOR WVU GAME

Bella Markovitz Staff Writer

With music blaring, free food and the drinks pouring, The Panther Pit, a new Oakland sports bar and grille, held a private preopening Friday evening before it will officially open its doors just in time for the Pitt vs. WVU game.

Located at 226 Meyran Ave., the new sports bar will open to the general public for the first time on Thursday for patrons to come watch the Pitt vs. WVU game. Their normal business hours will be Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Bartender Katie Shermenti said the staff was busy with preparations during the week leading up to the pre-opening.

“We’ve had meetings all week trying everything, talking over everything ... all the employees have been together with the owners and the manager kind of going over like the plan for everything going on for tonight … and for the first when we play West Virginia,” Shermenti said.

Soon after the event began, passersby also decided to join the party.

“It went from an intimate 40-50 person gathering to a 400-500 party,” Dennis Payne, the Panther Pit’s general manager said. “From walking around and asking the patrons and staff, the night was a resounding success for the very limited time the staff/owners and myself had to get [the] event planned and opened.”

The Panther Pit will utilize all three floors of the 226 Meyran Ave. location. This includes the small front porch seating area, the first floor sports bar, the second floor bar as an “ultra gaming lounge,” the third floor bar, dance floor and outdoor deck.

Local artists Dejouir Brown (Jouirnoe) and Juliandra Jones (PBJ Customs) painted the bartop on the first floor. Adorning the wall opposite the bar is a large mural depicting various mascots, painted by local artists Max ‘Gems’ Gonzales and Shane Pilster.

A couple of different bars and restaurants have operated out of the remodeled row house at the 226 Meyran Ave. address within the past

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20 years.

The location first opened as the Pittsburgh Cafe for about 12 years, which served alcohol along with traditional American fare for lunch and dinner. The Pittsburgh Cafe was shut down in 2012 for owing more than $12,000 in back drink tax.

Next it became a Winghart’s, which served

Payne said management has plans that they hope will give their bar a little something for everyone.

“I think Oakland needed a shot in the arm of something new, and with a sports bar boasting 86 inch TVs, an ultra ‘gaming’ lounge and third floor dance area with outside deck … it will have something for everyone,” Payne said.

Bar patrons at The Panther Pit’s opening Friday night. Clare Sheedy | Assistant Visual Editor burgers, drinks and claimed to have “the best dance floor in Oakland.” It closed in December 2014. Soon after, former Pitt defensive tackle and current Los Angeles Rams player Aaron Donald opened his own restaurant, AD’s Pittsburgh Cafe.

Ken Plumb, one of the owners of The Panther Pit, said the history of the building as AD’s Pittsburgh Cafe didn’t matter to him and that he is more focused on bringing value to Oakland.

“I don’t even want to talk about Aaron Donald … It’s irrelevant to me, it means nothing.

There’s a building here in the middle of Pitt campus that we can [use to] bring value to the neighborhood,” Plumb said. “I’m trying to just have fun and do something cool for the neighborhood and create a legitimate sports bar.”

Payne said he expects their menu of international street foods to make a good impression on their customers.

“The street foods from around the world is an exciting concept. We’re hoping the public feels the same … Mexican street corn, fresh cut adobo fries, French style tacos and candied bacon were on the short list and will be on the initial menu along with some others and will expand as weeks go on,” Payne said.

Radamès Perez, the executive chef of The Panther Pit, used to own the Lawrenceville Cuban restaurant Salud. After Salud closed, a friend connected him with Plumb, and together they developed the idea for The Panther Pit about eight months ago.

“He [Plumb] came up with the idea of street foods … I was just like, okay, let’s figure it out.

August 31, 2022

And we came to a head on, you know, the items that we felt were gonna be great sellers. And I think we came up with a great menu … We’re making everything from scratch,” Perez said.

“There’s no frozen food. Okay, so that’s the whole theme of it, and to be able to feed people at a great price with an awesome product.”

Plumb said The Panther Pit would bring value to the neighborhood through its menu, in part by offering $5 French tacos every day.

Plumb said the French taco, which is a street food from France invented in the mid2000’s, will deliver a multitude of exotic flavors.

“What they are is vehicles of flavor, you can introduce any protein with any ooey gooey cheese, any vegetables pickled or any spice, any flavor,” Plumb said. “So it’s a wonderful opportunity to introduce, you know, the explosion of French taste, an explosion of Japanese, an explosion of German, the explosion of Greek and so forth.”

Plumb also described the “3D projection mapping” technology that he plans to bring to the second floor of the bar. Projection mapping is a projection technique that involves making a virtual map of a three dimensional object or space. He said this will allow various visual images and scenery to be projected onto the bar space and walls to create an immersion experience.

“Whatever your imagination [wants]: outer space, zen beach environment, fireworks, giant koi fish, anything you can imagine we have the technology to do [on] the second floor,” Plumb said.

Payne said The Panther Pit wants to hear from their customers so that they can continue to make improvements.

According to Payne, patrons can make suggestions verbally to Panther Pit staff. Additionally, staff will add “an area on [our] website for suggestions” once the website goes live, as well as a suggestion box on each bar.

“We will of course have some growing pains, so we ask our patrons to bear with us and also help us themselves in making us a success with constant suggestions and ideas,” Payne said.

6

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MONKEYPOX AT PITT Donata Massimiani Staff Writer

Even though there have been no confirmed student cases of monkeypox at Pitt as of Aug. 24, according to Pitt spokesperson Janine Fisher, some students fear that the University might return to the days of isolation and virtual learning that they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emma Garris, a senior neuroscience and psychology major, said she first heard about monkeypox over the summer on social media.

She planned a trip to New York City and decided to start monitoring cases in that region. Garris quickly grew fearful of how rapidly the virus was spreading.

“It’s giving me flashbacks to 2020 before we got sent home from campus because we all thought it wasn’t going to be a huge deal then, and now look what COVID has turned into,” Garris said.

Allegheny County reported its first case of monkeypox on June 30 and has since reported 55 confirmed cases. A student at Penn State also tested positive for monkeypox. At the national

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level, monkeypox has been declared a national health emergency, which contributed to concerns expressed by members of the Pitt community.

However, Seema Lakdawala, an associate professor in the department of microbiology and immunology at Emory University and an adjunct professor in the department of microbiology and molecular genetics at Pitt’s school of medicine, said given the way monkeypox spreads, she doesn’t think it will warrant mandatory masking or university closures.

She added that masks aren’t effective against monkeypox because the virus can’t be inhaled.

“With coronaviruses, people who were presymptomatic were transmissible, which meant that before you had any symptoms or felt sick at all, you were spreading the virus,” Lakdawala said. “It’s unclear whether that’s happening right now with monkeypox, but the data seems to suggest that it’s not.”

Jay Darr, the associate dean of students for wellness, recommended in an Aug. 19 email that students avoid contact with people who may be infected, along with contaminated bedding and

other materials. He also suggested avoiding skinto-skin contact with anyone who has a rash, using personal protective equipment when caring for someone who is infected and washing hands with soap and water, as well as practicing safe sex.

While Darr said Student Health Services isn’t giving out monkeypox vaccines directly, he said if someone has a confirmed exposure to monkeypox, SHS will refer them to the Allegheny County Health Department Immunization clinic. Staff at the clinic, which is located Downtown, will determine if someone is eligible to receive a vaccine on a “case-by-case basis” through Health Department case investigators.

Darr added that people can avoid contracting monkeypox if they get a vaccine within four days of exposure to the virus.

People in Allegheny County prioritized to receive a monkeypox vaccine, based on Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines, include individuals who had direct physical contact with someone diagnosed with the virus, individuals who had a sex partner within the last two weeks that is experiencing symptoms of the virus, inviduals who participated in an activity where

August 31, 2022

multiple cases of monkeypox occurred and individuals who “exchange sex for money or goods.”

Other prioritized groups, according to the county’s website, include men who have sex with other men and gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming or gender non-binary individuals who had anonymous sex partners in the past two weeks that reported the following: • Met their partner through an app or social venue • Were recently diagnosed with a sexually transmitted illness or think they may have been recently exposed to one • Take HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) • Have an illness that weakens their immune system • Have eczema The county also said on its website that it hopes to expand eligibility as vaccines become more widely available.

Find the full story online at

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7

MOBILE ORDER Powered by Use the Transact Mobile Ordering App for the easiest way to order, pay for, and pick up your favorite foods.

How to get started Download the Transact Mobile Ordering App Select University of Pittsburgh - Oakland Choose Your Favorite Dining Location and Customize Your Meal Pay With Meal Swap, Dining Dollars, Panther Funds, Pitt Cash, or Credit Card

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August 31, 2022

8

Culture

Yung Gravy to headline Fall Fest pittnews.com

PITT SUPERFANS GEAR UP FOR ANOTHER FASHIONABLE FOOTBALL SEASON

The costume stands out from the sea “Dressing up has its perks, but the of blue and yellow T-shirts that many best part has to be when I make somestudents wear. The Pitt Pope originated one’s day by meeting them, especially At Pitt football games, herds of Pitt as a result of one of Zaremski’s Hallow- kids,” Zaremski said. “That is really fans gather in the parking lot of Acrisure een costumes during his time as a Pitt what it is all about, is trying to grow the Stadium in North Shore, blasting ener- undergrad. The Pitt Pope is an iteration culture here at Pitt. I was considering gizing music, playing games and indulging in game day food. Everyone radiates Pitt pride, geared with blue and yellow attire and singing along to Pitt’s football anthem, “Sweet Caroline,” which is played in the third quarter of every football game.

Showing Pitt pride comes in a multitude of ways, but some students and superfans show their school spirit through the power of fashion.

Carson Zaremski, a Pitt alumnus also known as the Pitt Pope, is a game-day fashion icon. Zaremski attends nearly every football game outfitted in a white robe and Pope hat embellished with the Pitt logo and colors.

Zaremski graduated from Pitt in December 2021 with a degree in media and professional studies. He said he has remained a diehard Pitt football fan since birth.

“I was born into a Pitt Family, and so I have been going to Pitt football games Carson Zaremski dressed as the pope poses for a photo in a crowd of Pitt since I was born,” Zaremski said. fans during the football ACC Championship Game against Wake Forest Although he has left the streets of University in Charlotte, N.C. Pamela Smith | Visual Editor Oakland, Zaremski said his commitment to being the Pitt Pope — and supporting of other football superfan costumes, he passing it down, but after asking many the football team — stands strong. He said. people, no one seemed to mind me resaid he dreams of working for Pitt Ath“The Pope was my Halloween cos- maining the Pitt Pope.” letics in the future. tume for Halloween weekend and I added Pitt juniors and roommates Mia Jaffe, “Last year specifically I went to 10 a Pitt aspect to it for the Miami football Lauren Beaube and Kara Soles have also [games] which included the games at game,” he said. “I knew about the Steel- taken it upon themselves to ensure that Tennessee, Virginia Tech, the ACC ers Pope and the Auburn Pope, and ‘Pitt other Pitt Athletics fans can support the Championship in Charlotte and the Pope’ just has a better ring to it.” team — and in a fashionable way.

Peach Bowl in Atlanta,” Zaremski said.

While being a fashion icon has its Beaube, a statistics major, said the “I honestly just bleed blue and gold. I benefits, Zaremski said his main goal three friends loved getting dressed up would be a superfan whether we were the partaking as the Pitt Pope is to strength- for games throughout their time at Pitt, best team in the country or the worst.” en the football culture and pride at Pitt. but struggled to find cute outfits. They

Anoushka Parnerkar For The Pitt News

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August 31, 2022

started h2Supply Co. in August of this year — their own line of trendy Pitt gear.

“We didn’t love the way DIY T-shirts looked or fit and we always wished there was a way we could have more stylish options for our game day outfits,” Beaube said. “Our mission is to create cute, lasting clothing that Pitt students can wear to football games, on campus and other sports games.”

The team started with an extensive Pinterest search, followed by creating mock-ups and finally an Instagram account, according to Beaube. She said they started by gauging interest through friends and followers to decide which designs to release.

“We posted a few of our initial designs and polled our friends and followers on which ones they liked best,” Beaube said.

“There were clear favorites and once we figured the ones that were most popular, we pretty much started making our shirts right away.”

Beaube said she and her friends find most of their fashion inspiration from pieces they wished they had. They design and hand make all of their items in their Oakland apartment, and the shirt styles range in classic cuts, fonts and slogans.

“We created clothing that we would each personally love to wear, and that was a bit more stylish and unique than the t-shirts we were previously buying,” Beaube said. “We make all of our items together at our apartment. We order our shirts from a supplier and use a Cricut machine to cut and press each design onto the shirts.”

Beaube and her friends have already started taking and producing orders for the upcoming football season. Beaube said while h2supply Co.’s merchandise currently caters to females, they aim to grow their market in the future.

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SPICE UP GAME DAY WITH THESE CREATIVE TAILGATE RECIPES

Julia DiPietro Staff Writer

With the first Pitt football game around the corner, so is the first tailgate. The only thing that could make a sunny September afternoon better is an aroma of food cooking before a football game.

Whether you’re gathering outside Acrisure Stadium or watching the game from your house, these meals are easy and can be done by any level chef — amateur to professional — with few ingredients. Here are five creative game day recipes for you to try for your next tailgate with friends.

1. Tortellini Salad Kabobs – Jessica Formicola at Savory Experiments This tortellini salad kabob dish is a clever twist on an Italian classic. It’s easy to assemble and can be served cold. Kabobs are perfect for handing out to people at a large tailgate, and they can be stored in simple containers. Jessica Formicola, a blogger at Savory Experiments, suggests using two pieces of tortellini, two mozzarella pearls and one tomato.

The ingredients include cooked tortellini pasta, grape tomatoes, mozzarella balls, pesto, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil leaves, salt and pepper, added for taste. You’ll also need wooden skewers for the recipe. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl to make a salad, and then skewer them to your liking. You can substitute different vegetables such as olives, peppers or cucumbers as well.

2. Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip – Amanda Rettke at I Am Baker Nothing tastes better on a crisp fall afternoon than some warm and savory buffalo chicken dip.

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This recipe is great for beginners — all you need is shredded chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, buffalo sauce and a crockpot to make it. You can dip anything in it from bread to pretzels or veggies. Add ranch dressing, garlic powder or some blue cheese crumbles and green onion for taste.

Amanda Rettke at I Am Baker also includes her homemade buffalo sauce recipe, if you want to make it from scratch. It’s best to cook on low for about one to two hours. You will know it’s done when the cheese is hot and bubbly.

your local grocery store, pulled pork, barbeque sauce, shredded cheese and one egg to glaze the puffs. Fill the pastries with the combined shredded pork, cheese and sauce. Glaze the tops with the beaten egg and bake in the oven till golden brown. Stephanie Parker, a food blogger at Plain Chicken, recommends using a toothpick to hold the puffs together if they start to fall apart. These are perfect to hand out to your friends at the tailgate.

cilantro, orange, red and yellow peppers, red onions, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, olive oil, lime, avocado and tortilla chips.

However, the assembly is easy — you can mix the ingredients in one bowl.

After combining the ingredients, add spices and lime juice for taste. You can use tortilla chips to dip into the dish, or other foods like bread slices. Trisha Haas at Salty Side Dish recommends letting the caviar marinate together for a few hours before serving to bring out the flavors the best.

5. Snickers Bar Blondies – Teresa Ambra at Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen No tailgate is complete without some tasty desserts. Blondie bars, or “blonde brownies,” are a great way to round up a group and get ready for a Pitt game. Blondies, best described as chocolate chip cookie bars, are easy to make and can be cut into multiple squares for everyone. For this recipe you will need unsalted butter, white and brown sugar, two large eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, salt and chopped mini Snickers bars.

After combining all ingredients into a bowl, lay onto a 9x13 glass baking dish and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Teresa Students eat and watch a football game at home. TPN File Photo Ambra, a writer for the food blog “Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen,” adds that you can use other chocolate candies in place of Snickers as well. Once 3. Pulled Pork Pastry Puffs – Stephanie Parker 4. Cowboy Caviar – Trisha Haas at Salty Side you cool the blondies, cut them into squares and at Plain Chicken Dish spread them onto a plate for serving.

Pulled pork is a football Friday favorite, and Also known as Texas Caviar, this dish is These easy recipes are a great option for your this recipe brings delicious flavors without the pretty healthy and always a crowd pleaser — but next Pitt football tailgate this fall. Whether you mess of a sandwich – and it only consists of five if your football squad is on the smaller side, you are serving a few close friends or an entire crowd, ingredients. can make it in large or small batches. they are the perfect way to get everyone in the For this recipe you’ll need a bag of frozen There are a few more ingredients in this dip spirit and hopefully celebrate a Panther win. puff pastry, which you can find at Giant Eagle or — black and pinto beans, corn, diced tomato,

August 31, 2022

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Opinions

Ranking Taylor Swift songs pittnews.com

COMPARING MY TWO VACATIONS

Grace DeLallo

Assistant Opinions Editor This summer I traveled to two very different places — Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Ojochal, Costa Rica. This was my first time traveling in Central America, so there were many aspects of the trip that were new to me, but as I began to observe my surroundings, I couldn’t help but compare this trip to my other vacation after drawing jarring conclusions about Costa Rica and the United States.

Uvita Beach is one of the four beaches that compose Marino Ballena National Park, a Costa Rican treasure. While visiting this spectacular beach, I noticed many things — new wildlife, palm tree roots that sit feet above the sand, water that unexpectedly rushes in multiple feet within a few minutes at high tide, fog that perpetually loomed over the mountains during my stay and litter scattering the beaches.

If there is one thing I hate in the world, it is litter. Litter makes beautiful things less beautiful and has harms far beyond aesthetic concerns. So, as a response, I clean up what I can. What I noticed that differed between the litter I found at Uvita versus in Myrtle was the size and location.

During my time in Myrtle, I collected many cigarette butts, single-use bottles, plastic straws and plastic food wrappers, mostly where people’s chairs and umbrel-

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las were set up — clearly a product of their carelessness. Meanwhile, in Uvita I found myself mainly picking up microplastics — a product of plastic pollution breaking apart in the ocean and washing onto shores or lingering in water.

Not only did I notice the litter on the beaches, but also in my immediate surroundings. I noticed a general lack of litter lining roadways, inhabiting streams of water and scattered among parking lots in Costa Rica, even as we drove through more populated areas. Thinking back to Myrtle, the streets had plastic grocery bags rolling like tumbleweeds. I found that the people in Costa Rica had a greater commitment to keeping their home clean, and the most polluted places were those where tourists were abundant.

The litter of Myrtle could be the microplastics of Uvita, and that is an unsettling reality to acknowledge.

Another aspect of the trip that remains vastly, significantly different is wildlife and land.

While visiting Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary — a place committed to rehabilitating as many animals as they can and offering lifelong residence in enriching enclosures for those who are unable to be rehabilitated — I was informed that Costa Rica outlawed keeping wild animals as pets and sport hunting of wildlife. As a result,

the sanctuary gained some of its residents from people having to turn their wild animals in. Leo’s sweet face, the ocelot gracing the front page of Alturas’ website, happens to be a product of that law. His sister was fortunately released, but Leo opted for the cushier lifestyle of steady meals and an enclosure with many places to perch.

In comparison, the United States has no federal legislation when it comes to keeping wild animals as pets. Sure, most states have made it illegal to privately own wildlife, and the U.S. does have specialized laws that target certain groups of animals and their wellbeing, especially for those that are considered endangered, but the U.S. also has an abysmal record when it comes to protecting wildlife.

“Unfortunately, House and Senate appropriators have made it clear that saving endangered species is not their top priority,” said Stephanie Kurose, a senior policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. This is exemplified by the outrageous law passed in Idaho in 2021 that allows hunters to kill 90% of the state’s wolf population — a species the country has waged unofficial war on, but which made no disruption in the federal government’s concerns. If only the United States was like Costa Rica and would also outlaw sport hunting, maybe native species could thrive and contribute to their ecosystem

August 31, 2022

like they’re supposed to.

Costa Rica has also made massive efforts to reforest the country after logging devastated the country. Today, almost 60% of the land is forested and approximately 28% of the land is protected. This compares to a World Bank estimate that only 33% of the U.S. was forested in 2020 and an abysmal 12% of land is protected.

Traveling is a privilege. Each trip cost me more money than I could necessarily afford in the moment — thanks, credit cards — but it’s something I have wanted to do for so long because I yearn to explore the world. I want to be a global citizen because I think it makes people more empathetic and accepting. My experience will not be the same as yours, but that doesn’t mean we can’t grow as people all the same.

I may be able to travel through physical experiences, but that doesn’t mean you can’t through books, movies or music.

Our world is so much bigger than we know, and with only a five-hour flight, I was able to experience life outside of myself and see a world I longed for and could begin to understand.

Grace DeLallo writes about social, environmental and political issues. Write to her at gkd5@pitt.edu.

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GET A CRAPPY FIRST CAR

Jessica Snyder

Senior Staff Columnist For almost five years now I’ve been driving a 2006 Honda Civic. It’s a brilliant baby blue, glittering with peeling paint on the hubcaps and roof — which is apparently a common problem in older Honda models.

I don’t have a backup camera and I think the most up-to-date feature in it is cruise control. It has a Bluetooth radio adapter and cloth seats.

The air conditioning has since fizzled out, but I don’t think it’s beyond fixing, because sometimes on long drives across the state it will work for a minute or two.

However, if someone offered me a brand new car right now, I probably wouldn’t take it.

My grandma gave me this car in high school because it was too low to the ground. I grew up in the back seats of this car when my grandma would drive my brother and me to practices and McDonald’s, and now I’m sitting in the driver’s seat.

Not everyone is going to have this innate sense of sentimental value in their new vehicle when they first buy a car. I would still keep my Honda even if it weren’t for the nostalgia, though, simply because of its hidden value.

It still has less than 100,000 miles on it — my grandma didn’t drive it much. Used cars — even if they don’t have the latest technology and aren’t visually appealing — are the best first cars on the market. They save you money and teach you how to drive better, all while adding an element of sustainability to owning a car.

When you’re first learning how to drive, the truth of the matter is that you’re going to hit some things. These little bumps into sidewalks or poles usually leave more damage to your car than the objects themselves.

If you have a new car, you might feel more inclined to get these little dents fixed, given that the rest of your car is almost pristine. If you have an older car like me, you probably won’t sweat it — I have plenty of little marks on my bumper, but it matches the rest of the paint job. Eventually, you’ll become more spatially aware in your car and won’t bump into as many curbs. If you choose to buy a used car and decide not to repair these little dents, you won’t have to pay for them.

Depending on what kind of used car you get, you’ll most likely save more money all around.

Used cars are nearly $10,000 cheaper than new ones, typically because they have more miles and slightly less technology.

Both options are feasible, but if you have the money up front for a used car, you won’t have to worry about making car payments months from now. The only thing you would have to worry about from then on is car insurance — which is still less than a new car thanks to its age and the fact that it doesn’t need collision insurance because its value has declined, meaning that you wouldn’t lose too much money in an accident.

Having a used car has made me a better problem solver. In the era of iPhones without aux ports, I had to find a way to get my music to play in my car without a built-in Bluetooth sound system. The lifesaver for nearly all used cars is some form of Bluetooth radio adapter.

Thankfully, these are pretty often user-friendly.

While I’m definitely not saying that we should be living in the past, learning and sustaining the ability to use a radio helps in situations where you never knew you needed it.

My Honda Civic doesn’t have a backup camera, but luckily it’s a relatively small car. I feel as though backup cameras have become similar to what automatic transmissions once were — some people just can’t drive without them.

Having a used car without a backup camera will make you a better driver, whether you like it or not. This is especially true in Pittsburgh, where you’re going to have to learn how to parallel park — and fast — without it.

No one has broken into my car thus far be-

cause it doesn’t look like I have too much money based off of its exterior. With peeling paint, a few dings and a helplessly messy interior, I’m sure a thief would much rather risk the jail time of breaking into a car that actually looks like it’s worth some money.

Of course, buying a used car is almost always the most sustainable option because you’re getting a vehicle that wasn’t created brand new for you. Even with the rise in popularity of electric cars, I would argue that my 2006 Honda Civic still holds up with its incredible gas mileage. One thing’s for certain — those who buy used cars won’t be contributing to the lithium and chip shortage any time soon.

When it comes time to upgrade, you might actually be more ready than most. If you buy your first used car yourself, you’re already delegating a sense of responsibility and ownership to yourself. Going to buy that new car will surely be bittersweet, but when that time comes, you’ll probably be financially ready.

Even though my car isn’t bright, brand new or even relatively clean, I love it more than I would if it were all of those things. Ultimately, it’s my car, and I’ve learned its little quirks over our five years together. It might lack a lot of modern technology, but I’m confident it has forced me to become a better person.

Jessica Snyder primarily writes about the little things in life. Write to her at jes341@pitt.edu.

Fikayomi Olagbami | Staff Illustrator

August 31, 2022

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Positions, pg. 3 — who averaged almost 20 yards per catch last season at Louisiana Tech — to the mix this offseason. Junior Jared Wayne hauled in six touchdowns last year and is in line for an uptick in volume. Sophomore tight end Gavin Bartholomew checked in at No. 2 in Yards After Catch amongst all tight ends in the nation last season.

Pitt’s depth gives them the upper hand here, with junior Jaylon Barden and sophomore Jaden Bradley stepping into expanded roles.

Edge: Panthers Offensive Line Pitt and West Virginia are two of just eight teams nationally set to return their entire starting offensive line.

The Mountaineers have great individual talent on the line. Sophomore center Zach Frazier is a preseason Walter Camp AllAmerican after earning second team honors a year ago. Sophomore left tackle Wyatt Milum received Freshman All-American honors last season.

But in 2021 the Mountaineers allowed the most sacks of any team in the Big 12, giving up a total of 38. West Virginia also finished dead last within conference in rushing yards per game.

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While they should improve as a unit, they there’s Pitt defensive line deep. are a notch below Pitt – whose entire offenEdge: Panthers sive line earned All-ACC honors in 2021.

Edge: Panthers Linebacker After last season, Pitt lost 601 combined Defensive Line tackles at linebacker. But senior SirVocea Despite losing Akheem Mesidor to Mi- Dennis returns, and he is without a doubt the ami, the Mountaineers boast an excellent best either side has to offer at the position. defensive front.

Bangally Kamara — who is starting Senior defensive tackle Dante Stills is a alongside Dennis — is poised for a breakout, preseason All-American after deciding to it just remains to be seen how fast he can return to school for an encore following his read the game. Notre Dame transfer Shayne first-team All-Big 12 season last year. Sixth- Simon will also start outside of Dennis. year defensive end Taijh Alston — who talJunior Lee Kpogba and sophomore Lance lied 11 tackles for loss last season — and Dixon are expected to form the Mountainjunior defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson are eers tandem at linebacker, and they could fantastic compliments to Stills. very well be one of the best the conference The Mountaineers line is deep, especially has to offer this year. after adding a pair of transfers — first-year Kpogba — who started his career at Syradefensive end Zeiqui Lawton and sophomore cuse — has lofty expectations despite not defensive tackle Mike Lockhart. But Pitt is playing a snap for the program up to this just on a different level. point. Last season he led the No. 1 scoring Athlon Sports ranks Pitt’s defensive line defense in JUCO with 84 tackles in just ten No. 4 in the nation, which is led by junior games last season. Dixon enters his fourth defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and senior season hoping to pick up where he left off afdefensive end Haba Baldonado. Kancey is a ter registering 11 tackles against Minnesota preseason All-American and Baldonado led in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. the ACC in pressures last season. As a unit, For both teams, the linebacker spot poses Pitt finished top five in both sacks and tack- plenty of questions while also having a masles for loss. sive ceiling — but Dennis is the clear cut Every Pitt defensive lineman who reg- best player at the position heading into this istered a sack last season returns outside matchup, so that’s the difference maker here. of Keyshon Camp. There’s deep, and then Edge: Panthers

August 31, 2022

Secondary Senior Charles Woods played a big part in the Mountaineers’ No. 3 passing defense within conference last season and has the talent to become the best corner in the Big 12.

After losing five players, West Virginia opted to overhaul their back end by pursuing experienced transfers. The Mountaineers added Rashad Ajayi, Jasir Cox and Wesley McCormick, who all combine for over 1,000 snaps of experience in the back end and figure to play a lot.

Redshirt freshman Andrew WilsonLamp will start opposite Woods, and junior transfer Marcis Floyd will start next to sophomore Aubrey Brooks at safety.

While the Panthers’ secondary will be prone to giving up chunk plays, they’re bringing back an experienced duo. Senior safety Erick Hallett has started the Panthers’ last 18 games, and junior Brandon Hill has got the start next to him in 15 of those contests. The duo leads a defensive backfield that led the ACC in interceptions last season.

A pair of seniors — AJ Woods and Marquis Williams — will get the start at corner, making it a very experienced group. Pitt gets the nod for those reasons.

Edge: Panthers

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August 31, 2022

14

City Services, pg. 5 because if a unit is taking a drunk kid to the hospital when they get another call, another unit from another district has to come in to take that call,” Atkinson said. “And they’re coming in from farther away, so it’s a longer response time. And then another unit may have to cover for that unit, so there’s a snowball effect.”

The Pitt Police and campus security respond to all 911 calls where authorities notify the University, and though city police, EMS and fire may assist, not all calls result in city services being used, a spokesperson for Pitt wrote in an email.

Campus police, residence life staff and security guards monitor and respond to incidents on campus, including at Towers.

“The University works with the city, Oakland residents, and local partners to support a safe environment, and is committed to the safety of the campus community,” the spokesperson said.

Equipment needs and budget constraints The fire and EMS bureaus in particular have grappled with equipment needs as the city tries to wrangle funds from its tax-exempt giants.

Both bureaus have aging emergency vehicle fleets, and as of February, the EMS bureau needed nine new ambulances for 2023, according to a report on city government commissioned by The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments*. The bureau typically receives three new ambulances a year, but none were ordered in 2021 or 2022 due to budget constraints.

“By not receiving any new [Advanced Life Support] units for two years and no adjunct vehicles, it increases the need and cost into the next year,” EMS Chief Ronald Romano wrote in an email to the report’s consultants. “Frontline fleet continues to age and increase in mileage, and the spare trucks age also, causing breakdowns and prolonged out-of-service time while switching.”

Fire Chief Darryl Jones said in late 2021 that five of the bureau’s frontline fleet of fire trucks are more than 11 years old, while the bureau prefers to have frontline trucks be 10 years old or newer.

Pittsburgh’s 2022 budget set aside funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to pay for two new pumper trucks for the fire bureau.

The city’s fire chief, EMS chief and public safety director all declined to be interviewed for this story. PublicSource asked the Department of Public Safety to allow firefighters at Station 14, near Pitt’s campus, to talk about the types of incidents they respond to at the Towers and the needs of their station, but instead the department provided a statement regarding how the fire and

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EMS bureaus respond to incidents at nonprofits.

“Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire and Pittsburgh EMS respond to all non-profits such as the University of Pittsburgh, as well as churches and other [tax-exempt] entities in the city in the same manner they respond to all emergencies — without hesitation — when called,” Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt wrote in the emailed statement.

Legit calls or unneeded ‘snowball effect?’

James, a Pitt student who previously lived in the Towers, said the city’s EMS team arrived quickly after the RA found the student vomiting and slurring her words last fall. They were on the scene for about 15 to 20 minutes, she said, and they asked the student questions and determined whether she needed to go to the hospital. In the end, the medical team decided the student did not need further medical attention and did not take her to the hospital.

While she believes the University needs to rely on emergency services to ensure the health and safety of its students, she thinks it’s only fair for Pitt to pay taxes for the emergency services that it uses from the city.

“They’re definitely aware that they’re going to need to use those resources, so I think they should be paying the taxes that contribute to keeping those resources available for them if they’re going to use them,” James said. “When you have as many students and staff as [Pitt] does, I think it’s fair to pay taxes.”

Kuppusamy does not consider it unfair for Pitt to avoid paying property taxes despite its use of city services, especially because the university operates its own police force and insurance companies reimburse EMS for transports. (The city receives about $13 million annually for EMS services, but spends double that amount to operate the bureau).

“As a Pitt student, I think that it’s fine,” Kuppusamy said. “I think that the level that we’re using the resources isn’t a lot, and we do have Pitt Police.”

The Pitt Police are the third-largest police force in the county, and officers often support city police off campus and serve as first responders to emergency calls in Oakland, the Pitt spokesperson said.

Students differ on whether their peers have overused city services.

Kuppusamy hasn’t seen students recklessly or needlessly bringing emergency services to the building.

Wilson, though, said he has seen the fire department and EMS respond to multiple incidents that did not appear to be emergencies.

He recalled that public safety personnel were called after a student forgot to add water to their microwaveable mac and cheese and said firefighters and the police showed up after he smelled smoke in the building and texted his RA. “I just remember, I was sitting there and studying and then realized it smelled like smoke so I was opening my window, but it didn’t seem

August 31, 2022

to be coming from outside and I was very confused,” Wilson said. “Later on, the firefighters, the cops, and I’m not sure about EMS, I remember they showed up and had to search the rooms.”

PILOTS or payments for services?

As students settle back into the towers, Pittsburgh’s fiscal watchdog is calling on Pitt and the city’s other major nonprofits to make greater financial contributions through payment-in-lieuof-taxes agreements, or PILOTs. If the five largest nonprofits entered a PILOT for 25% of their property tax liability, the city would receive an extra $8.6 million a year.

“Unfortunately, none of the ‘Big Five’ institutions have adequate PILOT agreements in place.

This is unacceptable,” Lamb said in the statement, calling out UPMC specifically but also referring to Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University and Highmark/Allegheny Health Network. “City residents should not be expected to bear the financial burden of city operations when the region’s largest employers pay next to nothing.”

In a May report, Lamb and former Acting County Controller Tracy Royston recommended that the city and county negotiate PILOTs based on the value of city services the nonprofits use.

Find the full story online at

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FOR RELEASE AUGUST 31, 2022

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Savory jelly made with meat stock 6 Focus of many HGTV shows 11 Animal that brays 14 Animal native to the 54-Down 15 Produce concern 16 Deep __ 17 Part of a DJ’s job description?

19 Gene messenger 20 Belt-maker’s tool 21 Pop-folk singer Williams 22 Celebrated 24 Some car deals 27 Gift to new parents 28 Part of a matchmaker’s job description?

31 “Look alive!”

32 Have a life 33 Snooty sort 37 Pitching stat 38 Sport for Amanda Nunes, briefly 41 Single, for one: Abbr.

43 “Hadestown” Tony nominee Noblezada 44 Pitching stat 46 “Christopher Robin” hopper 48 Portend 50 Part of an umpire’s job description?

54 “Mother of Democracy,” to Filipinos 57 Least possible 58 Tricky soccer moves 60 “__ Mubarak”: holiday greeting 61 L’eau land 64 “The Chronic” rapper, familiarly 65 Part of a squire’s job description?

68 Tuner’s asset 69 Elegance 70 One “She’s Gone” vocalist 71 __-Cat 72 Best Upset and Best Driver, e.g.

73 Pet __ DOWN 1 __-Seltzer 2 Boatload

August 31, 2022

8/31/22

By Hoang-Kim Vu

3 Redundantly named equipment for a rice-andseafood dish 4 Little troublemaker 5 Spice in many chai mixes 6 Edict 7 Fuel-saving mode in some cars 8 Plank target 9 Nouveau riche counterpart 10 On the up and up?

11 Griffith Park’s 4,210+ 12 Largest division of Islam 13 Condition 18 Slide (into) 23 Loch in hoax photos 25 Tolkien talking tree 26 Metro stop: Abbr.

28 “That was close!”

29 Greiner of “Shark Tank” 30 Org. to report tax fraud to 34 Discuss terms 35 Certain gamete 36 Austere

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

39 Neighborhood guy 40 Hunky-dory 42 Try to impress by association, say 45 Triathlon part 47 Switch position 49 Stumbling blocks?

51 Jittery 52 Actor who plays himself in “Always Be My Maybe”

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53 Boo-boo 54 Chilean range 55 Sacred text read during Tarawih 56 In __: not yet born 59 Put (on) hastily 62 Actor Schreiber 63 Besides 66 Needing salt, maybe 67 Actress Whitman

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