9-1-2016

The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | September 1, 2016 | Volume 107 | Issue 17

KAINE TO SPEAK IN PITTSBURGH Lauren Rosenblatt News Editor

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s running mate, will make a brief stop at Pittsburgh’s Labor Day parade on Monday.

Kaine will jet off to join Clinton in Cleveland later the same day.

The Labor Day parade starts at 10 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 5, and will run from the Greyhound Station at Liberty and Penn avenues to the United Steelworkers Building on the Boulevard of the Allies.

In recent years, Pittsburgh’s Labor Day parades have typically drawn high-profile Democrats. Vice President Joe Biden spoke last year and Gov. Tom Wolf, D-Pa., spoke at the parade in 2014.

Kaine’s visit also highlights PittsA food truck waits for customers on a rainy night near Schenley Park during Cinema in the Park, a weekly summer film series burgh’s position as a key campaign stop for both Republicans and Democrats this that showcased “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Wednesday night. John Hamilton STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER year. Both Clinton and her Republican opponent Donald Trump came to Pittsburgh for campaign events in Oakland in April.

Later in the summer, Trump returned for a stop at the Pittsburgh airport. And Brad Smertz mourning the death of one of their own — McK- tation; the city of Pittsburgh; Carnegie Mellon before Pennsylvania’s late April primary, For The Pitt News ees Rocks resident Dennis Flanagan was hit and University and Whitman, Requardt and Assoboth Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., and Gov. killed by a truck while biking on West Carson ciates organized the meeting Wednesday night John Kasich, R-Oh., also made stops in When Pitt adviser Susan Hicks was killed afnear CMU. The organizers outlined plans to add Pittsburgh during their campaigns.

Street Tuesday night. ter a car struck her bicycle while she was riding The accident — which happened the night safety buffers, replace traffic signals and install In a recent stop to Bethlehem, Pennhome from work on Forbes Avenue nearly 10 before a community meeting on roadway im- thicker pedestrian crossings. sylvania, Kaine talked about immigration, months ago, the Pittsburgh biking community The safety buffers, which are scheduled to Trump’s visit with the Mexican president provements — has refueled a yearlong push for gathered in her memory. and answered questions regarding financgo along Forbes Avenue between Craig and safer conditions for bikers in Pittsburgh.

Almost a year later, cyclists are once again The Pennsylvania Department of TransporSee Safety on page 2 es, health and foreign relations.

BIKE LANES COMING TO FORBES

News

The Pitt News

Safety, pg. 1

Editor-in-Chief ELIZABETH LEPRO editor@pittnews.com

Managing Editor DALE SHOEMAKER

manager@pittnews.com

News Editor LAUREN ROSENBLATT

Opinions Editor KIRSTEN WONG

newsdesk.tpn@gmail.com

tpnopinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor STEVE ROTSTEIN

Culture Editor BRADY LANGMANN

tpnsports@gmail.com

aeeditors@gmail.com

Visual Editor ELAINA ZACHOS

Layout Editor DANAH BIALORUSKI

pittnewsphoto@gmail.com

tpnlayout@gmail.com

Online Editor PETER LOREI

Copy Chief SIERRA SMITH

tpnonline@gmail.com

tpncopydesk@gmail.com

Emily Brindley | Assistant News Editor Alexandria Stryker | Assistant Copy Danni Zhou | Assistant News Editor Copy Staff Matt Moret | Assistant Opinions Editor Amanda Sobczak Matthew Maelli Ashwini Sivaganesh | Assistant Sports Editor Bridget Montgomery Michelle Reagle Jordan Mondell | Assistant Visual Editor Corey Foreman Sarah Choflet Emily Hower | Assistant Layout Editor Katie Krater Sydney Mengel Amanda Reed | Online Engagement Editor Kelsey Hunter

At a community meeting, PennDOT and other partners discussed improving Forbes Avenue for biker and pedestrian safety. Li Yi STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Margaret Morrison streets, are part of the Forbes in providing additional information about transiAvenue Betterment project, set to go into effect tions between areas with and without bike lanes.

According to Ralph Horgan, associate vice September 2017.

Although they said the plans seemed reason- president of Campus Design and Facility Manable, advocates for biker and pedestrian safety agement at CMU, the Forbes Avenue Betterwere not satisfied with what they called a lack of ment project originated with a grant-fueled study at CMU called Congestion Mitigation for Air details at the meeting.

As the organizers were outlining their plans Quality Improvement.

The goal of the study was to reduce pollution for the project, a representative from Pittsburgh Bike Share interrupted, saying he wanted two within a six traffic light span from Craig Street to specific things: clearly delineated bike lanes and Margaret Morrison Street, which hugs CMU’s a connected network of bike paths from the Bir- campus.

Months ago, Horgan learned that the mingham Bridge and Margaret Morrison Street.

That network would travel the length of Forbes PennDOT’s Forbes Avenue Betterment project, which stretches from the Birmingham Bridge Avenue.

Dan Cessna, District 11 executive of to Beeler Street, overlapped with CMU’s CMAQ PennDOT Engineering, said PennDOT will be project. With this in mind, Horgan decided to in continuous talks with the city of Pittsburgh reach out to PennDOT to collaborate on the as well as Port Authority over the next month to same initiatives.

“Our overall goal is to create complete streets. discuss the issue.

For Roy Weil, resident and avid cyclist of the This takes into account buses, cars, bikers and peOakland and Squirrel Hill areas, that answer was destrians themselves,” said Horgan.

The project is set to span from Forbes Avenue not enough. He said the representatives leading the meeting “did not have their ducks in a row,” See Safety on page 3

pittnews.com

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

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

Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any.

Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com.

The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left.

The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and

September 1, 2016

student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer.

Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Com mittee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

The editor in chief has the final authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor in chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

Business Manager CALVIN REIF

advertising@pittnews.com

Inside Sales Manager KAITLIN KRAMER

Digital Manager ISAAC PROCH Production Manager MAYA PUSKARIC

Graphic Designers

Account Executives

Matt Hyre Maya Puskaric

Steve Bretz Sean Hennessy Dave Barr

2

Safety, pg. 2 at the Birmingham Bridge to the intersection of Forbes Avenue at Beeler Street.

Project measures include replacing up to three traffic signals in between McKee and South Bouquet streets, installing bike lanes on each side of the road from Craig Street to Beeler Street and placing six new traffic signals from Craig Street to Margaret Morrison Street. The project will also implement thicker pedestrian crossings throughout the proposed footprint.

Not every cyclist at the meeting was disappointed. Scott Bricker, executive director of BikePGH and former Oakland resident, said he felt optimistic about the future of relations between Pittsburgh and its growing cycling community.

“People wanted to be heard,” he said. “Bikers and pedestrians alike asked a lot of great questions today ... we still have work to do.”

After the meeting, BikePGH rode the proposed Forbes Avenue Betterment project path to honor victims of car and bicycle accidents and to encourage PennDOT to stand by its statements.

“The ride today is inspired by the fatality on [West] Carson Street,” Bricker said. “PennDOT historically hasn’t listened ... we are here today to see that this changes.”

pittnews.com

BikePGH organized a ride along the proposed route of the Forbes Avenue Betterment project. Theo Schwarz Senior Staff Photographer

September 1, 2016

3

pittnews.com

September 1, 2016

4

Opinions

column

from the editorial board

Citizen Advisory Panel worthy of a vote Cities should listen to their citizens.

That idea is far from controversial — it’s how democratic governments function. What form the relationship between citizens and city officials should take is another question entirely, and Pittsburgh is currently struggling to define its answer.

Today, the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court will rule on a conflict between city officials and activist group OpenPittsburgh.org over an upcoming ballot referendum that would force public officials to directly speak with Pittsburghers.

The referendum in question — part of a larger city charter amendment intended to increase government transparency — would create a Citizens’ Advisory Panel able to call meetings with city representatives to publicly explain new legislation. The proposed CAP would provide adjustment recommendations based on concerns from its membership body.

CAP membership would be open, duefree, to all adult city residents. Members would vote on whether to request appearances from a city official, who would answer questions, take community concerns under advisement and walk those present though legislative language.

For instance, if a bill introducing new housing subsidies came through city council, the CAP could request a briefing from the bill’s author or a Housing Authority of the city of Pittsburgh representative on how it would affect real-estate prices.

Pittsburgh officials say the referendum would place an undue burden on the city government, forcing representatives to answer every small inquiry and grinding city operations to a halt. Meanwhile, supporters of the CAP claim the city is simply afraid of transparency.

Both arguments are likely hyperbolic. Despite the risk of some extra paperwork, the virtues of a CAP are worth a vote come November.

Still, effectively implementing such a plan requires acknowledgement that a city cannot function if its leaders are too busy sitting in community centers to actually do their jobs.

While the city presents a worst-case scenario that would prove incredibly detrimental to Pittsburgh, the likelihood of such an outcome has been overstated. Likewise, activist claims of government subversion ignore the city’s recent history of making information publicly available.

pittnews.com

“We support this effort in spirit, but not execution,” city spokesperson Tim McNulty said in an phone interview Tuesday. “[City officials] aren’t afraid of speaking with the public. We do that all the time. It’s the accompanying 35 pages of implementation that create a problem.”

McNulty pointed out that Pittsburgh has already made significant moves towards putting citizens in touch with their leaders. Within the last several years, the city has created programs such as the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center, which allows residents to search through troves of city data, and Beacon, which provides access to the city’s contracts. This is an entirely valid point that does speak to the city’s embrace of openness.

But these initiatives solved issues largely unrelated to the CAP’s goals. OpenPittsburgh.org wants citizens to have access to knowledgable, full explanations of complex legislative questions from the politicans creating laws so that people can directly express concerns. It hopes to get more people involved in promoting change.

That is an equally valid goal.

As OpenPittsburgh.org Chair David Tessitor said in a Tuesday interview, “Instead of having to go through a full election, we [would] have the opportunity for people to demonstrate their commitment to something as part of their regular lives.”

Neither side of this debate seems to be at war with the other — both appear interested in creating a more effective system for the government to work with constituents, which bodes well for Pittsburgh’s future.

What we need now is the type of compromise a CAP would hopefully yield.

McNulty acknowledges that communication between the city and OpenPittsburgh.org during the formation of this referendum has been limited. That dialogue needs to open up, and, if the CAP does come to fruition, parties involved must devise a scheduling system that minimizes strain on daily operations. There must also be a system for prioritizing some inquiries over others, because a pothole in the street does not require a full city investigation.

The fact is that 12,000 people signed petitions to create this referendum in the first place.

Clearly there is a demand among Pittsburghers to build relationships with those in power, and they deserve the opportunity to do so.

UBER’S SELF-DRIVING CARS LEAVE DRIVERS BEHIND Kirsten Wong Opinions Editor

Uber is about to become Pittsburgh’s next success story, but the drivers who made that success possible likely won’t be along for the ride.

Uber’s first foray into Pittsburgh was in 2014 when it opened the first Uber Advanced Technologies Center. The company has rolled out a number of initiatives since: on Aug. 18, Uber announced that it would be testing self-driving cars in downtown Pittsburgh for public use and recently, the company announced its goal to have at least 100 self-driving Volvos on the streets by 2017. The news has conjured a vision of a bright future where car accidents, drunk driving and speeding tickets are a thing of the past, and our burgeoning tech city has celebrated the announcement as an achievement. But we might be cheering blindly.

As hopeful and exciting as this may be for Pittsburgh, there is a significant piece of information missing from the story — what will happen to the drivers whose jobs these cars take?

Before Uber moves ahead with the transition to driverless cars, which will likely take years to implement companywide, it must consider the treatment of its employees and how these changes will affect their futures.

Uber has 1.5 million drivers globally and 600,000 drivers in the United States alone. Though many Uber drivers pick up the gig has a part time job, they will lose a significant source of income once they’re replaced. According to Uber officials, most Uber drivers spend an average of 30 hours a week on the road. As

September 1, 2016

Uber rushes to get its self-driving cars out on the streets, it has failed to fully acknowledge the impact it will have on its drivers.

CEO Travis Kalanick claimed the company will still need to employ human drivers for roads that autonomous cars can’t navigate. That means humans will only be necessary in specific conditions, which will surely increase competition among drivers in certain areas or on certain days — not exactly the shining future Kalanick proposes.

Before companies like Uber strive to implement this new technology, they must create a resolution that will support drivers — the foundation of their company — going forward. Uber should re-evaluate the practices that do not give workers a voice or stability. It should understand the effects its actions will have not only on drivers, but the whole economy. Strategies like Uber’s are slowly changing long term career stability into a series of gigs that primarily serve as hollow paychecks.

Because its employees are independent contractors, Uber isn’t obligated to offer job placement or a severance package to workers it replaces with robots.

Still, its financial resources are clearly targeted at growth instead of necessary self-improvement.

Uber has spent millions on expensive investments like the self-driving cars and on expanding its market. We may eventually hear about the wild successes of the self-driving project in Pittsburgh, but last week Uber’s second quarter result showed over $1.27 billion in losses in the first half of 2016.

See Wong on page 6

5

Wong, pg. 5 According to Uber’s head of finance, Gautam Gupta, the majority of the company’s losses were due to subsidies for the drivers. That means Uber has an incentive to get drivers out of the equation so it doesn’t lose profits.

It is easy to shrug our shoulders and say this replacement scheme was inevitable, but the trend of automation and disregard for workers’ protection is not sustainable.

Companies like Uber and Airbnb, which rely on part-time, temporary and contract workers to carry out their services, have catapulted the growth of a gig economy — a demand-based system that depends on contingent employment with few regulations.

In 2006, contingent and independent workers made up 30 percent of the U.S. workforce, a number projected to increase to 40 percent by 2020. This business model is intended to keep costs down and provide flexibility for workers, but independent contractors do not have nearly as many legal protections as long-term employees do — their sacrifices include overtime pay,

pittnews.com

Terry Tan ILLUSTRATOR minimum wage guarantees and benefits.

While some have embraced a sharing economy that allows workers to choose when and where they work at any given moment, a large portion of our workforce is suffering from a lack of security and benefits that a full-time job provides.

We must find a solution to address the changing landscape of labor and this everincreasing gig economy. Innovation and technology can do great things for our society, but we need to have a plan. Much like the coal and steel industry, we cannot move forward without helping those who

are left behind. Uber has carelessly treated its workers like commodities for long enough.

The freelance mentality allows companies to look at their workers as disposable labor and exempts them from any accountability when it comes to worker’s rights. By devaluing their work, we are devaluing their quality of life.

Uber should provide job-training resources for its workers who do not have other forms of employment, ensuring that they will find work elsewhere once the selfdriving cars hit the roads.

September 1, 2016

Additionally, Uber should provide income insurance and portable benefits that would allow workers to have a stable income and benefits regardless of the demand that usually determines their varying wage.

It might take years before self-driving cars actually hit the market, so the rideshare company has plenty of time to come up with solutions.

In the meantime, we should not be too quick to celebrate technological advances while ignoring those who are hurt by them.

6

Culture

A BRAVE NEW MAJOR

Terry Tan ILLUSTRATOR

Pitt’s literature department rebrands program to increase accessibility, flexibility | by Amanda Reed | Staff Writer Leading up to last school year’s “Year of the Humanities,” Pitt’s English literature major hadn’t changed much in the past two decades.

Compared to other English programs across the country — now emphasizing independent research and study abroad opportunities — literature majors had a standard course path, including a mix of introductory-level classes, capstones, historical period courses and several electives.

So during the 2014-2015 school year, Pitt’s English department surveyed then-graduating seniors on changes they wanted to see in the curriculum, including certain classes they wanted to take or what they were hoping to learn from the major overall, according to Hannah Johnson, co-director and lecturer in the department’s literature program. From there, Johnson and Amy Murray Twyning, a lecturer and faculty member, spearheaded a department-wide See Lit Department on page 8

A LIFE OF IMAGINATION: WILDER DIES AT 83 Oliver Jia

For The Pitt News As Gene Wilder, in his eponymous role as Willy Wonka in 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” leads a group of awestruck youngsters and parents into his chocolate factory for the first time, he sings, “There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination.”

Even in death, Wilder never settled for the mundane. Surrounded by his family and with his favorite song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” playing in the background, Wilder died Monday at 83 from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Though Wilder’s most celebrated roles spanned the ’60s and ’70s — whether it was Dr. Frankenstein in “Young Frankenstein,” Leo Bloom in “The Producers” or Wonka — laughs were almost always guaranteed when he was a part of anyone’s film.

Born into a Milwaukee-area Jewish family as Jerome Silberman, Wilder grew up acting in local theater productions, studying Shakespeare at Eng-

pittnews.com

land’s Bristol Old Vic Theater School and serving as an Army psychiatric aide when he moved to New York.

After his discharge in 1958, Wilder joined the Actors Studio, a prestigious group devoted to supporting and developing theater artists. There, he trained in method acting with Lee Strasberg, whose mastery of the style later inspired an entire method acting school in his name.

Partly due to his training in method acting, Wilder had a flexible approach to comedy, both physical and verbal, which earned him recognition as a performer who embraced extravagance instead of avoiding it.

In a well-known scene from “Blazing Saddles,” Cleavon Little, as Sheriff Bart, asks Wilder’s character his name. He answers, “Jim, but most people call me...Jim,” hesitating and staring — without blinking — at Little before delivering the second “Jim.” Director Edgar Wright likely had this scene in mind when he tweeted, following Wilder’s death, that he was “the master of the comedic pause,” while also being “funny doing something

& funny doing nothing.”

Wilder’s most recognizable character was the eccentric Wonka in Mel Stuart’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Unpredictable, irreverent and whimsical, Wilder’s performance made an impression on an entire generation of children and adults, and continues to introduce younger audiences to the actor today.

Wilder’s first lead part as accountant Leo Bloom in Brooks’ 1967 directorial debut “The Producers” introduced film-going audiences to Wilder’s energetic knack for hilarity, establishing him as one of the silver screen’s most acclaimed comics.

Not content to simply just act, See Obituary on page 8

September 1, 2016

TNS

7

redesign that Pitt announced last spring and fully implemented this fall.

The redesigned major features five concentrations, which focus on subjects such as media literacy, linguistics, science and environmentalism as they relate to literature, according to English Department Chair Don Bialostosky.

“I think the humanities are realizing how important it is to make the connection between the rich archive of texts we study and the world we live in now, “ Bialostosky said.

Through the new program, literature and non-major students can explore their interests while concentrating on a focused path of study. For instance, someone in the “Media and Technology” concentration can take classes like “Narrative and Technology,” “Science Fiction” and “Critical Games Studies” to fulfill their six elective requirements, but are able to explore topics taught traditionally, such as Shakespeare and British Literature. The wildly popular “Harry Potter” course, taught by Lori Campbell, advisor and faculty member in the English department, remains one of the elective options.

“In doing a lot of research in the past few years, the Literature Program Directors and the literature committee felt that some changes were needed to re-energize the program and to keep it in line with what students want to study,” said Campbell.

In the past few months, Pitt has worked

Obituary, pg. 7 Wilder took an active part in the creative process, famously improvising his “Willy Wonka” entrance and co-writing the “Young Frankenstein” script with director Mel Brooks, earning the duo an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1975.

Wilder’s friendship with Brooks proved to be one of the greatest partnerships in Hollywood.

Many of the roles and films Wilder associated with took on risqué subjects that would normally be considered too taboo for comedy at the time.

“Blazing Saddles,” another Brooks work, was an unrelenting satire on racism in the American Wild West, with many modern audiences citing it as something that could have never been made today due to its racial humor and epithets.

Even “The Producers” openly mocked Hitler and the Nazis through song. Despite being serious topics, Wilder understood that humor could expose ridiculous ideas for what they were and was never afraid of the material he was given.

Apart from his solo roles, Wilder became

pittnews.com

through a tumultuous relationship with its humanities programs. In March 2014, Provost Patricia Beeson accepted proposals to cut the graduate religious studies programs, and the German and classics graduate programs met similar fates shortly afterward.

But amid the cuts, Beeson announced in May 2015, that the 2015-2016 year would be dedicated to the humanities. At the time, Bialostosky said that the cuts made some think Pitt didn’t care about the humanities and the “Year of the Humanities” announcement was the University’s attempt to disprove that sentiment.

Now students can choose modernized concentrations based on courses already taught in the old major and faculty expertise.

For example, the literature department already has a popular certificate program in children’s literature, and many professors, including Troy Boone and Tyler Bickford, specialize in areas such as environmental literature and children’s literature, respectively.

Last spring, Boone’s senior seminar focused on the works of Joseph Conrad — specifically his travel writing — while Bickford’s “Children and Culture” analyzed topics such as youth consumer culture and child psychology.

Students who’ve already made progress with the old major have a choice to follow the old requirements, or choose a concentration from the redesigned major.

Find the full story online at

pittnews.com

known for multiple collaborations with Richard Pryor, starting with “Silver Streak” in 1976.

After his third wife, Gilda Radner, died in 1989, he only took a handful of roles, the most memorable being an Emmy Award-winning turn on the 2002-2003 season of “Will and Grace.” Despite having little presence in late20th and early-21st-century Hollywood, the status of Wilder’s best works as cinematic classics never diminished and only continued to grow with age.

Gene Wilder’s passing sparked mass tributes on social media similar to that of recently-deceased celebrities like David Bowie or Christopher Lee, who themselves were active until their deaths. For this to happen to an actor whose peak years were over two decades ago — especially one without a single modern film to his name — is truly a testament to the legacy Wilder created.

There is a scene in “Willy Wonka” where Wonka proclaims: “Time is precious. Never waste it.” Wilder certainly never wasted time and until his last days, he knew no other life than that of pure imagination.

The Pitt news crossword 9/1/16

Lit Department, pg. 7

September 1, 2016

8

Sports

MCDOWELL MOBS TO PITT FOR CONNER Dan Sostek

Senior Staff Writer Last fall, sports nutrition teacher Crystal Myers and the McDowell Mob — the student fan section at McDowell High School, which she heads — had everything lined up.

For the second year in a row, students from the Erie, Pennsylvania high school planned to trek to Heinz Field by the busload to support their former football star and current Panther dynamo, James Conner.

As they were getting ready to purchase their tickets, fate intervened.

Conner’s entire life was turned upside down — first by a torn MCL in the opening game of the year, which ended his season, and later by a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. As Conner later put it in a piece he penned for The Players’ Tribune, “I was invincible. And then, all of a sudden ... I wasn’t.”

Myers and McDowell didn’t get to “Mob To Pitt” last year like they had during Conner’s incredible sophomore season, when hundreds of them saw him rush for 85 yards and deliver two touchdowns in a win against Virginia Tech October 2014. They called off their planned ticket order. Conner never saw the field after week one.

But this Saturday, both Conner and the Mob are making a return to Heinz Field. The high schoolers are coming in droves to see their hometown star take the field against Villanova, marking a monumental leap over all of the obstacles he faced throughout the past year.

“After everything that he has been through — getting hurt, getting the cancer diagnosis and then fighting back — there’s no way we’re not going,” said Myers, who’s also an internship coordinator at McDowell. “We’re going to organize it, we’re going to try to make it bigger.”

It is indeed bigger, as the number of tickets Myers sold sits at 325. That’s about triple the total they sold for the initial “Mob To Pitt” event in 2014. Myers booked two buses of about 90 students and the remainder will

pittnews.com

The McDowell Mob — the fan student section at James Conner’s former high school — is bringing 325 students to Heinz Field for Pitt’s season opener. Courtesy of Crystal Meyers make the two-hour drive down to Pittsburgh’s North Shore for kickoff.

Conner, whom the Mob informed about the initiative when they bought the tickets, is ready to make his appearance.

“It’s really cool, especially with them being from my high school,” Conner said at a media availability Tuesday. “It’s good to have hometown support. I cherish that.”

Even though more people signed up, the challenges of organizing and distributing the tickets were much tougher this year, given the timing of the event. Selling tickets during school hours wouldn’t be possible for a game

so early in September, as Myers had to place the order for the tickets by Aug. 19 to ensure all the seats were together.

“It was easier to advertise and sell during the school year [last time],” Myers said. “But we needed to be there for his comeback, for his home opener. I felt it was really important that we were there.”

The student section heavily utilized Twitter to make up for the lack of face-to-face promotion. Everyone pre-order tickets in order to get an estimate of demand and pick them up at the school. Myers charged the face value of $10 and offered a seat on bus transportation

September 1, 2016

for an extra $15.

Among the biggest challenges was organizing where everyone was going to sit in section 520 at Heinz Field.

“When I was doing the seating chart, I felt like I was planning a wedding,” Myers said.

Members of McDowell’s “Gameday Crew,” such as senior Molly Grack, also helped Myers in terms of social media promotion and planning.

“I’m really amazed by the show out,” Grack said.

Find the full story online at

pittnews.com

9

FOOTBALL PREVIEW: YEAR OF THE TIGER Steve Rotstein Sports Editor

An Aug. 26 matchup between California and Hawaii in Sydney notwithstanding, the 2016 college football season begins in earnest today with a slate of 16 Football Bowl Subdivision games.

The Panthers’ season begins on Saturday and the team figures to be a contender once again in the ACC Coastal Division. With that in mind, here’s a quick breakdown of how the rest of the college football landscape will play out in 2016.

Atlantic Coast Conference The ACC Atlantic Division features two of the top four teams in the nation in Clemson and Florida State, while Pitt, Miami and No. 22 North Carolina will battle for first place in the Coastal Division. The Tar Heels are the favorite to repeat as Coastal Division champions, but any team that makes it out of the Coastal will be no match for either the Tigers or the Seminoles in the ACC Championship game.

Clemson is bound to be the best team in the conference with junior quarterback De-

shaun Watson, but will have to travel to Tallahassee, Florida, to take on Florida State in a must-see game Oct. 29. The hostile environment and Seminoles star tailback Dalvin Cook might be too much for Watson and the Tigers to overcome.

Championship prediction: Florida State o v e r N o r t h Carolina Big 12 Conference The Big 12 is the only Power Five conference without a conference championship game, although the conference is bringing the Big 12 Championship Game back starting in 2017. No. 23 Baylor and No. 21 Oklahoma State can’t be counted out, but this should really be a two-team race for the

top spot between No. 13 TCU and last year’s conference champion, No. 3 Oklahoma.

Similar to Clemson, Oklahoma has the clear-cut best quarterback in the conference in junior Baker Mayfield –– like Watson, a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2016. Mayfield led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff last season, but Wa t s o n and the Tigers blew them out, 3717. Expect Oklahoma to make a return trip to the playoff this year.

Championship prediction: Oklahoma Big Ten Conference The three strongest teams in the conference all hail from the Big Ten East Division — No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Michigan and No.

“Any team that makes it

out of the Coastal will be

no match for the Tigers or Seminoles”

12 Michigan State. All three teams finished last season ranked inside the top 12, and all three have a good chance to do so again. As close as their matchups were last year, they should be just as tight this season.

In the Big Ten West Division, No. 17 Iowa enters the season as the only ranked team and the odds-on favorite to meet either the Buckeyes, Wolverines or Spartans in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game. Whoever comes out of the East, though, will take home the conference championship and likely a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Championship prediction: Michigan over Wisconsin Pac-12 Conference No. 8 Stanford, No. 14 Washington and No. 24 Oregon figure to be the top three teams in the Pac-12 North Division, while a couple of Los Angeles rivals in No. 16 UCLA and No. 20 USC should be the class of the Pac-12 South Division.

Find the full story online at

pittnews.com

The Pitt News SuDoku 9/1/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

pittnews.com

September 1, 2016

10

I N D E X

Rentals & Sublet

Employment

• NORTH OAKLAND • SOUTH OAKLAND • SHADYSIDE • SQUIRREL HILL • SOUTHSIDE • NORTHSIDE • BLOOMFIELD • ROOMMATES • OTHER

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

2 BR, furnished, 2 people. Oakland Ave. $1270 ($635 per person), utilities included. Available August. Contact 412-848-9442.

3 bedroom apartment for rent on Atwood, and Dawson Street.

Call for more info 412-849-8694. Available now.

4 BR Home - Semple Street. Equipped Kitchen, Full Basement. Available immediately. Also renting for May and August 2017.

(412) 343-4289.

Apartments for rent.

Studio, $550 including all utilities. 1BR, $600 + electric. 2BR, $800 including all utilities. Wall-towall, fully equipped.

Immediate.

412-561-7964.

Atwood Street. Studio- $450/mo including all utilities. 1 Bedroom 550 plus electric. Wall to wall fully equipped. Imediate. (412)-561-7964.

Newly remodled unit ready for immediate move in. New floors, countertops. Has laundry and central Heat/AC. $700 Utilities included. Call 412-38-LEASE

pittnews.com

Classifieds

For Sale

Services

Announcements

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

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

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

Studios, $600 and up. 1BR-$700, 2BR/2BA-$1,600, 3BR/2BA-$1,8000.

Deluxe Penthouse, 2BR, 2BA, new kitchen, hardwood floors, fireplace, AC, deck, $2,000.

412-683-9300.

HOUSE Southside Flats. 3 BR, 2 1/2 BA, full bath in attic loft, courtyard, large equipped eat-inkitchen, DW, w/w carpeting, new furnace & air, plenty of parking, close transp. Walking distance to Southside shops. $1550/mo.

(412) 403-8518 2 bedroom. Completely renovated.

3701 Penn Avenue.

Washer/dryer/AC. Will sublet. Contact Sean 412-860-0719.

Point Breeze Apt. Building 0.4 Miles from Bakery Square, 1 BR 1 BA. $800 + elec. 6721 Thomas Blvd. 412-363-0252.

Smokers Wanted.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Alcohol and Smoking Research Laboratory is looking for people to participate in a threepart research project.

To participate, you must: -Currently smoke cigarettes.

-Be 18-55 years old, in good health, and speak fluent English.

-Be willing to fill out questionnaires, and to not smoke before 2 sessions. Earn $150 for completing this study.

For more information, call 412-624-8975.

Sacred Heart Elementary School, located in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, is seeking volunteer basketball coaches for the upcoming 2016-2017 basketball season.

Coaches are needed at both the varsity (7th & 8th grades) and junior varsity (5th & 6th grade) levels. For more information or if interested, please contact Amy Volpe at jaisvolpe@ gmail.com.

Come work where it's Oktoberfest everyday. NOW HIRING: All kitchen staff including Managers at Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh. Apply in person Monday through Friday

FLOWER SHOP Parttime help in Shadyside. alexseastendfloral.com. Work weekends and more.

Resume to alexsflowers@aol.com.

HELP WANTED Painting, yardwork, miscellaneous. Student preferred. Shadyside, Fox Chapel. Car Required. $12/hour.

412-963-9889. georgebsg@ cs.com.

MARKETING/NETWORKING: Gaming company seeking up to 10 motivated students to sign 3,000 players up for early testing on the world's FIRST EVER INTERACTIVE SPORTS APP. Marketing materials provided.

Earn up to $25/hr. plus bonus opportunities. This is a great and an easy opportunity for leaders of fraternities, groups, and teams.

Email requests to rchristoff010@gmail.com.

R A T E S

Insertions

1X

2X

3X

1-15 Words

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

16-30 Words

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline: Two business days prior by 3pm

We are currently seeking to hire two contract Admin Clerks/Officer and Sales Representative.

Cheap Fabrics Textiles Ltd required, some experience individual preferably the finance house,strong customer service, a team player, excellent customer service experience preferably. These candidates will be working in Account dept and will be interacting with client, staff and Managers. The work is part-time. send resume to. formostpees@hotmail.com.

OWN INSTEAD OF RENTING! House for sale, totally retored, perfect for student dormitory or faculty. 719 S. Aiken Ave., Shadyside. 5 blocks from Pitt. 3 BR, 2 BA, hardwood floors, kitchen with new appliances, fireplace in living room.

2 private parking spaces on site. Call 412-683-9300 or email arpprc@gmail. com for showing.

September 1, 2016

|

4X

5X

6X

Additional

$27.00

$30.20

$5.00

$29.10

$32.30

$5.40

Email: advertising@pittnews.com

|

Phone: 412.648.7978

Phlebotomy Training Center. www.justphlebotomy.org 2 evening classes weekly, 5 weeks + excellent Clinicals. Call 412-521-7334 Personal, professional masseuse needed. Long term position. 2X/week.

Washington County location. Call 724-223-0939 or 724-229-8868 any time.

ADOPT: Happily married well educated couple unable to have baby desires to adopt newborn.

Call Marisol & Steve 800-272-0519. Expenses paid.

PIONEER A LEGACY. Be part of a new beginning. Become a Pilam ReFounding Father. john.palasits@pilambdaphi.org

11

pittnews.com

September 1, 2016

12