The Pitt News
The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | september 22, 2017 | Volume 108 | Issue 30
STUDENTS SKATE THROUGH SCHOOL STREETS Pitt grocery to replace 7-Eleven Rachel Glasser News Editor
he goes out for fun. “I was always late to class, and I didn’t want to be late anymore,” Benjamin said. “By longboarding, I can leave my house a little bit later, and still make it to my bus on time.” For Benjamin, longboarding beats any other way of getting around campus and the city. “I didn’t really have a bike on campus, and as long as it wasn’t raining or snowing, longboarding is the best way to enjoy the day,” Benjamin said. “I hate walking.”
A Pitt-owned grocery store will move into the 7-Eleven space on Forbes Avenue, University spokesperson Joe Miksch said Thursday. After confirmation from Miksch, The Pitt News reported Wednesday that 7-Eleven will close to make room for Pitt’s Oakland Bakery. He later said Thursday that the 7-Eleven isn’t being turned into just a bakery. “It will be a grocery store with a bakery section,” he said. “This is being done since the IGA closed and our students don’t have a convenient place to shop for groceries.” The University made the decision to replace 7-Eleven with a grocery store in early spring, according to Jim Earle, Pitt’s vice chancellor for business. Pitt is aiming to open the store during the spring term, but it could open as late as summer 2018. “It felt like an ideal space for a grocery store — like it would be a real convenience for students,” Earle said. 7-Eleven — whose contract with the University allows for termination with a minimum of six months notice — was notified of the decision before May. The agreement with Pitt property management specified that 7-Eleven would vacate the space by Oct. 17, although 7-Eleven owner Don Young said the store will close Sept 29. The new establishment “truly will be a
See Skateboarding on page 2
See 7-Eleven on page 2
Robert Benjamin, a Pitt biology graduate, still rides his longboard around Oakland. Wenhao Wu ASSISTANT VISUAL EDITOR
Ellie Yoon Staff Writer Some Pitt students trek to their classes on foot. Many more bike or pray the bus comes on time. But a handful can sometimes be seen rolling down Forbes or Fifth avenues with a textbookfilled backpack sagging and a skateboard or longboard beneath their feet. Robert Benjamin, who graduated from Pitt last year with a degree in biology, enjoys both skateboarding and longboarding. Though he
lives in Highland Park, he usually rides his longboard around Oakland and at a skate park in Penn Hills. “My parents bought me some boards as gifts and they were always in my basement,” Benjamin said. “I decided to teach myself one summer day. I didn’t get passionate about it until I came to Pitt and found the longboarding community.” Now Benjamin skateboards as a mode of transportation — estimating he spends eight hours per week on his board to and from classes, and even longer if