9-6-2016

The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | September 6, 2016 | Volume 107 | Issue 19

Narduzzi silences team before PSU

Kaine and Biden speak at Labor Day Parade

Ashwini Sivaganesh Assistant Sports Editor

In the weeks leading up to Pitt football’s season opener against Villanova, head coach Pat Narduzzi didn’t want to talk about Penn State.

This week, he is talking but is adamant only his voice will be heard. He’s instructed his players and staff to remain totally silent ahead of Saturday’s rivalry game.

At Monday’s press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Narduzzi announced that there will be no media access to the players in the week leading up to the Panthers’ most anticipated matchup of the year. Only he will speak to the media during his weekly teleconference call at 12:10 p.m.

Wednesday and his final press briefing at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Traditionally, members of the media can request one-on-one interviews with players and attend Tuesday and Wednesday practices during a select half-hour window. None of that will happen this week, Narduzzi said.

“I’d like to be the only voice this week,” Narduzzi said at the press conference. “I’d like to eliminate all distractions, so we’re going to close off practice this week to the media. We aren’t going to have our players talk. We’ll have as many guys available after the game as you need Saturday, but this week See Blackout on page 9

see online for kaine/biden photo gallery Joe Biden and Tim Kaine spoke about equal pay and fair conditions for working class Americans at a Labor Day parade in downtown Pittsburgh on Monday. John Hamilton STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER the Labor Day Parade alongside Democratic nia AFL-CIO, began the speeches at 9 a.m.

Brad Smertz Monday at the intersection of Liberty Avenue vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine.

For The Pitt News As ‘70s music blared from a speaker and and 11th Street. Leo Gerard, international Vice President Joe Biden said he fell in love groups of people cooked out by their cars, president of United Steelworkers, spoke to the with Pittsburgh after he fell in love with Pitt.

Biden and Kaine spoke downtown about crowd of about 700 people about the power of During his senior year of high school, he the unfair economic burden working class labor and then introduced Tim Kaine, Hillary said, Pitt offered him a football scholarship, Americans and unions must bear and how the Clinton’s running mate, and Vice President sparking his affection for the University and Democratic Party could help the middle class. Joe Biden. the Steel City.

“For six years, Hillary Clinton did nothing Randi Weingarten, president of the Although he did not accept the offer, Biden American Federation of Teachers, and Rick came back to the city on Monday to speak at See Kaine on page 3 Bloomingdale, president of the Pennsylva-

News

new program teaches finance to first-years Alexis Carter

For The Pitt News Evelyn Zamora-Vargas came into college with an understanding of debit cards, interest and credit, but she was still missing some key ingredients for “financial literacy.”

Zamora-Vargas, a first-year student majoring in psychology and philosophy, said that even though she had an economics background from high school classes, GradReady — a new Pitt module to help teach first-year students how to manage their finances — helped her learn even more.

In terms of online banking, ZamoraVargas said she learned about internet security phishing and how to recognize sites that could steal her information.

“With my basic understanding of finances, the module taught me how to spot a legitimate website,” she said, .

Zamora-Vargas is part of the first class of Pitt students who are required to complete GradReady. The module, which first-year students had to complete before August 26, taught them about debt, student loans, credit and budgeting through digital videos, online

quizzes and interactive programs such as sample budgets and debt calculators.

According to John Fedele, a University spokesperson, the program is meant to advance educational excellence by promoting access and affordability for Pitt students, which is part of the first goal of The Plan for Pitt, the University’s overall strategic plan for academic years 2016-2020.

“By requiring financial literacy for incoming new students, Pitt is educating students as they begin their college career,” Fedele said. “This provides more time for students to make adjustments in their financial planning and spending.”

The module is meant to help students

practice budgeting while in college and to learn about future expenses so they are prepared when they graduate. Most of all, it is meant to show them different options for acquiring and repaying student loans.

According to Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation — the company that provides the GradReady program — nationwide final exam scores for the module showed, on average, a 68 percent improvement in financial literacy over performance on the precourse assessment.

Although the GradReady module is only required for first-year students, Student Affairs, the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid and the Office of Student Financials is

working to create a task force to expand the program for other students, according to Fedele.

For now, sophomores and upperclassmen can access financial literacy resources, such as information about credit reports and budgets, through the Student Payment Center.

GradReady, which takes about two hours to complete, is designed based on three paths — the “paying for college” path, the “money management” path and the “student loan repayment” path.

Find the full story online at

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Two men duct tape, rob Pitt students at gunpoint Emily Brindley

pletely wrapped in tape.

“He was like a mummy,” Foster said.

The intruders told the two roommates to Two unidentified men duct taped and be quiet before demanding money from them. robbed two Pitt students after holding them at They then duct taped Foster’s mouth and hands gunpoint in their South Oakland home early and threw them both in the shower in the baseMonday morning. ment bathroom.

According to Emily Schaffer, a Pittsburgh “When we were in the shower, I had to put police spokesperson, officers responded to a call my fingers through the tape so [my roommate] for a home invasion on the 3300 block of Niagacould even breathe,” Foster said. “I was just like, ra Street at 5:15 a.m. Monday.

‘You don’t need to do that to me,’ so they luckily Pitt senior Ryan Foster said he was sleeponly taped my mouth and my hands together.” ing in his basement bedroom when noises on After throwing Foster and his roommate in the first floor woke him up. Two men then enthe shower, the two men stole Foster’s phone, tered Foster’s room with a gun to the head of his wallet and some cash from his desk. The intrudroommate, also a Pitt senior, whose head they ers said they were going to ransack Foster’s room had already duct taped. and then go upstairs to wake up the rest of the Foster said his roommate’s head was comresidents of the house. Though Foster said they Assistant News Editor

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did ransack his room, they didn’t wake up his two other roommates, both Pitt seniors, who slept through the incident.

Schaffer said both intruders were black men wearing sweatshirts and ski masks. One of them also had dreadlocks, according to Foster.

Foster said he and his roommate waited in the shower for 10 to 15 minutes before deciding to check to see if the men were still there. When they looked out of the bathroom and didn’t see or hear anything, they ran up the stairs and out into the street to look for help. The students ran, still duct taped, to the Sunoco on Craft Avenue to call the police.

“Nobody would stop for me, either. It was crazy,” Foster said. “I had to run all the way to the Sunoco.”

When the police arrived, they woke up the

September 6, 2016

two other house residents and attempted to track Foster’s phone using the Find My iPhone app. Though the police did locate the phone, according to Foster, the intruders had thrown it off of a cliff.

In a similar robbery last September, an unidentified man broke into a Pitt student’s home on McKee Place, also wielding a gun and demanding money before forcing the student into his basement.

Because of the way the intruders demanded money from them, Foster said he wonders if they had meant to rob a different house.

“They were screaming, ‘Give me the money, give me the cash.’ I think they were looking for something that wasn’t here,” Foster said. “They might’ve had the wrong house.”

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Kaine, pg. 1 but help us,” Gerard said. “Tim Kaine shares these ideals.”

Kaine, currently a senator in Virginia, is originally from Minnesota. He started his political career in Virginia as a member of the city council in Richmond before becoming mayor of Richmond in 1998 and then governor of Virginia in 2005. Recently, he has made headlines for comparing Donald Trump’s insinuation that Russia should hack Clinton’s emails to the Watergate scandal.

In a recent stop to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Kaine talked about immigration, Trump’s visit with the Mexican president and answered questions regarding finances, health and foreign relations. On Monday, he focused on promoting the small business mentality as well as calling for equal pay for equal work and affordable college tuition.

“Affordable college, debt free college ... this is what drives the most skilled workforce on earth,” Kaine said.

After speaking at the Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade in the morning, Kaine joined running mate Hillary Clinton in Cleveland for a Labor Day rally. Meanwhile, Clinton’s

husband, former President Bill Clinton, appeared at Detroit’s Labor Day Parade.

Since the close of the Democratic National Convention in July, Clinton has maintained a solid lead over Republican nominee Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. A recent CBS/YouGov poll placed Clinton eight points ahead of Trump.

At the parade, the streets immediately surrounding the main stage were cluttered with union workers and their families, dressed in matching T-shirts to represent their respective organizations. Many groups gathered around their cars for cookouts and to play music before making their way through security and toward the main stage.

Mohamed Rahim, who was at the rally and has been a supporter of Kaine since he ran for governor of Virginia, said he believes the Democratic Party is committed to promoting the American labor force. Rahim, who lives downtown, said he’s not convinced Trump shares this commitment. Rahim agreed with Kaine’s statement that for Trump, “it’s about looking out for number one and walking over everybody else.”

“Democrats are looking to keep jobs in the country,” Rahim said. “Trump is not a politician — he’s a businessman.”

Kaine, in his speech, couldn’t have agreed more.

“With Hillary, you’re getting a ‘You’re Hired’ President. With Donald Trump, you’re getting a ‘You’re Fired’ President,” Kaine said.

“We will include labor in everything we do.”

Following Kaine’s speech, Vice President Joe Biden also called for affordable college — specifically free community college — and for fair pay to workers.

“It’s about the moms and dads, all across the country, whose pride is stripped from them ... when they can’t afford to buy the basic things,” Biden said, accenting his focus on the working American by setting a casual atmosphere and taking off his sport coat and sunglasses while he spoke.

Michael Tuite, a 40-year member of Steamfitters Local 449 — a labor union for workers who build and install piping systems — raised concerns over financial security for unionized workers.

“Unions have been destroyed by politicians all around the country,” Tuite said.

But Biden addressed that matter, beginning by recognizing that the United Steelworkers gave him his first endorsement when he was running for U.S. Senate as a representative of Delaware in 1973. He reminisced

upon a meeting with USW President I.W. Abel in which Abel told him he didn’t have a chance but endorsed him anyway. Biden ended up winning the race.

Biden then went on to note how past economic downfalls have been unfairly pinned on the economic repercussions of unionized labor.

“The reason why we got in trouble was the greed of Wall Street,” Biden told the crowd.

“They pinned it on you guys.”

Biden did not take a political side on the matter, as he faulted both Democrats and Republicans for the lack of advancement in the realm of unionized labor.

Gary Spindl, a Squirrel Hill resident, was pleased with the lack of political bias.

“I think it was honest and fair how he blamed both parties for union problems,” Spindl said.

Biden also mentioned that proactive unionized labor held economic benefits to all workers, unionized or not. He highlighted his belief in the working class with a word of encouragement for the American labor force.

“We never bend, we never break when we are confronted with crisis,” Biden said.

“It’s never been a good bet to bet against the American people.”

The Pitt News SuDoku 9/6/16 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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September 6, 2016

3

Opinions

column

from the editorial board

Narduzzi’s media blackout Stop Mislabeling is its own distraction scandinavians as socialists

Pitt vs. Penn State — arguably the biggest football event on Pitt’s 2016 calendar and the Panthers’ first game against the Nittany Lions since 2000 — is less than a week away.

Yet, head coach Pat Narduzzi hardly wants to talk about it. At a Monday press conference, Narduzzi announced that the media would not have access to players or team officials this week. Narduzzi himself will hold two press events — a conference call on Wednesday and a solo press conference on Thursday — but he’s closing all practices to reporters and not granting interviews with players.

This is the first time Narduzzi has instituted any kind of media blackout since coming to Pitt last year, but it has left us wondering: Why start now?

Given reporters follow normal protocol, there have been few conflicts between Pitt Athletics and members of the press. It makes players available when requested and generally does a good job keeping us updated about any major issues involving the team, which only makes this week’s policy more confusing.

In terms of significance, the Penn State game is more symbolic than anything. There’s no real controversy swelling around the upcoming game — at least on Pitt’s end — and Narduzzi flat out said the move was not based on a fear that strategies would leak. Media had normal levels of access in the run-up to Pitt’s first game of the season against Villanova, but the game garnering significantly more attention and an ESPN broadcast is somehow more sensitive than one with tangible consequences.

Let’s be honest: outside of personal profiles, many player interviews are essentially a bundle of talking points. That’s not a slight to the athletes themselves — they’ve simply been told what to say when interacting with the press.

This is something almost every member of the sports media realizes and doesn’t spend much energy fighting.

So what harm does it do for the media to

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pick up a few banal comments about how it “feels” to be playing against Penn State? Narduzzi said he’s putting a muzzle on his players because he doesn’t want them to be “distracted.”

Is there a Pitt player so mentally fragile that he can balance academics while playing a Division 1 sport but cannot spend three minutes talking about practice without suffering on the field?

Probably not.

Media outlets are the connection between fans and the helmeted men they invest so much time, passion and ticket money into.

Penn State has said it would make this week’s practices as well as eight players and an assistant coach available to the press, which is an expansion of its usual rules. Meanwhile, Pitt fans will have little to no insight into the mindsets of players — some of whom are brand new to the team and campus community altogether.

Realistically, the Panthers will do just fine without extra headlines ahead of the big game, and the “Hail to Pitt” chants will surely be as strong as ever come Saturday. The point is that our home team probably would have done equally well had Narduzzi made the entire roster available for interviews.

Without thoughts from the people actually involved, the story of Saturday’s Keystone Classic is incomplete. If we win, Pitt students should be able to reflect on the victory with pride. News coverage of the event will not be all people look back on, but it helps illustrate who the people running down the field really are. Sports is as much about myth as it is stats.

James Conner’s mind set about participating in such a big game is relevant to the people in the stands, because they’re who read through stories about his recovery from injuries and cancer only a few months ago. He’s rightfully seen as a hero by many of those watching, but those people have no rally call to circle around as Saturday approaches.

Good luck next weekend, Coach Narduzzi.

Hopefully this doesn’t distract you.

Jordan Drischler Columnist

Lost in the chants of “Make America great again!” and the “I’m with her” hashtags is a potentially more serious — and longer-lasting — effect of the 2016 presidential election: millennials’ acceptance of socialism.

This election season, Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders’ primary performance gave credence to socialism as a mainstream political and economic ideology, with much of his support coming from young voters.

According to a May 2016 poll by Gallup, 55 percent of millennials — the segment of the population born between 1980 and 2000 — have a favorable view of socialism.

But while millennials seem eager to jump on the socialism bandwagon, fewer are willing to agree with a technical definition of the term.

A 2014 report by the Reason Foundation stated that only 16 percent of millennials were able to accurately define socialism — which means the government has at least some form control of the economy.

An accepted definition of socialism is an economic and social system in which the community as a whole — rather than individuals — controls the means of production. This includes governmental control.

This inability to agree upon a technical definition has led to the spread of inaccuracies about both socialist and free market economics, perhaps none of which are cited as often as the supposed success of Scandinavian socialism.

Sanders himself invoked this line of reasoning in the first Democratic debate while defending his “democratic socialism,” arguing that Americans should look to countries like Denmark when developing economic policy.

There’s one small problem, though, when looking to these Nordic nations as an example

September 6, 2016

of socialism’s success: They’re not socialist. This has led to a muddled and dishonest discussion regarding the economic model as well as people justifying their support of a term based on a completely different system. People attempting to compare economic systems are instead comparing collections of inaccurate talking points.

In reality, the means of production in Scandinavian countries are controlled by the market and owned by private companies and individuals, not the government. So how did the myth of Scandinavian socialism come to be so popular? The answer is in a closer look at its history.

Take Sweden, for example. Once a poor country, its economy surged under a capitalist system from the early to mid-20th century. At this point, it enjoyed tax rates lower than the U.S. Then in the 1970s, Sweden doubled its tax burden, regulated its market and saw massive government intervention. It is this period encompassing the 70s and 80s that forever linked the term socialism with its economy. Incidentally, this period resulted in a decline in economic growth. The fourth-wealthiest country in 1970, by 1993 Sweden was fourteenth in this category.

Despite this, much of Sweden’s success during the previous decade still lingered into this period of government intervention. As a result, many credited this success to the increase in government programs.

Following overhauls once again in the early 90s and again with the election of the Moderate Party as the majority in 2006, Sweden returned to a free market economy. But some aspects, including universal health care and high tax rates, remained. These lingering effects of Sweden’s socialist era has led to individuals incorrectly labeling their current, largely free market economy as socialist.

A similar trend is in descriptions of other See Drischler on page 5

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Drischler, pg. 4

and he has used the Scandinavian countries to prove its efficacy while ignoring the many ways they deviate, sometimes dramatically, from what Sanders himself advocates.”

For example, the countries of Scandinavia have no governmentregulated minimum wage, a major component of the platform of those who wish to implement a form of socialism in the U.S. Scandinavian nations are also some of the most globalized countries in the world and have been described by The Economist as “stout free-traders.” This is in sharp contrast to the position of Bernie Sanders, who penned a New York Times op-ed this June stating, “Let’s be clear. The global economy is not working for the majority of people in our country and around the world.”

So be cautious when invoking other nations to support your proposals. You may be comparing apples to oranges while leaving those in need starved.

Raka Sarkar STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

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nations in the region, such as Norway and Denmark. In fact, so many people have invoked Denmark as a model for successful socialism, that Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen felt compelled to right the fiction.

“I know that some people in the U.S. associate the Nordic model with some sort of socialism. Therefore I would like to make one thing clear: Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy,” Rasmussen stated in a lecture at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government last October.

Furthermore, in its annual Index of Economic Freedom, the Heritage Foundation, in partnership with the Wall Street Journal, ranked Denmark as having the twelfth freest economy in the world -— just one place behind the United States.

This is not just an argument over technical nomenclature.

Incorrectly using socialism to describe the economic models of these

nations is dishonest and deceiving and has stifled what could be a productive debate about the role of government in the economy. Supporters in the United States claim they strive to implement the Nordic model of socialism and therefore promise the same results. But as their policy proposals are drastically different from the free market system of Sweden and the like, they are promising the same results from two different systems.

So if you’re a millennial caught up in the Sanders revolution and are looking to socialism to bring about the social harmony and economic success of Scandinavia, ask yourself if what you support is in line with the technical definition of socialism or if you instead support a model like that of Nordic nations. If it is the latter, be advised that you should be looking to the free market — not socialism — to encourage similar prosperity.

As Corey Iacono, a Thorpe Fellow with the Foundation for Economic Education, summarized, “Sanders has convinced a great deal of people that socialism is something that it is not,

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September 6, 2016

5

Culture

See online

Inside the mind of a Smash Bros. super fan

“It’s My Turn”

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Theo Schwarz SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Pitt rapper Josh Baldelomar dreams of past legends, future success Brady Langmann | Culture Editor Every rapper has an origin story — the first hiphop album they ever heard, why they started rhyming, how they made it big. Josh Baldelomar’s tale starts with a sheet of paper, A Tribe Called Quest jam and a girl named Molly.

A few years ago, Baldelomar, now a junior communications major at Pitt, was an awkward kid in a Miami middle school — the kind who said “I’m good, and you?” if you asked him the time. But he had just started writing lyrics and this girl was especially cute, so he thought, “how else to get this girl’s attention but to write her a rap?”

Riffing off A Tribe Called Quest’s mellow 1993 hit “Electric Relaxation,” Baldelomar did his best Q-Tip take, leading with “Honey, check it out, you got me mesmerized,” on the typed-out paper he handed to his crush.

“I don’t know if she read it and crumbled it up, or if she crumbled it up later,” Baldelomar said, “But all I know is that I do remember finding the sheet of paper in the trash can, and I was just, like, devastated.”

And thus, a rapper was born. Baldelomar — who moved to Mt. Lebanon before his junior year of high school — laughs when talking about the crush-gone-wrong now because there’s a chance he wouldn’t still be rhyming if not for Molly. After the rejection, he quickly learned that hip-hop could just as easily express other emotions, like frustration and anger. And unlike other genres, Baldelomar didn’t have to learn how to play an instrument to make music right away — all he needed was a beat and a rap.

Under the stage name Akono Miles, Baldelomar has released several singles, starred in Pittsburgh music blog A Beat A Day’s “Semple Sessions” video series and performed in local venues such as James Street Gastropub and the August Wilson Center. This semester, he’s looking for producers to work with so that he can release more original music.

Although he intends to support himself financially with his music post-grad, Baldelomar studies communications at Pitt because he’s always been interested in the philosophy behind media. He sees music as a form of communication, so his classes

September 6, 2016

inform his own work. When he’s not in school, Baldelomar supports himself by working at the University Bookstore.

Baldelomar most recent track, March’s “Scared Money, No Money,” received attention from national music blogs and has accumulated more than 1,200 listens on Soundcloud. The song — which samples Planet Giza’s bouncy, Latin-inspired instrumental “Funky Kompa” — opens with a skit performed in Spanish by Baldelomar’s mom and features his comments on capitalism, thoughts on his future and a call for more minority-run businesses.

Over trumpets and violins he raps, “I wanna see more black businesses // More presents on Christmases // More minorities with riches,” and later, “Ain’t tryin’ to be another statistic // work for some sadistic business.”

Baldelomar’s lyrics are usually direct in this way — often choosing plain speech over metaphor in his social commentary — but he doesn’t like to talk directly about the meaning of his words, explaining that he wants people to come to their own conclusions.

“I think [artists’] role is to reveal things about society within their art,” he said, “And to express themselves and their viewpoints and to let the people decipher, let the people share with each other, and let it inspire most of all.”

Although he won’t decipher the final product, Baldelomar’s will share how he gets there. Without a producer, he searches for instrumentals he likes — one “Semple Session” even had him freestyling to a guitar-only version of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.”

Once he finds the perfect beat, he moves on to melodies, then the lyrics.

“I always think melody is like the animalistic side of me, where it’s like, ‘That’s how I feel,’” Baldelomar said. “Lyrics, it’s the sophisticated side, like, ‘Now, how can I really flesh out this feeling?’”

With “Scared Money, No Money,” Baldelomar said that he aimed for a more modern sound musically, combined with inspiration he took from the flow and fast pacing of Young Thug, an artist known for his experimental delivery and memorable hooks. There’s also some of his Miami upSee Miles on page 8

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The Pitt News

Folk Fest dishes culture, cuisine in Schenley

Participants gather in Schenley Plaza for the 60th Pittsburgh Folk Festival.

Heather Parrish STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Saturday and Sunday’s Folk Festival saw Annabelle Hanflig and Salina thousands cross Forbes Avenue and BigPressimone elow Boulevard to enjoy international food, The Pitt News Staff music and vendors from more than 30 PittsWhen Dalel Khalil, a Pitt alum and Syrburgh-based cultural organizations such as ian-American, visited Pittsburgh’s annual the Organization of Chinese Americans, the Folk Festival five years ago, she noticed a Scandinavian Society, the Japan-America lack of Syrian representation.

Society of Pennsylvania, and the CarpathoSo, she decided to set up her own culture Rusyn Society of Pennsylvania. and cuisine booth.

From the varied artistic performances to A lifetime Oakland resident, Khalil grew the myriad of delicious foods ranging from up on Atwood Street and helped her family vegetable spring rolls, to curry chicken, to act as the “Ellis Island for all of the Syrian meat and vegetable empanadas, the event community” that has come to Pittsburgh celebrated its 60th anniversary with unity, since the 1960s and 70s, she said. Now, she cultural appreciation and strong attendance continues that tradition partly through the of more than 1,000 guests per day. annual Folk Festival.

One of the festival’s most popular at“We have grown up [in Oakland] with tractions was the food tent, where one this multicultural community. Pittsburgh is could walk in and immediately smell Syrian based and built on that. When I was growfalafels cooking, the Lebanese stuffed grape ing up ... it was a very ethnic neighborhood leaves simmering and the sauerkraut and mixed in with the students,” Khalil said. spaetzle being dished out in the German “We thought this would be a great opporbooth. People soon started dropping out of tunity to show Pittsburghers how beautiful other lines and into the crowd of those waitour culture is, and we are that foundation ing for the variety of dishes being served in this city.” under the massive carnival tent.

Often used for tanning on sunny days, Schenley Plaza transformed into a vibrant Find the full story online at representation this weekend of the international communities residing in Pittsburgh neighborhoods from Oakland to East Hills.

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Miles, pg. 6 bringing in the salsa sound — Baldelomar grew up listening to traditional Mexican ranch music, his grandparents’ favorite.

If anyone understands Baldelomar’s outlook and inspirations, it’s Marcus Albert, who’s collaborated with him ever since the two took an SAT prep course together and would freestyle after class. Albert, a junior at Point Park University who works under the stage name Marcus Salvatore, said much of Baldelomar’s current success is due to his remarkable knowledge of music history.

“He has a good understanding of just the

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roots of the music that he’s making, like the whole atmosphere of the scene,” Albert said. “So he understands how to write and make music that’s true to himself and at the same time capture what the genre is at its core.”

You might expect Baldelomar’s favorite musical periods to start with hip-hop’s rise in the 90s and finish with current chart-toppers. But aside from A Tribe Called Quest, N.W.A, Mos Def, Young Thug and Kanye West, Baldelomar doesn’t often cite too many contemporary names as his influences.

During a recent trip to Squirrel Hill’s Jerry’s Records — which holds a seemingly endless vinyl inventory with everything from Patti Labelle to 50

Cent — Baldelomar beelined straight to the jazz section to rave about a relatively obscure, 70s-era jazz fusion group called Weather Report.

Whenever Baldelomar saw a record he’d learned something from, he’d hold it up and explain what he took from it. He found a worn-looking copy of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and wondered how a dance floor-ready pop hit like “Billie Jean” could be about a paternity struggle.

Later, he talked about Prince’s “1999” similarly and how the late artist recorded it when many thought 1999 would be the apocalypse, basically saying, according to Baldelomar, “We’re gonna die, let’s party. There’s no point not to.”

September 6, 2016

That’s why humor figures so heavily in Baldelomar’s freestyles. It’s a way, he said, to “look at things that are very dark and messed up in a way where you can confront it.” Baldelomar smiles and dances when improvising, joking about everything from sumo wrestlers to Minute Maid juice.

Baldelomar even keeps the comedy in his live shows, according to Alex Oraschewsky, a recent Pitt graduate who founded A Beat A Day, the music blog behind “Semple Sessions.”

Over the summer, A Beat A Day hosted a show at Northside’s James Street Gastropub in support of CHS Food Pantry, featuring Baldelomar, Albert and several other musicians the blog collaborates with. Oraschewsky chose Baldelomar to open the show — he’s always the leadoff man because his energy hooks the audience early on.

“As soon as ‘Scared Money’ came on, he drew the crowd in,” Oraschewsky said. “Like he has a really special gift with that kind of thing. It’s almost like he’s making fun of himself or [joking] up there.

And people just really like what he does on stage — they really feel his vibe.”

In front of about 35 people, Baldelomar danced and bantered with the crowd throughout his set.

With his backpack on and his light attitude, Oraschewsky thought Baldelomar looked like “some guy you would see in the audience just like hanging out.”

“He just draws people in to make them feel like they’re part of his show,” Oraschewsky said. “It’s not even like a show in general — it’s his show when he’s on stage. It’s a very mature thing to see from somebody who’s only 20 years old.”

As for Baldelomar’s stage name? He looked for a moniker around 16, when Kanye West was his biggest inspiration. Baldelomar looked up the etymology of West’s name, saw somewhere it meant “The One” in Swahili and told himself he needed a dope name like Kanye.

When Googling names, he stumbled upon “Akono,” which means “This is my turn” in the Yoruba language, which is spoken in Nigeria and Benin. He was also a few albums into a Miles Davis’ discography, so he paired the two names together.

He considered changing it as recently as three weeks ago but then traced his birth name back to the Biblical figure who led the Israelites after Moses died. Baldelomar decided to keep Akono Miles going forward into a career that he hopes will be able to capture the period, the world, music and himself was in with every record.

“There was already a Joshua, and I’m named after someone who already did great things? No,” Baldelomar said. “And so I kept Akono for that reason because I felt like no — this is my life, I can make whatever identity I want. And I’m sticking with Akono.”

8

Sports

See online

For full coverage of Pitt-Penn State Saturday

Blackout, pg. 1 we’re going to stay locked in and have no distractions.”

Narduzzi’s approach differs starkly from his opponent’s. Penn State has already said it will be allowing more access to players and coaches this week, including an assistant coach and eight players.

At the time of the press conference, the players were not notified of their coach’s decision, but Narduzzi said it would be mentioned at the start of Tuesday’s practice. This is the first time Narduzzi has blocked media access since becoming head coach last year.

Narduzzi stated that this decision will help the players focus on the game and has nothing to do with them creating bulletin board material.

“Every minute [of preparation] is important, and that’s an attitude for our football team right now to be able to do that,” said Narduzzi.

Despite the uncharacteristic silence, Narduzzi was willing to talk about the team’s performance against Villanova Saturday as well as how the team is preparing for Penn State this weekend.

Pat Narduzzi isn’t letting players talk to the media ahead of this week’s game The main concern from last week was not a Jeff Ahearn SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

lack of focus but execution. Even with the return of running back James Conner, the team was unable to run the football aggressively enough, Narduzzi said.

“They packed a lot of guys in the box. We don’t really care if you pack them in the box — we still want to be able to run the ball against you,” Narduzzi said. “It’s just a matter of execution.”

The defense was largely able to keep Villanova from scoring, but this week, the Panthers will face a much tougher challenge with the up-tempo offense of Penn State. One such challenge will include stopping powerhouse Saquon Barkley — possibly the best tailback in the country, according to Narduzzi.

Regardless of whether sophomore defensive end Dewayne Hendrix –– who was carted off the field with an apparent foot injury in Saturday’s opener –– takes the field this week or is replaced by junior Rori Blair, Penn State will challenge Pitt on both fronts.

“I know everybody in the country is going to be watching. There is going to be a lot of eyes on the city of Pittsburgh and the state of Pennsylvania. That is what makes it different,” Narduzzi said.

Vidovich earns first win as panthers head coach

Ted Zhang

Staff Writer It took three games, but Jay Vidovich, the former NSCAA National Coach of the Year, earned his first win as head coach of the Pitt men’s soccer team Sunday night.

Following a disappointing loss to Temple Friday, the Panthers (1-1-1) bounced back Sunday with a 4-1 domination against the St. Joseph’s Hawks (0-3-0) at Sweeney Field in Philadelphia for their first win of the 2016 season.

Vidovich entered his first year at Pitt sporting one of the most respected pedigrees in college soccer. In 2007, he led Wake Forest to its first national championship in school history and was a five-time ACC Coach of the Year.

His tenure at Pitt got off to a bit of a slow start in a scoreless draw against Detroit, then the Panthers nearly knocked off Temple on the road

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before faltering, 2-1, late in the second half.

This time, Pitt took control of the game right away and put together its most complete performance yet.

“It was progress and an overall better collective effort,” Vidovich said in a press release after the game. “We were more committed to defending tonight. Our transitions and movement off of each other paid off with several quality attacking movements.”

The Panthers were on the attack from the start with three shots on goal in the first three minutes. The final shot by junior midfielder Raj Kahlon found its way to the back of the net with an assist by junior forward Roosevelt Angulo.

St. Joseph’s could not maintain possession for long before Pitt intercepted a pass at midfield, leading to a dribbled-in shot in the penalty area by freshman midfielder Luca Mellor. Mellor put it past Hawks goalkeeper Greg O’Connell to

give Pitt a 2-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game.

After a shaky start, St. Joseph’s seemed to regain some ground in the 12th minute. The Hawks earned their first corner kick attempt, delivered by junior Matt Crawford, but were unable to score.

For the next 15 minutes, Pitt controlled the ball and unleashed an onslaught of shots at O’Connell, but none were able to slide through.

St. Joseph’s found an opportunity to shift the momentum in the middle of the first half by advancing the ball and drawing a free kick just outside the penalty box. Crawford took the free kick but sent the ball too high of the net.

After the free kick, neither team was able to maintain much of an offensive attack, as the majority of the exchanges occurred in the midfield.

Then, in the 42nd minute, Mellor blasted a ball from 20 yards out into the low right corner of

September 6, 2016

the net to extend Pitt’s advantage to 3-0 going into halftime.

The Hawks came out into the second half with a sense of urgency, controlling the majority of the possession. They opened with a header and earned two back-to-back corner kicks but couldn’t make use of those opportunities.

Pitt’s final goal came at the 69th minute after O’Connell blocked a shot on goal by freshman forward Josh Coan. The rebound went right toward senior midfielder Matt Venanzi who put it past O’Connell and put the game out of reach.

St. Joseph’s responded with a goal in the 90th minute to prevent a shutout by the Panthers, but Pitt went on to win by a score of 4-1.

The Panthers will head home to host the Louisville Cardinals at Ambrose Urbanic Field 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9.

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Grigsby makes Rams’ final roster Steve Rotstein Sports Editor

Former Pitt linebacker Nicholas Grigsby survived the last round of NFL preseason roster cuts Saturday, officially making the Los Angeles Rams’ 53-man roster entering the 2016-2017 season.

Grigsby joins former Panthers wide receiver Tyler Boyd of the Cincinnati Bengals as the second player from Pitt’s 2015 team to make an NFL team’s roster. Grigsby’s achievement was especially unlikely given he signed on with the Rams as an undrafted free agent.

A native of Trotwood, Ohio, Grigsby appeared in 50 games for the Panthers from 2012 to 2015. After redshirting his first year, he spent three seasons as a reserve linebacker before starting all 13 games during the 2015 season.

Grigsby racked up 66 tackles along with 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups during his senior season. He finished his career with 144 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

Other former Pitt players didn’t fare as well on Saturday. The Cleveland Browns released former Pitt tight end J.P. Holtz, the Miami Dolphins released former Pitt cornerback Lafayette Pitts and the Pittsburgh Steelers released former Pitt safety Ray Vinopal on the final day of roster cuts.

According to ESPN, 13 other former Pitt players are currently listed on NFL rosters and practice squads.

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volleyball goes unbeaten at ucsb classic David Leftwich Staff Writer

It was home sweet home for Pitt volleyball head coach Dan Fisher last weekend at the UCSB Thunderdome Classic in Santa Barbara, California.

Playing in Fisher’s hometown, the Panthers (5-1) proved they can not only finish matches but come from behind to win. Pitt went undefeated in three matches over the weekend against No. 25 Colorado State, California State University, Bakersfield and the host school, University of California, Santa Barbara.

And after the successful weekend, the Panthers are beginning to receive more national attention.

Pitt received six votes in Monday’s AVCA Division I coaches’ poll, tying with UCLA for the No. 40 spot in the country. The Panthers matched their 5-1 start from a season ago when they finished the year 23-9 and just missed out on a berth in the NCAA tournament.

In the first match of the Thunderdome Classic, Pitt squared off against Colorado State, the No. 25 team in the country.

The Panthers appeared flustered to start the match against their nationally ranked opponent and got blown out in the first set 25-12. Pitt couldn’t stop the Rams’ offense, which was successful on 16 out of 18 kill attempts, while the Panthers converted only six out of 23.

Pitt found its offense in the next two sets with 16 and 15 kills apiece.

The Panthers won the second set by a score of 25-18 and the third by a score of 25-22 to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Colorado State rebounded, taking the fourth set by a score of 25-22 to push the match to a decisive fifth set.

In the fifth and final set, the first team to 15 points would be the winner.

Colorado State jumped out to an early 4-1 lead. After a timeout by Fisher, Pitt worked its way back into the set only to lose two straight points, falling into an 11-8 deficit.

Not happy with what he saw taking place on the court, Fisher called another timeout.

After the break, the Panthers won seven straight points to win the final set 15-11 and the match 3-2. The comeback clinched a resumébuilding win early in the season as well as the 1000th win in program history.

“We were really Dan Fisher and Jenna Potts pictured during Media Day. Theo Schwarz SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER pleased with the heart we showed today,” are an emotional team and pushed us to the Fisher said in a press release. “It was nice to get limit. It was a nice win.” the win against a really good team. It was a speAfter a modest offensive output in the first cial moment for our group.” two matches of the tournament, Pitt made some The second match was sloppy all around, progress in its last match of the tournament but Pitt managed to pull out a 3-0 sweep against against UCSB. CSU Bakersfield.

UCSB had its strongest set of the match in The Panthers took the first two sets by scores the first and offensively dominated the Panthers of 25-20 and 25-21 then used that momentum to take the set 25-19. to blow out the Roadrunners 25-15 in the third set without ever relinquishing the lead.

Find the full story online at “For a younger team, it’s a big challenge to come back after the win we had in the morning and to refocus,” Fisher said in the release. “They

September 6, 2016

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10

I N D E X

Rentals & Sublet

Employment

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

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

3 BR, 2 BA, Dawson Street. Newly renovated, dishwasher, washer/dryer, large backyard. Available now. $1000 + electric. Contact (412)915-0856.

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

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Newly remodled unit ready for immediate move in. New floors, countertops. Has laundry and central Heat/AC. $700 Utilities included. Call 412-38-LEASE Studios, $600 and up. 1BR-$700, 2BR/2BA-$1,600, 3BR/2BA-$1,8000.

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Services

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

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.

Bigham Tavern is now hiring!

Servers, Barbacks, Hosts, Cooks Voted “Best Bar” in Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Magazine.

Apply in person or send resume to info@bighamtavern.com.

321 Bigham Street, Mt. Washington

Classifieds

For Sale

College or graduate school students needed to work with elementary school children in a fun, structured after school program in the South Hills. $11.50-$13.50 per hour, flexible hours, must have own transportation. Email resume or letter of interest to jhroberts66@comcast.net 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.

Spherical Land Solutions, LLC is seeking career driven employees. Wages ranging $12-20/hr. Full time or part time availability. Outdoor work available all year round. Background checks, EOE, DL. Call (412)-596-8595.

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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.

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.

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Deadline: Two business days prior by 3pm

Pittsburgh's Grand Hall at the Priory located on the North Shore offers a breathtaking space for weddings and corporate events. Our venue has been honored with winner of Best Banquet Facility with Pittsburgh Magazine & winner of Best Weddings with The Knot.

We are currently seeking part time banquet servers to work evening and weekend events. Qualified candidates should have experience in the food and beverage industry, present a polished appearance, and have a great personality.

Compensation for this position will start at $10 per hour plus gratuity based on experience.

Interested candidates should submit their resumes to Courtney Burns at courtney @thepriory.com.

Please no phone calls.

September 6, 2016

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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.

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September 6, 2016

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