The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh
SGB takes next step to eliminate plastic bags on campus pg. 2
September 9, 2015 | Issue 18 | Volume 106
PITT MAKES GENDER STUDIES MAJOR OFFICIAL
PITT PERFECT After a week of auditions, only a few lucky singers out of the hundreds of auditioners made the cut for Pitt’s a cappella groups.
Lauren Rosenblatt and Dale Shoemaker The Pitt News Staff
A member of a cappella group Pitches and Tones looks over sheet music during an audition. | Meghan Sunners | Senior Staff Photographer
Allison Bradley For the Pitt News
Robert Browne Gartei burst through the fifth floor doors of the William Pitt Union looking more nervous than excited. This was Browne Gartei’s second time in three years trying out for a Pitt a cappella group. He clutched his head and jumped up and down as he exited his Pitches and Tones tryout. Browne Gartei had previously tried out two years ago but didn’t make it — and now, as a senior, he wanted to take advantage of his last chance to be a part of the musical community at Pitt. Although Browne Gartei expressed his emotions loudly, the rest of the fifth floor was quiet. Students — both veterans and aspiring members — chatpittnews.com
ted and filled out application forms for a cappella groups. Some students appeared confident and relaxed, while others were visibly nervous. One by one, each hopeful was called into a private room for their chance. Walking through the halls with uncertain steps, the potential newbies went from room to room, trying out for one group at a time. From Aug. 31 through Sept. 3, Browne Gartei and between 150 and 200 other students, not including walk-ins, signed up for a five to 10 minute tryout for one of about 20 spots in each of Pitt’s six co-ed a cappella groups. A cappella is a type of singing — recently popularized by “Pitch Perfect” in 2012 — in which people arrange songs to be performed
using only their voices. Aside from Pitt’s co-ed groups, there is also one male-only group and one female-only ensemble. Browne Gartei said he was going to try out for every group he could. “I have a passion for singing, and I can’t ever give it up,” Browne Gartei said. “Every time I see a performance, it makes me want to try out again, even though I know I’m going up against better competition.” This year, Browne Gartei hoped his auditions would go better than they had in the past. He sang John Legend’s “All of Me” for his solo performance confidently, but afterward, said his falsetto fell flat. He adjusted his tape-covered glasses while lamenting over his See A cappella on page 2
Mastering topics including sexuality, gender identity and Hillary Clinton can now earn you a major at Pitt. While the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences has always offered a gender, sexuality and women’s studies certificate, as of June 16, this will be the first semester it will be expanded into a major. Frayda Cohen, senior lecturer and undergraduate advisor in the GSWS program, said she has been working toward developing the major since she began teaching in the program in 2007. The increased interest in classes over the past eight years has made the major possible, she said. Todd Reeser, a French and GSWS professor, credits the creation of the major to the increased visibility of gender and sexuality issues and the idea that gender and sexuality now qualify as a discipline of their own, rather than as a part of other disciplines. “[Students] want to make intellectual sense of what’s going on in the world,” Reeser said. “Part of my job as a professor is to help students acquire a language and the concepts behind that language to talk about gender in smart and sophisticated ways.” As of now, there are eight professors teaching courses and 85 adjunct faculty See Gender on page 4
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