9-25-17

The Pitt News

The independent student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | september 25, 2017 | Volume 108 | Issue 31

Pitt celebrates late professor’s life and work

FALL FEST FIRES UP BIGELOW

Lauren Forsythe For The Pitt News

Students studying on the ground floor of Hillman Library Saturday afternoon may have been a bit surprised to hear African drumming, poetry readings and the sounds of stamping feet and clapping hands coming from the Digital Scholarship Commons room.

All this performing was in honor of Robert Johnson, a Pittsburgh-based artist and former Pitt Africana Studies faculty member who died in 1986. The event — attended by about 120 of Johnson’s family, friends, colleagues, students and members of Hillman’s library staff — also celebrated the addition of the Bob Johnson Papers — a collection of documents relating to Johnson’s work at the university and outside of it — to Pitt’s special archives collection.

Bob Johnson was a Brooklyn-born dancer, choreographer, actor and director whose career and life’s work were based in Pittsburgh. Johnson founded the Pittsburgh Black Theatre Dance Ensemble and taught in the Africana studies department at Pitt from its early years in the 1970s until his death in 1986.

Johnson also toured nationally and internationally as a dancer with Sun Ra and his Arkestra.

Desiigner waited until the end of his set to perform his most popular single, “Panda,” at Pitt Program Council’s Fall Fest Saturday. Thomas Yang | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Joanna Li and Sarah Connor For The Pitt News

Large, green and decorated with white trim and orange circular designs, a Chinese dragon sat in the middle of the William Pitt Union on Saturday.

One student held up the dragon’s head while another took the rear. The dragon danced to a quick drum beat, sidling up to See Johnson on page 4 the student spectators and kick-starting the

day-long Fall Fest.

Pitt Program Council’s Fall Fest gave students a chance to enjoy the unusually high 90-degree weather and watch several popular musicians — including headliners Amine and Desiigner — perform on Bigelow Boulevard.

Students at the Arts Fest — a portion of the festival held on the WPU lawn and hosted by Pitt Arts — munched on free popcorn and cookies as they waited to participate in

various arts activities — ranging from T-shirt screening, to button-making, to henna tattoos.

Danica Schimmel, a sophomore anthropology student, spent most of her afternoon in the festival’s arts section snacking on cookies and watching the artists perform from the Union lawn with a group of friends.

“I like that Pitt Arts is doing stuff like this.

See Fall Fest on page 3

News

SERVICE DOGS HELP STUDENTS SUCCEED

Claire Ozolek’s therapy dog, Lexi, provides her with psychiatric and mobile Lucas Leiby’s 2-year-old lab, Grenadine, helps him find intersections, curbs assistance. Roger Tu | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER and stairs. Roger Tu | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Nina Kneuer

For The Pitt News Claire Ozolek’s best friend, Lexi, has big eyes and a hard-working disposition.

She also has a tail and four legs and works as Ozolek’s service dog.

“I mean it sounds cliche, but she is really my best friend,” Ozolek said.

Ozolek — a senior psychology major at Pitt — and Lexi have been inseparable for the last three years.

Ozolek lives with mental health problems and spondyloarthritis — an inflammatory disease that affects both the joints and the places where the ligaments and tendons attach at the bone. She uses Lexi as a mobility and psychiatric service dog.

During her first year of college, Ozolek went through a rough cycle of anxiety, panic attacks and depression — and Lexi was the one who helped her through it.

When Lexi looked at her, Ozolek said she would think, “It’s going to be okay, I’ll get through it.”

Lexi is in tune with Ozolek’s physical and

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emotional needs — sensing pain, anxiety and mood changes.

“She is so sensitive, to the point where if I’m having pain in my knee, she knows, and she’ll point her face at my knee,” Ozolek said.

“It’s incredible.”

Lexi was placed with Ozolek by an organization called Perfect Fit Canines. Founded

by Susan Wagner and her husband Jim in 2009, the organization was a product of her desire to work with dogs and his wish to do something more for children with autism he worked with as a counselor and therapist specializing in autism.

As stated in Perfect Fit Canine’s website, the mission of the organization is to provide a perfectly trained service dog to accommodate the social, emotional and physical needs of people with disabilities.

According to Susan Wagner, even highly trained dogs can get distracted because of their friendly nature. She said it’s important not to taunt or pet the dogs as they work.

“You don’t want to pull that dog off-task,” she said. “Service dogs are not always perfect.”

Ozolek said she has encountered people who come up and pet her dog — despite Lexi’s vest saying, “Please don’t pet me, I’m working.”

“People are a little uneducated,” Ozolek said. “It’s important for people to know that not all disabilities are visible.”

Lexi is the only rescue dog that has gone through training with Perfect Fit Canines and come out as a service dog — normally Perfect Fit Canines receives their puppies from reliable breeders. She was rescued by the Wagners — who were originally going to simply find her a better home — until they found out she was very intelligent and would listen to commands.

Ozolek said she and Lexi have a special bond few people can understand. To her, Lexi is almost more than just a pet, a best friend or a service dog.

“The bond is just so strong that I feel like I’m incomplete if she’s not with me,” Ozolek said.

Ozolek said caring for Lexi has done more than just help her health — it’s made her become more responsible. Ozolek has to

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feed, play and walk Lexi while still attending classes full time.

“I thought, ‘If I’m not here, who’s going to take care of her?’” Ozolek said.

Lucas Leiby, a junior computer science major, said he feels similarly responsible for his service dog — Grenadine, a two-year-old yellow lab.

“It’s like having your best friend with you all the time,” Leiby said, even though the two have only been a team since two months ago.

Leiby has congenital glaucoma — a rare condition caused by incorrect development of the eye’s drainage system before birth. As a child he was able to read big letters, see colors and even hit a baseball. But along with his doctors and parents, he knew he would one day go completely blind. Around age 14 his sight was gone.

Leiby used a cane most of his life, until he looked into getting a service dog. Leiby became partners with Grenadine through the organization Guide Dogs for the Blind.

“People relate to a dog more than they do a big white stick,” Leiby said.

See Service Animals on page 5

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Fall Fest, pg. 1 It’s a great way for people to hear about them on campus,” Schimmel said. “People love the screen-printed T-shirts they have, that’s cool stuff.”

Setup for Fall Fest began Friday afternoon, as PPC closed off Bigelow Boulevard with the help of police officers, security guards and volunteers. But planning began in the summer, according to Deandra Prevot, a sophomore human resources major and public relations director for PPC. The group began trying to book the headlines back in June.

After more than three months of planning, PPC’s work paid off. At 12:30 p.m., when the Arts Fest kicked off, a large crowd was already forming in front of the stage to see the openers — hip hop artist INFLUENTIALJ and rapper Floco Torres — perform their sets at 1 p.m.

INFLUENTIALJ — known in class as James Gandy — is a 20-year-old Pittsburgh native from the Penn Hills area studying marketing here at Pitt. The hip hop artist — whose music videos on YouTube have thousands of views — won Pitt’s Battle of the Bands competition and was invited to per-

Student crowd surfs through Bigelow Boulevard during Fall Fest on Saturday.

Thomas Yang | STAFF PHOTGRAPHER form as a reward.

“I was nervous [to perform at Fall Fest] but once you get on stage the crowd was hype,” Gandy said, adding that it got easier as he progressed through his set. “This was my first real show, it was insane. The crowd was bananas.”

One of his music videos, “Crown,” features scenes from all over campus, as well as Pittsburgh, and has racked up more than 10,000 views on YouTube since last year. The video for another of his songs, “Keeper,” has reached about half that number in just three weeks.

Dancing across the stage to his tune “Crown,” Gandy made his way to every corner of the stage and got up close with fans. He performed other fan-favorite songs such as “Level Up” and even invited a young woman on stage during the performance of “Keeper.”

The young woman was junior architecture major Ravyn Clark. INFLUENTIALJ sat her down and eventually handed her the mic so she could rap a verse of “Keeper,” which she did without making any mistakes.

“I love his music! The song ‘Keeper’ is so good!” Clark said. “I know James, and I think he’s a great performer.”

Madihah Shaik, a junior computer science major, stood in the crowd dancing along to the music.

“He’s a legend, he’s going to blow up soon!” Shaik said.

At around 4 p.m. Saturday, the Arts Fest cleared out and students began to take over the Union lawn with blankets and chairs in preparation for the headliners.

Amine performed his set first, including songs from his newly released album, “Good For You.” For his 2016 debut hit single, “Caroline,” the crowd took over the performance — See Fall Fest on page 5

The Pitt News SuDoku 9/25/17 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

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September 25, 2017

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Johnson, pg. 1 The Bob Johnson Papers include poems written by Johnson, posters, programs for plays he helped create or starred in and photos of classes he taught at Pitt. Johnson’s son and daughter, Samba Johnson and Marimba Johnson-Bright, donated the collection.

William Daw, liaison librarian to Pitt’s theatre arts department, worked on putting the collection together and organized the event celebrating its release. He said Johnson was part of the larger Black Arts Movement throughout the 1960s and 1970s and through it influenced the Pittsburgh African dance community and the University’s dance, theatre, history and Africana studies departments.

“I don’t think that there is any argument that Mr. Johnson led a vastly unique life, traveled the world, performed all over the world, but his home was here in Pittsburgh,” he said.

Johnson-Bright said they chose to donate their father’s papers to Pitt because of Johnson’s involvement in the Pitt Africana studies department where

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he did most of his life’s work.

“His start was at the University of Pittsburgh, and this is where he passed, and all of his life’s work was here in Pittsburgh, particularly in the Oakland area,” Johnson-Bright said. “It was best fitted that [the collection] came here for students and the community to research his information.”

A display of various pieces of Johnson’s collection — including photos, letters and programs — was situated at tables for guests to examine Saturday.

Large pictures of Johnson and his dancers were scattered around the room.

Televisions continuously played footage of Johnson’s choreography, including one of him dancing alone on roller skates.

Johnson-Bright said her mother started creating a collection for her husband in 1995. She enlisted a family friend who worked as an archivist to help put it together, but due to family issues and the death of her mother the project was ultimately put on hold.

Oliver Byrd, one of the speakers at the event, reflected on Johnson’s love for dance and the independent approach he

took when crafting his choreography.

“Johnson would always say, ‘I just want to dance. I don’t want to have to dance to somebody else’s tune,’” Byrd said.

Another speaker, Malaya Rucker, recited one of Johnson’s poems “I am the original dance machine.” She performed accompanied by drums, a horn and the energized clapping and snapping of the audience.

“I am the original dance machine/ There is no imitation of me/You are the original dance machine,” Rucker recited.

Johnson-Bright said her father loved Pitt and helped raise money for the African-American heritage room in the Cathedral of Learning. He was also extremely passionate about teaching.

“My father was really dedicated to his students,” Johnson-Bright said. “He impressed upon mentoring students and just being a part of the African-American community.”

Johnson-Bright said she was emotionally overwhelmed by how many people showed up to celebrate Johnson’s work.

“It’s is a true testament on how my

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father impacted so many people’s lives,” she said.

Beyond research, Samba Johnson said he hopes the papers and his father’s legacy will inspire those who want to learn about dance and black history at Pitt.

“We hope that his legacy will be shared with incoming [first-year students] and inspire people who want to learn more about dance, want to learn more about black history at the University of Pittsburgh in the early ‘70s ... to learn about a man’s passion for diversity and to share his love with everybody he came in contact with,” Samba Johnson said.

Samba Johnson said if their father were able to be at the event he would be thrilled to be honored by the people he spent years working with and teaching.

“He would be very excited, very humble and just very appreciative that the University of Pittsburgh gave him an opportunity in the early ‘70s where a lot of African Americans didn’t have the opportunity to do what he did,” Samba Johnson said.

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Service Animals, pg. 2 Leiby said there are positives and negatives to having a service dog, but the negatives aren’t always bad. Leiby said Grenadine helps him walk faster than he did with a cane, but she also gives him additional responsibilities. Despite the extra work, he said he doesn’t mind, since she helps him out so much.

“Her job is to make sure that I’m navigating safely and that I’m finding what I need to find ... there’s a lot of trust with it,” Leiby said. “Fifth is kind of scary, with those bus lanes, it’s intimidating.”

Leiby said his job, in return, is to take

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care of Grenadine and give her a good lifestyle. He feeds her good food, plays with her and gives her time to rest so she can do her job well. Leiby still has to know the area he’s in, he said, but Grenadine knows when to stop Leiby from crossing a busy road.

“She is actually, as cheesy as it might sound, the difference between life and death,” Leiby said.

Leiby said Grenadine can find curbs, stairs, and intersections. He can teach her how to target certain items he needs to get to, such as a trashcan.

“She is my eyes. I mean literally, that pair of eyes right there are my eyes, when she’s on her harness,” Leiby said.

Fall Fest, pg. 3 singing the lyrics to the entire song in unison with only minor help from the artist.

Desiigner, like Amine, held out until the end of his set to sing his most popular single, “Panda.” He moved around to the beat throughout his performance, even climbing the support beams on the sides of the stage.

First-year Chris Ng described the Fall Fest performances as “super lit.”

“Desiigner was the best part of the concert by far because everybody was into it, interacting with the crowd, and just full of energy,” Ng said.

Emily Moore and Taylor Clark, two

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sophomore PPC members and hospitality volunteers for the Fall Fest, said their weekend was busy but fun. As hospitality volunteers, they aided the performers, getting them food and drinks when necessary. The girls were excited to help out with the festival because it allowed them to get closer to the performers. “[The event staff and security] have an area set up for us to watch the show,” Moore said. “We’re right in front of the stage. It’s really cool.”

Although Shaik stood amidst the larger crowd, flanked on all sides by students, she said Fall Fest was an event she won’t forget.

“Influential is going to be huge!” Shaik said. “I saw him before he was huge!”

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Opinions

column

NO MERCY FOR MENENDEZ

TNS

Ben Sheppard

For The Pitt News The last time the U.S. Senate had to expel a member, the country was tearing itself apart in the Civil War. With a country that feels almost as divided today, 2017 may see another Senate expulsion — Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey.

Federal prosecutors in Menendez’s home state opened a trial against the Democratic senator earlier this month, accusing him of accepting a variety of lavish gifts from Florida eye doctor and personal friend to Menendez, Salomon Melgen.

These include private jet flights, campaign donations and free hotel stays. In exchange, the prosecution claims the senator applied undue pressure on the State Department to award federal contracts in Melgen’s favor, among other charges.

A federal jury in Palm Beach, Florida convicted Melgen on 67 charges of fraud back in April, but Menendez’s corruption trial began only two weeks ago and is still ongoing. If he’s convicted, the senator’s future is unclear.

Some, including political comedian and commentator Bill Maher, have suggested Menendez stay in the Senate so Republicans don’t increase their majority. Others, like Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declined to take a position on the uncomfortable political situation.

“Sen. Menendez is issuing a spirited defense,” Schumer said at a press conference Wednesday.

“We all believe in the presumption of innocence in this country, and Sen. Menendez is fighting very hard. And we respect that greatly.”

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Schumer is correct that Menendez is innocent until proven guilty. But if federal prosecutors convict Menendez, Schumer and Senate Democrats must stand with justice and not provocateurs like Maher. Not only would defending Menendez from justice cost the party more politically than it would benefit them, but it’s clearly wrong.

Menendez’s potential departure from the Senate would have vast political implications. The Republican governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, would have power to fill the vacant seat, and the appointee would serve until the 2018 general election. This could give Senate Republicans a critical extra vote in passing legislation over the next year.

A senator can be expelled if two-thirds of its members vote in favor of expulsion. This would require all 52 Republicans and 15 of the Democrats who currently make up the Senate to vote in favor of expulsion. In other words, at least some Democratic participation will likely be required for the Senate to expel Menendez.

If Menendez is convicted and Democrats refuse to vote for his removal, it would be an ethical disaster for our government. It would send the message that political power is more important than doing the morally right thing. And in an age when Congress is already viewed so negatively — 79 percent disapproval according to Gallup’s most recent poll — this would only serve to hasten a decline in Americans’ trust in government.

Beyond a simply moral appraisal of the situation, failing to vote for expulsion would complicate Democrats’ electoral strategy in 2018 mid-

term races. Ten Democrats are up for reelection in states President Donald Trump won, and four of these senators are from states that Trump won by more than 20 percent, making these senators incredibly vulnerable. The perception that they’re trying to protect a corrupt colleague likely isn’t going to do them any favors as they fight to retain their seats.

Some, including Maher, claim Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare will be successful if the party can simply gain one more crucial vote from Menendez’s Republican replacement. While a possibility, this outcome isn’t likely. Republicans have already demonstrated multiple times this year how difficult it is for the party’s various factions — from moderates such as Susan Collins of Maine to conservatives like Rand Paul of Kentucky — to unite on meaningful policies. Thought it would be helpful for the Republicans, a single shifted vote wouldn’t fix the Republicans’ fundamental disunity.

What’s more, the negatives of a Republican replacement for Menendez are only temporary.

It’s highly unlikely that a Menendez’s Republican replacement will win reelection in 2018. The last Republican elected to the Senate from New Jersey was Clifford Case in 1972. And historical trends suggest that Republicans will fare worse anyway because they belong to the same party as the incumbent president.

Republicans aren’t ignorant of the dynamic they’re facing — and they’re hoping to get as much out of Menendez’s corruption trial as pos-

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sible. The party is already building a campaign based around Democrats’ reluctance to back Menendez’s expulsion. A ad from the Republican National Committee posted to YouTube earlier this month questioned the ethics of Democrats who were reluctant about questions of potential expulsion.

“Are Democrats really going to let a convicted felon stay in the Senate?” the attack ad asked.

Menendez’s image is toxic. A Quinnipiac poll released Sept. 14 found only 20 percent of New Jersey voters believed Menendez deserved reelection. Meanwhile, the same poll showed Menendez’s approval rating hitting a new low of 31 percent. Democrats need to distance themselves and find a less ethically challenged individual to represent their party and the state of New Jersey.

In America, you’re innocent until proven guilty. This same standard applies to Menendez.

However, Democrats can’t be shy about taking a stance on the New Jersey senator’s expulsion if he’s found guilty. For public figures in the Democratic Party, like former party spokesman Brad Woodhouse, to suggest they’d support Menendez’s continued presence in the Senate even if he’s eventually convicted is wrong. They don’t stand to gain anything politically from protecting a potential criminal, and such a move would do serious damage to our country’s democratic institutions.

If Democrats don’t do it, it’s possible voters will do their job for them — and elect them out of office.

Write to Ben at bps29@pitt.edu.

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from the editorial board

Arguments against NFL protesters aren’t patriotic be separated from his teammate who chooses not to.”

But in the light of multiple antagonistic remarks this weekend from President Trump toward professional athletes symbolically protesting by kneeling during the national anthem, some individuals and media outlets took offense to what they saw as the Steelers’ protest.

Among the most common condemnations of the move was that it disrespected the sacrifices of American soldiers who have died protecting civil rights and liberties in the United States.

While criticisms of professional football players’ right to voice their political opinions in public are already dubious regardless of how they’re justified, the claim that it disrespects the sacrifices of American troops is simply absurd.

What’s more, the tradition of playing

the national anthem and standing is one that is far from historically set in stone.

The argument that refusing to stand during the national anthem prior to a sporting event is anti-veteran relies strongly on a false belief — that doing so materially affects veterans in any way.

The national flag and the national anthem are symbols, and protests against either are symbolic. And because there’s no tangible connection between anthem protests and the welfare of our troops, arguments against players exercising their First Amendment rights are based almost exclusively on appeals to emotion, not logic.

Never mind that American soldiers died for the preservation of precisely the same liberties that opponents of player protests want stripped away — the traditions of ostentatious patriotism

at football games do nothing to protect troops’ lives.

According to one 2015 estimate from the offices of Republican Sens. Jeff Flake and John McCain of Arizona, the Department of Defense spent $10.4 million on marketing contracts with teams in the nation’s various professional sports leagues. That money, which went to pay for displays of patriotism, could have been spent on technology to save soldiers’ lives.

Standing for the national anthem at sporting events — a relatively new American tradition — is does nothing to protect our rights and liberties. Far from improving the lot of American soldiers and American citizens, those who oppose players’ rights to protest are clearly harming the liberties the flag symbolizes.

The Pitt news crossword 9/25/17

When the Steelers walked onto the field before yesterday’s game against the Chicago Bears, the booing they received wasn’t just because they were the away team.

Shortly before the game began, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told Jamie Erdahl of CBS Sports that Pittsburgh’s NFL team would remain in its locker room at Soldier Field for the duration of the national anthem prior to the game.

And while Tomlin said the decision was initially intended to be explicitly nonpolitical, different interpretations took hold in an atmosphere of recent heightened tensions.

“If a guy wants to go about his normal business and participate in the anthem, he shouldn’t be forced to choose sides,” Tomlin said. “If a guy feels the need to do something, he shouldn’t

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September 25, 2017

7

Sports

PANTHER PLAY CALLING KEY TO SURVIVAL YELLOW JACKETS STING PANTHERS, 35-17 David Leftwich Senior Staff Writer

Ben DiNucci (3) gets tackled by Georgia Tech defensive lineman Antonio Simmons (93) in the second half of Georgia Tech’s 35-17 victory over Pitt. (TNS)

Abbot Zuk Staff Writer

Over the course of their three losses this season, the Panthers have surrendered more than 30 points in each matchup. It would be far too easy to pin the Panthers’ woes on the defense. This Saturday’s game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets was anything but a defensive farce, though.

The last Panther football squad to drop three games in a row was the 2014 team coached by Paul Chryst — the season actually included two separate three-game losing streaks. The second of the two losing streaks came against Georgia Tech, Duke and North Carolina — in which the Panthers surrendered 40 or more points in each of the three losses.

A number of times Saturday, the Panther’s defense put the team in position to

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take charge of the game, or at the very least be competitive. The Panthers forced four fumbles and recovered every single one of them. Despite this, the offense was unable to post a single point off of the turnovers the defense generated.

The problem in Saturday’s game was the Panthers’ inability to convert on third down — the product of poor play-calling that never put Pitt in a position to succeed. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has many weapons on offense, such as junior defensive back Jordan Whitehead, whose dynamic skills could be used to stir up the offensive line.

Watson seems reluctant to get these strategies involved, though.

Two glaring examples occurred in the third quarter, while a victory was still within reach for the Panthers. Down just seven points to Georgia Tech, Pitt settled for back-to-back-to-back three-and-outs

— two of which were the product of dismal play calling.

On third-and-12, from their own 15yard line, redshirt sophomore quarterback Ben DiNucci completed a pass well behind the first-down yard marker to redshirt junior running back Qadree Ollison for just five yards, forcing the Panthers to punt.

As a result, the Yellow Jackets scored on the very next drive.

After getting the ball back, the Panthers quickly found themselves in another third-and-long situation — and again DiNucci found himself checking the ball down well behind the first-down marker — this time to grad transfer tight end Matt Flanagan, who was brought down instantly by Yellow Jacket defense.

This, of course, is just a small sample

September 25, 2017

See Analysis on page 10

With four separate opportunities to make the Yellow Jackets pay after turnovers, the Panther offense failed to convert any of these chances into points leading to Saturday’s 35-17 loss in their first ACC game of the season.

On the day, the Panther offense put up less than 200 yards and only one touchdown, while the Panther defense gave up more than 400 yards on the ground. Despite forcing four Yellow Jacket turnovers, the Panthers could not keep up — suffering a loss at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.

After the opening kickoff, redshirt sophomore Ben DiNucci entered the game as quarterback for the Panthers — replacing redshirt senior Max Browne as the starter.

In the first drive for the Panthers, junior defensive back Jordan Whitehead returned from suspension and immediately made an impact, taking an end around for 30 yards down the field. Capping off the five-play drive, DiNucci hit redshirt junior Qadree Ollison for a 28-yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers up 7-0.

“I felt like I had a lot of energy out there,” Whitehead said after the game. “I kind of forgot how it felt.”

Whitehead recovered a Yellow Jacket fumble on the next drive at the Georgia Tech 33-yard line, but the Panthers didn’t make any offensive progress. Freshman Alex Kessman missed a 50yard field goal, keeping the Panther lead at seven points.

On the next Yellow Jacket possession, their triple-option offense found its footing. After pushing the ball with their running attack, junior quarterback TaQuon Marshall took a snap to the right and outran the Panther defense down the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown, joining Pitt on the board at 7-7.

Find the full story online at

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8

preview

A LOOK AHEAD AS PANTHER SOFTBALL, TENNIS KICK OFF FALL SEASONS

Softball players cheer on their teammate at a game against Saint Francis University Saturday. Issi Glatts | Staff Photographer

David Leftwich Senior Staff Writer

The Panther softball and tennis teams have been preparing for the spring season through fall exhibition play, both while working through major hang-ups from last season. Winning only seven combined games in the ACC, the two teams are looking for big turnarounds this year.

After bursting out of the gates at 9-0, the Panther softball team finished with an underwhelming 24-23 record, missing out on the NCAA Tournament. The tennis team fared much worse, not earning a single ACC win en route to a 3-16 season.

Coming into last year, the Panther softball team looked to build off their 31-21 record in 2015 and contend for the NCAA Tournament.

Despite losing five seniors, three of whom impressively hit over .300 on the season, the team returned four above-average batters, including the team leader in home runs and runs batted in, nowsenior Giorgiana Zeremenko.

Instead of taking a step forward last season, the Panther softball team had a down year. Among many of the team’s issues, they had trouble getting wins in

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ACC competition. Entering ACC play at 13-5 last season, the team only finished 7-17 against the ACC. The combination of a young roster and a drop in numbers down the lineup held the team back and didn’t allow for a consistently good season last year.

But this season’s team is returning almost the entire lineup, including star seniors Erin Hershman and Zeremenko.

The two will look to return to hitting over .300 as they did during their sophomore campaigns, and look to get big offensive contributions from players like juniors Olivia Gray and Alexis Solak, who both hit over .280 last season.

The Panther softball team opened their fall schedule at home Sunday, Sept.

17, in a doubleheader against Slippery Rock. They knocked out The Rock in both games, 4-2 and 5-1.

They followed up with another doubleheader against Saint Francis University Sept. 23., losing in a sweep. In game one, Pitt put up a fight, but ultimately lost 10-4. In the second game, the Red Flash shut out the Panthers 5-0, taking both games.

Panther softball will be in action next week when they face West Virginia Wesleyan at home on Oct. 1.

Jovana Knezevic pulled a 6-3 win over Auburn this weekend.

Photo courtesy of Pitt Athletics As the Panther tennis team also played as a part of their fall season this weekend, they have a lot of work ahead of them to be in contention in the ACC. Last season, the team collapsed after a 3-4 start, losing 12 straight ACC matches from that point on to end the season at 3-16.

Even though the Panthers had three seniors on the eight-person roster, the team still relied on four underclassmen in competition. Often the seniors were outplayed by the toughest players on each team, while the younger players earned experience against lower-tier players to round out the Panthers’ starting lineups.

While players grabbed match wins here and there, the team often could not put together enough victories to gain a majority and win matches, especially in ACC play where they finished winless at 0-14.

This season, the team will look to use the experience of their five upperclassmen to improve upon their record. Senior Callie Frey and juniors Clara Lucas and Gabriela Rezende snagged big match wins last season, but the team will need them to consistently perform to make strides forward.

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In their first action of the season, the team headed down to Miami, Florida, to take part in the Miami Fall Invite Sept.

22.

On the doubles side, the Panthers found very little success, finishing the day at 1-5. The pairing of sophomore Jovana Knezevic and Rezende were the only bright spot for the Panthers, pulling out a 6-3 victory over Auburn.

Rebounding nicely, the Panthers had a strong showing against Florida Gulf Coast in the singles portion of competition, posting a record of 6-1.

Leaving this weekend, the Panthers will look to improve in all areas on the court through the fall. While the teams performed well in singles, they did not have to go up against ACC competition.

And when matched up against stronger opponents in doubles play, the Panthers struggled.

The team will travel to Evanston, Illinois, next weekend as they continue their preseason in the Wildcat Invite.

As both the softball and tennis teams work through their fall schedules, they each need to make a variety of improvements to find more success in ACC play this season.

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Analysis, pg. 8 of the Panthers 1-13 effort on third down.

It goes without saying that if Pitt continues to give up over 30 points a game, it is going to be difficult to find any success in the ACC. The Panthers will not win games if offensive play-calling continues to put them in positions to fail.

Every snap of the ball in a college football game is a gamble, as is throwing the ball down the field and deciding who to start at quarterback. Designing and running plays that don’t go the calculated distance needed to extend a drive, shows

a lack a blatant lack of faith in the team.

In order to improve this abysmal offensive performance, shifting focus to the quarterbacks’ strengths is key. Whether it’s utilizing DiNucci’s mobility and ability to extend plays or capitalizing on redshirt senior Max Browne’s strong arm, the play calling needs to be tailored to what each does best.

Pitt’s play calling shows no guts and trust in its players. If the Panthers’ head coach and offensive coordinator retain this toxic mindset, Saturdays will be a frustrating day for Pitt fans all season.

The Pitt News

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

ASHWINI SIVAGANESH

JOHN HAMILTON

editor@pittnews.com

manager@pittnews.com

News Editor

Opinions Editor

RACHEL GLASSER

HENRY GLITZ

news@pittnews.com

opinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor

Culture Editor

MACKENZIE RODRIGUES

LEXI KENNELL

sports@pittnews.com

culture@pittnews.com

Visual Editor

Layout Editor

KYLEEN CONSIDINE

ELISE LAVALLEE

visuals@pittnews.com

layout@pittnews.com

Online Editor

Copy Chief

MATT CHOI

KYLEEN PICKERING

tpnonline@gmail.com

copy@pittnews.com

Caroline Bourque | Assistant News Editor Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor Christian Snyder | Assistant Opinions Editor Jordan Mondell | Assistant Sports Editor Anna Bongardino | Assistant Visual Editor

Kim Rooney | Assistant Copy Chief

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 let-

ters@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, studentwritten and 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 Committee, 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, faculty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and editorial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

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Jaime Viens | Online Engagement Editor

pittnews.com

September 25, 2017

10

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September 25, 2017

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pittnews.com

September 25, 2017

12