10-10-19

The Pitt News

T h e i n d e p e n d e n t s t ude nt ne w spap e r of t he U niversity of Pittsburgh | PIttnews.com | Ocotber 10, 2019 ­| Volume 110 | Issue 40

PITT SHUTTLE STOPS TO CHANGE IN NOVEMBER

WHEEL OF HEALTH

Jon Moss

Assistant News Editor Pitt announced changes to lower campus shuttle stops that will begin on Nov. 1, due to Bigelow Boulevard closing between Fifth and Forbes avenues for construction. The University is preparing to begin a $23.7 million reconstruction of both Bigelow and the William Pitt Union driveway, financed by Pitt in partnership with the commonwealth and the City.

The southbound shuttle stop — used by the 10B, 20A, 20B, 30A, 30B and 30C routes — will relocate from the William Pitt Union side of Bigelow Boulevard to Schenley Drive in front of Hillman Library. The accessibility shuttle will pick up students on Schenley Drive at the mid-block crosswalk between Hillman Library and Posvar A self-care fair took place in the WPU Assembly room as a part of SGB’s mental health awareness month.

Wu Caiyi staff photographer Hall.

The northbound shuttle stop — used by the 10A, 10B and 40A routes — will relocate from the Cathedral of Learning side of Bigelow Boulevard to Forbes Avenue in front of Schenley Plaza. The “I have always loved and been fascinated by age population, according to a study from the accessibility shuttle will pick up students at the Rebecca Johnson politics so when the candidates visited, it was real- Pew Research Center. Klobuchar, O’Rourke and Staff Writer corner of Forbes Avenue and Schenley Drive Exly exciting for me,” Goldstein said. “I am a person Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. — who visited Oakland on tension.

Hannah Goldstein was thrilled to learn she’d who believes strongly that your vote really does Sept. 28, Sept. 24 and last April, respectively — The University said there will be an increased get the chance to see two 2020 presidential hopematter, and having them come to my school and aimed to drive up enthusiasm in this age group, police presence to help community members fuls in the span of a week. want to answer our questions, I think that really which historically has a low voter turnout. navigate the new traffic and pedestrian routes.

Goldstein, an undeclared first-year and soondemonstrates that they want us.”

Voters in Pennsylvania won’t go to the polls Pitt added that the WPU driveway and lawn will to-be first-time voter, saw both Sen. Amy KlobuIn the 2020 presidential election, young adults for the primary until April 2020, unlike traditionclose on Dec. 16, allowing for the second phase of char, D-Minn., and Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-TexSee Candidates on page 2 aged 18 to 23 will comprise 10% of the votingconstruction to begin. as, when they visited Pitt in September.

UNPACKING PITT’S APPEAL FOR 2020 CANDIDATES

News

ONLINE Pitt hires new campus recreation director Diversity and Inclusion office reorganized pittnews.com

Candidates, pg. 1

al battleground states like Iowa and New Hampshire where voting happens in early February.

But several candidates have visited Pitt -- in fact, almost every candidate who’s come to Pittsburgh as part of the 2020 presidential campaign has made a stop in Oakland.

Chris Bonneau, an associate professor of political science at Pitt, said that Democratic candidates visit college campuses like Pitt because they see a large swath of voters receptive to the Democratic Party’s message.

“They are trying to appeal to younger voters who are composing an increasingly larger share of the voting-age population,” Bonneau said. “It’s also a group who historically doesn’t vote in large numbers, so I think they see a lot of opportunity there in terms of getting people interested.”

Statistics back up Bonneau’s point. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, young voters aged 18 to 29 have had the lowest voter turnout and have historically made up the lowest percentage of overall voters. But for the same age group, participation in the 2018 midterm election skyrocketed from 20% to 36% compared to the 2014 midterm — the largest percentage point increase for any age group.

These young voters also tend to vote Democratic. In the 2018 election, young voters favored Democratic House candidates by a 35-point margin. Bonneau said that this is the reason Democrats visit a campus filled with young students and Republicans avoid it.

“Bernie and Beto are both trying to reinvigorate the youth vote and trying to get students registered and interested. That’s good for their campaign and it’s good for the Democratic Party,” Bonneau said. “On the other hand, the last thing a Republican wants to do is drive up voter turnout on a college campus. That would not be a good strategy for them.”

Republican politicians do have an electoral strategy, though. According to an analysis by Business Insider, the demographic that propelled Donald Trump to victory in 2016 was his core base of white, rural and uneducated voters — a demographic not as prevalent on college campuses.

While Pitt’s College Republicans declined to comment on the matter, Grace DuBois, a senior political science major and president of Pitt

pittnews.com

Democratic presidential candidates Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, and Bernie Sanders all visited Oakland in 2019. TPN File Photo College Democrats, speculated on why Trump might visit Oakland less than his Democratic opponents.

DuBois said she believes Trump might want avoid the protests that met him last year following the Tree of Life shooting.

“I think part of this issue is that when he came here after the Tree of Life shooting, there was a pushback and protests against him, and I don’t think he’s willing to face that again,” DuBois said.

Beyond just Oakland, the City of Pittsburgh as a whole is famous for its historical roots in organized labor — an essential voting block for candidates in both political parties. Perhaps more importantly, it is located in Pennsylvania, a swing state that helped secure Trump’s victory in 2016, Bonneau said.

“Pittsburgh is a pretty important city, and if you’re going to win Pennsylvania, you have to drive up the vote in Allegheny County and Philadelphia,” Bonneau said. “Given the importance of Pennsylvania as a key to winning a general election, it makes sense for people to come early

and drive up enthusiasm for their campaign.”

This increase in enthusiasm driven by campaign rallies is palpable among students and, in some cases, helps inform their vote. Goldstein said the events O’Rourke and Klobuchar hosted changed her opinion, both for the better and worse, about the candidates.

“I thought [Klobuchar] gave the political spiel and it was monotone,” Goldstein said.

“Beto is a much more invigorating candidate because he is younger and more passionate.”

Both Klobuchar and O’Rourke’s visits were organized by Pitt College Democrats.

While Klobuchar and O’Rourke are Democratic contenders, they are far from the frontrunners. Klobuchar and O’Rourke are both polling at around 2% nationally, according to a late September poll by Quinnipiac University, and currently working to reach the 3% threshold in national or early state polls to even qualify for the next debate in November.

DuBois said the College Democrats have reached out to higher profile candidates, in-

October 10, 2019

cluding Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders for a second appearance, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigeg and Kamala Harris, who she hopes will visit in the spring semester. Unaffiliated with the College Democrats, Joe Biden is coming to Pittsburgh in November, though the location remains unannounced.

Bonneau said these campaign stops are a good opportunity for Pitt students and other Pittsburghers to see the political process in action.

“It’s a chance to learn about the candidates. It’s a chance to see someone who might be president someday,” Bonneau said.

“It’s a neat thing to do and something that a lot of people don’t get the chance to do.”

Goldstein said she is excited to see any candidate who aspires to be president, including Biden in one month.

“Joe Biden is coming in a month and I will totally go just to have that experience,” Goldstein said. “It’s not every day that three different political candidates come to your city.”

2

pittnews.com

October 10, 2019

3

Opinions

column

Justice shouldn’t have an expiration date Grace McGinness Staff Columnist

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse may soon win the right to prosecute their cases in court no matter how long ago their trauma occurred. Pennsylvania’s Senate Judiciary Committee held a forum on Oct. 2 to debate whether or not to eliminate the state’s statute of limitations — a law set that restricts how long an alleged victim has to bring a case to court — for sexual abuse civil cases.

The hearing was not intended for a final decision to be made on Bill 540, which calls for the complete removal of the state’s statute.

Rather, for several hours, the committee listened to testimonies from alleged victims, their advocates and those in opposition to the bill to help inform their decision. Despite the state’s hesitancy, it’s clear that statutes of limitations are an outdated caveat to our current judiciary system that do not properly serve the people of this country. Pennsylvania needs to eliminate these statutes by passing Bill 540 and finally rectifying the harmful effects of this law.

As it stands, the statute of limitations for felony sex crimes in Pennsylvania limits people to a window of 11 to 20 years to bring their case to court. The time frame varies depending on the specific crime, but any statute of limitations for sex crimes is an unnecessary restriction of the law that strips the judiciary system of its main

Pennsylvania holds an exception to its limitations if DNA evidence can identify a perpetrator, which shows that the court would simply rather not deal with the complicated trials that can come with decade-old sexual abuse cases.

It becomes considerably harder to provide the type of evidence to convict as a case remains dormant longer. However, this shouldn’t bar people from trying to salvage their own piece of justice. The burden to provide sufficient proof for a jury or judge to convict would still rest on the prosecution, and eliminating the statute of limitations would not change that. There is no need to deny them the chance entirely.

Conducting the court with these restrictions is ignorant of how the trauma of childhood sexual abuse impacts a person’s life. A 2010 study published in the Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that as many as 80% of victims from childhood The Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee listened to testimony during sexual abuse don’t come forward until adulta daylong hearing discussion legislation to reform the statute of limitations hood, with a majority citing their lack of trust on sexual abuse criminal and civil claims. Jan Murphy/TNS in the court system as a reason why. This effect purpose of protecting people. tions laws, but instead of a closed repeal period, is the direct opposite of what these statutes were New York State passed a bill this August it ambitiously demands the complete removal of developed for in the first place.

These statutes are intended to discourage called the Child Victims Act, which for a brief Pennsylvania’s statutes of limitation. peiod of one year repeals its statute of limitations One of the interpretations of the purpose the use of unreliable witness testimony that may on sexual abuse cases. After the repeal period, for statutes of limitations is that they protect the result from long periods of time between the the law also allows alleged victims the ability to rights of the defendant and promote quicker crime and the prosecution. Instead, the statutes prosecute until they are 28 years old. Bill 540 fol- resolution of cases, but these laws seem to imply are actively discouraging people to come forlows this movement to reform statute of limita- an easier time for the courts in handling cases.

See McGinness on page 6

Sponsored Content

The Manor

This October, The Manor will be showing Halloween classics beginning with the mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows (2014), Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm (1979) a film that remains like no other, and finally John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), the story of serial killer Michael Myers. pittnews.com

October 10, 2019

4

from the editorial board

DeVos’ violation of court order shows her ineptitude Since the beginning of her time as secretary of education, Betsy DeVos hasn’t been incredibly popular with the American public.

She also hasn’t stayed out of the limelight for long, often making problematic statements — like her proposal earlier this year to cut funding for the Special Olympics while increasing spending on charter schools — or supporting educational initiatives with which many take issue. Most recently, DeVos again came under scrutiny for brazenly violating a court order thousands of times.

This case sheds light on an Education Department run ineffectively, forming another major crack in the Trump administration.

The court order DeVos violated was meant to stop the Education Depart-

pittnews.com

ment from collecting loan payments from former students of Corinthian Colleges. The for-profit college filed for bankruptcy in 2015 after facing several lawsuits, leaving students without degrees and deep in debt — these types of schools often leave students in more debt and with fewer job prospects than non-profit colleges.

Under the Obama administration, students who had taken out loans for their Corinthian education were told that they would receive debt relief.

However, a September court filing shows that the Education Department incorrectly informed 16,000 borrowers that they owed payment on their debt.

Because of the department’s actions, about 1,800 people had their wages garnished or lost tax refunds.

The September court filing also said that the Education Department was taking steps to address this issue, such as posting information on its website, issuing refunds and notifying impacted students.

However, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim thought that these measures weren’t enough.

“Sending a couple of emails seems really minor in terms of making sure there is compliance with an order of this magnitude,” Kim said. “I’m astounded really, just really astounded.”

Kim also called the Education Department’s response “gross negligence.”

DeVos could face sanctions or be found to be in contempt of court for this negligence. The judge is having both sides file arguments this month before she

October 10, 2019

makes her final ruling regarding DeVos’ fate.

No matter what her punishment is, this whole incident — in which DeVos took money from debt-saddled students who were told they wouldn’t be responsible for these debts — shows exactly why DeVos should no longer continue as secretary of education. She has been unable to do her job properly, showing extreme negligence. In that light, it’s hard to trust her to fulfill any of her other duties in a way that is beneficial to Americans.

DeVos’ inadequate handling of Corinthian students’ debts is another failure of the Trump administration that has had real consequences for struggling students, and she certainly needs to face the consequences for her actions.

5

McGinness, pg. 4 ward at all.

Mark Chopko, chair of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young’s nonprofit & religious organizations practice group, attended the hearing. He expressed criticism of the bill and its potential consequences.

“The process of litigation is difficult, expensive and time consuming, and not really finding the truth,” he said. “It’s about establishing winners and losers.”

One of the defining principles of justice is truth, and one of the reasons courts were estab-

pittnews.com

lished at all is to find the truth to put it down on record. The concern expressed here by Chopko is not for the validity of our court system, but rather for its extremely public record of the truth once it is found and prosecuted. The alleged victims are concerned with truth and setting the record straight no matter how long ago the crime was committed.

It is also demeaning to reduce the sides of a trial as winners and losers in the case of possible sexual abuse of children. The prosecution doesn’t “win” in the sense that they are victorious winners of a battle — their clients are victims of horrendous

crimes.

The alleged victims want the truth exposed for all to see and to warn those who are vulnerable to be victims of similar crimes. From this point of view, statutes of limitation could potentially protect predators who have the means to harm again and could put more people in harm’s way.

Sarah Goetz gave testimony at the hearing as both a survivor of and advocate against child sexual abuse. She said that she had to rush through the healing process to be able to prosecute her abusers and urged lawmakers to consider the consequences of

October 10, 2019

this.

“Please do not sit here and pretend to do a job,” she said. “Do it. Please, please.”

Ultimately, the statutes in place today are outdated and ineffective. They protect the wrong people and deny closure to those who have the right to strive for it. The Pennsylvania legislature has been deliberating over this reform for years, and the earliest that these eliminations can take place is in November 2021. But all that can be said has been said, and it has been said over and over.

The debate is over, and these changes are long, long overdue.

6

Culture

ONLINE Review: Is “Joker” just “Tall Girl” for incels? pittnews.com

‘NEXT TO NORMAL’ SELLS OUT TO EMOTIONAL AUDIENCES Matthew Monroy Staff Writer

The set of “Next to Normal” is fairly minimalistic. But while the immaculate white walls lining the stage might indicate a straightforward and relaxed production, the musical is anything but.

“Next to Normal,” the first production in Pitt Stages’ Mainstage 2019-2020 season, opened on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Richard E. Rauh Studio Theater and will run through Oct. 13. The now sold-out show is an American rock musical that examines the lives of the Goodman family as the mother, Diana (Meg Pryor), struggles with bipolar disorder. The show depicts the destructive effects her mental illness has on the rest of the family as Diana’s husband, Dan (Ricardo VilaRoger), and daughter, Natalie (Isabel Descutner), grapple with Diana’s fluctuating behavior and past trauma.

The show is directed by Richard E. Rauh Teaching Artist-in-Residence Niffer Clarke, who directed the Pitt Stages production of “Into the Woods” in spring 2019. A prolific actor and musician herself, Clarke has performed both regionally and in New York in addition to releasing a solo album and touring with multiple bands.

When it came to directing “Next to Normal,” Clarke said she found meaning in the show’s topical themes. “‘Next to Normal’ is significant in that it brings issues out of the shadows. One out of five adults in the U.S. experience mental illness in a given year,” Clarke said via email.

The musical, written by Brian Yorkey with music by Tom Kitt, has roots that run all the way back to 1998. Yorkey first conceived of the show as a short sketch in a musical theater workshop that he and Kitt were a part of.

Over the years, “Next to Normal” grew into a fully formed musical and began playing in small theaters in the early 2000s, receiving high praise and attention from critics that helped catapult it to Broadway in 2009. When the show’s Broadway run ended in 2011, its accolades were impressive — three Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The show is told from Diana’s point of view and, as a result, is punctuated by intermittent

pittnews.com

“Next to Normal” is the first production in Pitt Stages’ Mainstage 2019-2020 season. Courtesy of Sarah Saunders bursts of chaos that coordinate with her volatile mind, such as during a scene between Diana and her physician, Dr. Fine (Pedar Garred). Dr. Fine’s monotone speech is broken up by random disruptions in which he roars out rock song lyrics and suggestively dances as flashing lights and a wailing guitar fills the air.

The show’s perspective grants the audience an intimate view into Diana’s mind. As a result, many aspects of the show are entirely fictional, existing only in Diana’s imagination. However, Clarke said that she made a point to tone down some of the distracting elements of the script in favor of a more emotional production.

“I … shy away from ‘distractions’ or going for comedic or over-the-top elements that take us out of the reality of the storytelling,” Clarke said via email. “For me, the story is about the relationships in this piece. Keeping it authentic and honest.”

Although “Next to Normal”’s storytelling is at times random and jarring, the performances behind the Goodman family members ground the plot in a sense of ultra realism. Diana is a wildly unpredictable creature, but Pryor balances this with a very emotional performance. Underneath every wild song and dancing there is a palpable sense of sadness. In the song “You Don’t Know,” Diana sings straight to her husband, challenging him after he tries to relate to her situation. Pryor brings an intensity to the scene as she conveys the realities of living with a mental illness.

The two other members of the Goodman family deliver equally as intense performances in different ways. Vila-Roger plays Dan’s physicality

as marked by weariness — all of his movements seems to be an attempt to hide the sadness he feels inside. Isabel Descutner attracts sympathy with her performance as Natalie, a high school girl trying to hide her mother’s instability from her boyfriend, Henry (Dennis Sen).

“Next to Normal”’s technical elements play a key role in highlighting the show’s emotional elements. The lighting in the show is both chaotic and reassuring, directing and distracting the audience’s attention depending on Diane’s mental state. For example, when all the characters are introduced in the beginning of the show, the lights first spotlight each one of them, but quickly begin sporadically flashing around the stage, matching Diana’s inability to control her relationships.

“Next to Normal”’s lighting designer, TJ Hays, a sophomore theatre arts major, said striking the right balance between creating a well-lit set while elevating the show’s powerful moments was a difficult task.

“The lighting had to look cool and make you feel something, but it should not take away from the story that is being told,” Hays said via email.

“The lighting is only supplementary to the story that the actors, costumes, set and props are telling.”

Clarke’s vision for staging stayed true to the original Broadway production, with the entirety of the stage acting as the Goodman’s house. The design of the house was modern and minimalistic — clean white surfaces, a dinner table that slid into its backing wall when not needed and a pill cabinet that was seamlessly constructed into

October 10, 2019

a wall.

“Next to Normal”’s depiction of the house marks the one major visual difference between the Broadway production and Clarke’s. In the former, the Goodman’s house was sparsely designed and rendered only by a rough set of metal scaffolding. However, Clarke’s production presents a fully realized version of a house, increasing the realism of the story.

The clean-cut exterior of the set also contrasts with its inhabitant’s frayed relationships.

Theatre arts professor Dr. Reza Mirsajadi, “Next to Normal”’s dramaturg, complemented the production’s set design team in creating a wellbalanced set.

“I … think the Goodmans’ home plays a much bigger role in the Pitt production,” he said via email. “The design team did a beautiful job with that, combining a super modern house with an abstract interpretation of one.”

Throughout Next to Normal’s two-and-a-half hour runtime sniffling could be heard across the audience. The show’s final numbers brought the emotion to a climax as Diane struggled to understand herself amidst her mental health issues.

For Clarke, the show is a way to direct the audience’s attention to the dysfunction and need for communication that can arise when dealing with a loved one’s hidden mental health issues. “‘Next to Normal’ helps us to see that — we see ourselves, our family, our friends and neighbors in these characters,” she said. “It reminds us that we need to talk, ask for help — and not hide.”

7

Sports

ONLINE Pitt basketball and football recruitment round up pittnews.com

column

THE NBA IS BEING BULLIED BY CHINA, AND IT CAN’T CONTINUE Sean Tierney Staff Writer

Less than a week ago, the Houston Rockets were one of the most popular basketball teams in China. Today, they are an enemy of the Chinese state. The same team once loved by Yao Ming, NBA Hall of Famer and current chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, is now the focal point of a Chinese blacklisting of the NBA. The events which resulted in China’s hostility towards the NBA are complicated, unusual and not yet fully resolved, but one thing is sure — NBA leadership has to more seriously consider the intersection of sports, business and politics.

To recap — Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted an image on Twitter on Oct. 4 that read, “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” as a gesture

of support for the Hong Kong protesters against further control from the Chinese central government. Morey quickly deleted the tweet, but the damage was done.

In response to the tweet, the Chinese Basketball Association, led by Yao Ming, vowed to stop all cooperation with the Rockets. Chinese media said that they will not air Rockets games and the Chinese consulate in Houston released a statement condemning Morey and the team.

Domestically, the most prominent responses came from Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Both immediately distanced themselves and their respective organizations from Morey’s tweet. Silver’s official statement essentially apologized to China for Morey’s actions, while also defending his freedom of speech, a playing of both sides which has proven wildly ineffective.

Many in the United States, ranging from basketball fans to lawmakers, voiced their dissatisfaction with Silver’s appeasement of China. On the other hand, China’s state-run CCTV clearly thought that the NBA did not come down hard enough on Morey. They doubled down on their initial response, saying that they will not allow any NBA games on the air.

This move forced a second statement from Silver: “It is inevitable that people around the world — including from America and China — will have different viewpoints over different issues.” Silver said, “It is not the role of the NBA to adjudicate those differences. However, the NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say on these issues.”

How this will all play out is unclear, but

one thing is certain — Silver’s approach thus far has been extremely misguided. His attempt to straddle both sides of this controversy reveals a willful ignorance motivated by all the wrong reasons. In trying to please everyone, Silver has abandoned the responsibility of moral decision making and consequently comes across as having no principles upon which to stand. His lack of conviction against what these Chinese companies are trying to do only emboldens their efforts at indirect censorship, allowing the NBA to become a compliant hostage to China’s political will.

And his motivation? Money.

The NBA market in China is massive.

China represents about $4 billion of revenue for the NBA, just below half of its total annual revenue. About 500 million Chinese See Tierney on page 9

CLUB FOOTBALL CARRIES PLAYERS TO VARSITY STATUS

Michael Elesinmogun Staff Writer

Most students on a Tuesday or Thursday night are winding down for the night — but not senior Tyler Spalt. He’s warming up for two hours of full-contact practice ahead of his next football game. But he won’t be playing under the bright lights of Heinz Field on Saturday.

He’ll be on a beat-up back field, tucked away from the pageantry of NCAA football.

Spalt is an offensive lineman and captain for Pitt’s club football team and the only player remaining from the team’s inaugural season at Pitt in 2016. The co-ed club team is in its fourth year and serving a new role as a springboard for varsity team walk-on’s.

When he arrived on campus as a first-

pittnews.com

year, Spalt was itching for contact and found just what he was looking for at the club sports fair.

“My parents thought it would be a good idea to get involved with something that didn’t involve the people I know already,” Spalt said. “I went to the fair with the intention of signing up for rugby, but I saw the team president, Aly, standing at a table with football equipment. I asked her if this was full contact, she said yes, and I was sold immediately.”

Senior Alyson Kornberg, Pitt’s club football founder, had started the club as a first-year and has continued playing to this day. She had found herself reflecting on her football career at Edgemont High School and decided she didn’t want it to end when she started attending Pitt.

“Honestly when I first came to Pitt, I missed playing the sport I love,” Kornberg said. “So, a few weeks after being here I wanted to start a team I could play on. After that interatrial motivation, I then wanted this to become an opportunity for others at Pitt who felt the same.”

As with starting any club, Kornberg was faced several hurdles while trying to start a club from scratch. Fortunately, she had some outside help.

“It was a lot of work in the beginning,” Kornberg said. “Paperwork, conference calls and in general figuring things out.

It was new to me but thankfully I had the support of the [National Club Football Association]. I did get some initial pushback from people working at the school because I was a girl who wanted to start this with the

October 10, 2019

hopes of playing.”

Kornberg said she also faced other roadblocks because of her gender and it was difficult at first for her to rally support.

“Just a lot of disbelief that people would want to join, that I wouldn’t be able to raise enough money and that it wouldn’t become legit,” Kornberg said. “Once the fall of 2016 hit, we had a team and it died down for the most part.”

One of the most significant trials that arises when starting up a team is acquiring funding. For the budding football club, it was especially difficult because not only did they have to buy jerseys, but they also needed to find regulation pads and helmets.

“There wasn’t a lot of funding coming See Club Football on page 10

8

Tierney, pg. 8 citizens watched the NBA on Tencent, a Chinese platform which is now boycotting the NBA. Additionally, Chinese sports apparel companies that work closely with the NBA are also cutting ties. Faced with losing this large market, Adam Silver has done everything he can to appease the Chinese government, a move which only supports its efforts to censor and control the narrative told about the protests in Hong Kong.

Ironically, it is this same type of government strong-arming that is at the heart of the protests.

At some point, Silver cannot sit on both sides of this fence. As the leader of an American sports league, he should know when to put his foot down and not only uphold but actively support the values of democracy and free speech. His inability to confront China and its efforts to manipulate the NBA for its own political gain is a damning picture of Silver’s ability to manage a professional sports league.

His apologetic statements are a bending of the knee and have turned the NBA into an extended branch of China’s propaganda

The Chinese flag is seen with a display of basketballs at the NBA store in Beijing on Oct. 9. Greg Baker/TNS machine. One can only hope that he changes his attitude and provides the proper outspoken opposition to China’s attempts at controlling an American organization and its employees.

For the United States, this issue goes far beyond the protests in Hong Kong. This is about China and Chinese companies telling an American citizen what they can and can’t say and using their economic power

to enforce it. This sets a dangerous precedent and must be confronted with vigor.

The NBA should be setting the example that fundamental values will not be forgotten for the sake of foreign money.

Joker (R) Fri: 2:20, 3:35, 4:55, 6:05, 7:20, 8:25 9:20 Sat & Sun: 12:05 1:05, 2:30, 3:35, 4:55, 6:05 7:20, 8:25, 9:45 Mon & Tue: 2:30, 3:35, 4:55, 6:05, 7:20, 8:25, 9:45 Wed: 2:30, 3:35, 4:55, 6:05, 7:20, 8:25, 9:45 3:35 4:55, 6:05, 7:20, 8:25, 9:45 Thu: 2:30, 3:35, Judy (PG-13) Fri: 2:20, 4:45, 7:10, 9:35 Sat & Sun: 11:55 am, 2:20, 4:45, 7:10, 9:35 Mon & Tue: 2:20, 4:45, 7:10, 9:35 Wed: 2:20, 4:45, 7:10, 9:35 Thu: 2:20, 4:45, 7:10, 9:35 Downton Abbey (PG) Fri: 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:25 Sat & Sun: 11:45 am, 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:25 Mon & Tue: 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:25 Wed: 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:25 Thu: 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:25 What We Do in the Shadows(R) Special Midnight Show!

Sat: 12:00AM

pittnews.com

October 10, 2019

9

Club Football, pg. 8 from the school which meant most had to come from dues,” Kornberg said. “I wasn’t thrilled about having high dues … since it was going to limit some people from joining for financial reasons.”

Pitt club football was able to overcome those financial hurdles, and now has a place in the NCFA in the Mid-Atlantic West conference. Each year they play the other club teams in their conference — Ohio State, Miami Ohio and Wright State — and they also play out-ofconference games against different clubs in the NCFA, like Michigan State, George Mason and Sacred Heart.

The first couple of years have been tough for the Panthers. In year one of the program the Panthers won only one game — via forfeit — and in the past two years have won three games combined.

Although the record hasn’t been stellar, each year the number of club football players has increased. As the team grows, so do the motivations for playing.

At first it simply offered players an opportunity to continue playing football after high school, but it has since slowly turned into an opportunity for players to get recent film to send to the Panthers varsity team. Two club players have so far gone onto the Pitt varsity team — senior Drake Toto and junior Anthony ScottNaji.

Toto, who transferred from East Carolina University with the intention of walking on the varsity team, used club football to bridge the time while he was waiting to walk onto the varsity team.

Toto got an opportunity to walk onto the Pitt football team for spring ball last year and play in the spring football game.

“I knew that would not be an immediate process. I saw a flyer for the club football team and I knew when I got to Pitt that was something I wanted to do, while I waited to hear back from the varsity team,” Toto said.

Scott-Naji’s path to the football team was a little different. With little film coming out of high school, he got some D3 schools to contact him about playing football, but he wanted to go to a big school.

“I had tried everything to get in contact with the varsity team with email and phone calls, but I couldn’t get a response

pittnews.com

back,” Scott-Naji said.

Scott-Naji always had the goal of playing at the next level but didn’t know how it was going to come through at Pitt until he was at the club sports fair.

“I saw the club football booth at the club fair and knew this was the best opportunity for me now to get film and use that to send it to the varsity team,” ScottNaji said.

After his second season playing with the club team, Scott-Naji finally got his opportunity to try out for the varsity team and achieve his goal. He said he also

believes other players on the club team are capable of playing at the next level.

“There are a couple players on the team that could walk onto the team,” Scott-Naji. “Once I get situated with the team, I would definitely advocate for other players I believe have the talent to help this team.”

And when they’re not competing on the gridiron, the entire team is a part of a tight social circle that has expanded their social lives beyond classes and dorms.

“I didn’t realize the social aspect and benefits it would have,” Toto said. “Ev-

October 10, 2019

eryone on the team is my best friend and I transferred into Pitt, so it was the best way for me to make friends and to get active in the social life at Pitt.”

Spalt echoed how football, an inherently violent game, can bring a group of people together. When the game is eerily similar to a battle, teammates have no choice but to watch each other’s backs.

“These are friendships I am going to keep for the rest of my life. When you spend so much time with a group for so long, they become bonds that will never break,” Spalt said.

10

I N D E X

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

For Rent North Oakland 4BR, 2 bath house.

Newly remodeled, wall‑to‑wall carpet­ ing, equipped kitchen, deck, onsite laundry available. On busline, 15 minute walk to cam­pus. Available imme­diately. $990/ mo +gas/electric. Call 412‑548‑2214.

Stunning New 3BR, 2BA Townhouse.

Conveniently located near Pitt. Full kitchen including Stove& Re­frigerator. Garage. $2200/mo +utili‑ ties. 1yr. lease. Call 412‑505‑8531 for details.

South Oakland ***AUGUST 2020: Furnished studios, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. No pets.

Non‑smokers pre­ ferred. 412‑621‑0457. **2,3,4, 5, and 6 Bed­room houses/ Apart­ments in South Oak­land. Available for rent August 2020.

Very clean with dif­ferent amenities (dishwasher, laun­ dry, A/C, washer

pittnews.com

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

and dryer, 1‑3 baths, off‑street parking, newer ap­pliances & sofas). Check out my Face­book page: https:­//www. facebook.­com/ KenEckenrode­ RealEstate/. Call Ken at 412‑287‑4438 for more informa­tion and showings.

1‑6 bedroom. All newly renovated, air‑conditioning, dish­washer, washer/ dryer, and parking.

Most units on busline and close to Pitt.

Avail­able Summer 2020. 412‑915‑0856 or email klucca@veri­ zon.net.

2‑3‑4‑5‑6‑7 bedroom apartments and houses available in May and August 2020. Nice, clean, free laundry, in­ cludes exterior main‑ tenance, new appli‑ ances, spa­cious, and located on Semple, Oak­land Ave., Mey‑ ran Ave., Welsford, Bates, Dawson, and Mckee 412‑414‑9629. douridaboud­ propertymanage­ ment.com 3408 Parkview Ave. 2 BD for $950 & 3 BD for $1,295.

Available immedi­ ately. Pet Friendly & Parking. CALL NOW! 412‑455‑5600

Classifieds

For sale

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

notices

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

Before signing a lease, be aware that no more than 3 unre­lated people can share a single unit. Check property’s compliance with codes. Call City’s Per­mits, Licensing & In­spections.

412‑255‑2175.

South Oakland Houses and Apart­ ments with Laundry and Central Air Call or Text 412‑38‑Lease Stay ahead of the housing search.

Rooms & 1‑4 bed­ rooms available from January, May, June, July, and August.

Call/Text Ron NOW at 412‑881‑1881 or email jarcon3@ya­ hoo.com. Reserve & Relax. Small deposit required.

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

VIAN RESTAU­ RANT AND CRAFT SHOP. PART TIME RE­TAIL OR RESTAU­RANT WORK . NO EXPE‑ RIENCE NEC­ ESSARY. PLEASE APPLY IN PERSON. ABOVE PAMELAS RESTAURANT AT 5527 WALNUT STREET. 412 682 4501.

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

16-30 Words

1X

2X

3X

4X

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

5X $27.00 $29.10

6X $30.20 $32.30

Add. + $5.00 + $5.40

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

Two business days prior by 3pm | Email: advertising@pittnews.com | Phone: 412.648.7978

The Pitt News SuDoku 10/10/19 courtesy of dailysudoku.com

Part Time Banquet Servers needed at The Priory Hotel. Starting rate of $11 an hour. If interested please email zach@priory.com or call 412‑224‑6306.

For Sale For Sale Other Men’s wool cashmere topcoat, size 38S. Saks Fifth Avenue, made in Italy. NEW! $300. tac8@pitt.edu

Employment Employment Other CHOOLAAH restau­ rant located at 6114 Centre Ave is looking for Friendly, Ener­ getic, Personable and Professional Team Members to join our Team. Please apply in person or via email at JoinUs@Choolaah.­ com COME JOIN US AT LA FERIA, PERU­

October 10, 2019

11

pittnews.com

October 10, 2019

12