7-10-19

The Pitt News

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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 | jUly 10, 2019 ­| Volume 110 | Issue 9

UNIVERSITY REACTS TO CALL FOR STUDENT’S EXPULSION

WALK FOR LOVE

Janine Faust and Jon Moss The Pitt News Staff

Participants at the first annual Walk for Love wear purple, the favorite color of late Pitt student Alina Sheykhet.

Thomas Yang | visual editor

WALK FOR LOVE CELEBRATES LATE PITT STUDENT George Smith

For The Pitt News It was a sweltering Sunday morning in Oakdale as friends, family and community members gathered to commemorate the life and legacy of the late Pitt student Alina Sheykhet.

The first annual Walk for Love commenced at Settlers Cabin Park, located about 12 miles west of Oakland, last Sunday morning. Hundreds of participants, donned Sheykhet’s favorite color, purple, walked and ran in the muggy heat to pay tribute to the late student.

A 2015 graduate of nearby Montour High School in Robinson Township, Sheykhet spent time in musical theater — dancing, acting and singing. Follow-

ing high school, Sheykhet attended Pitt’s Greensburg campus where she lived with the Outdoor Adventure and Community Service living community. After two years, Sheykhet moved to Oakland to finish college at Pitt’s main campus and pursue physical therapy.

Sheykhet died in late 2017. Her ex-boyfriend, Matthew Darby, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for taking her life. In the time since her passing, Sheykhet’s family formed Alina’s Light, a charity in her honor. Alina’s Light strives to honor Sheykhet’s passion for performing arts, as well as her love for children and animals through scholarships and donations. The walk raised more than $12,000 for the charity.

The event featured numerous activities

for all ages — food trucks, a bounce house, yoga, live bands, a craft table and a petting zoo. After opening remarks from Sheykhet’s parents and board members of Alina’s Light, the event kicked off with a 5-kilometer run followed by a 1-kilometer walk. Among those in attendance were Reps. Conor Lamb, D-17, and. Anita Kulik, D-45.

Yan Sheykhet, Alina’s father, said at the beginning of the event that her death has taken a toll on the family.

“Just a year and a half ago, we were a happy family,” Sheykhet said. “She was supposed to be the first doctor in the family, but that didn’t happen.”

Once the walk concluded, the participants released balloons into the sky in See Walk for Love on page 2

Pitt Provost Ann Cudd and Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner responded Saturday evening to a Friday letter from student leaders calling for the expulsion of Ethan Kozak, a rising junior political science major.

The student letter to Pitt administrators was signed by 27 individuals, including SGB President Zechariah Brown and the presidents and vice presidents of both the Black Action Society and the Rainbow Alliance, among others. According to Brown, the student letter was sent to Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, Provost Ann Cudd, Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner and Senior Vice Chancellor for Engagement Kathy Humphrey.

Kozak admitted last week to sending racist and threatening Snapchat messages to D.J. Matthews, a 20-year-old Pittsburgh resident. Matthews posted the messages on Twitter on June 26.

In the screenshots, messages from Kozak include threats to shoot Matthews, who is black, and use derogatory language such as the “n-word” repeatedly.

Kozak initially denied having sent the messages, claiming someone had taken or hacked into his phone, but later admitted he sent them to Matthews in a “fit of anger.”

Kozak said on June 30, he had been placed on interim suspension. The University would not confirm this claim.

Kozak declined to comment on the stuSee Expulsion on page 2

News

Walk for Love, pg. 1

tribute and spent the rest of the day sharing stories, playing games and eating lunch catered by various Pittsburgh vendors. The event also included a raffle and a DJ playing some of Alina’s favorite songs.

Ember Holmes, an attorney for the family and a member of the board for Alina’s Light, spearheaded the planning of the event and said that the hard work paid off.

“We had about 500 people registered,” Holmes said. “The last month has been pretty hectic, but everyone has come together to make all of this happen.”

Alina’s Light raises funds to donate to organizations aligned with Sheykhet’s passions, such as Humane Animal Rescue of

State law breaks down barriers to reporting sexual harassment pittnews.com Pittsburgh, in addition to providing performing arts students from Sheykhet’s high school with scholarships.

Rudy Pemberton, a first-year at Duquesne University and applicant for an Alina’s Light scholarship, volunteered for the event and participated in the walk.

“I’ve really enjoyed it so far,” Pemberton said. “There’s a lot going on and it feels like one big family here.”

Nicole Ricchiuto, a close friend of Sheykhet, also participated in the walk and said it did Sheykhet’s life justice.

“There’s a little bit of everything here,” Ricchiuto said. “I think Alina would have loved it.”

One of the focal points of the event was addressing domestic violence and advocating for H.B. 588, or Alina’s Law.

Alina’s Law is designed to bolster protections for victims under a Protection From Abuse order. The bill, if passed, would allow judges to order defendants under a PFA be affixed with a device that would notify the victim and police if the boundaries of the order are violated.

Kulik is the bill’s sponsor and said at the event that the bill is making good progress in the House.

“I’m really excited about the progress … we now have a lot of bipartisan support for it,” Kulik said. “A lot of members in the House right now are very interested in domestic violence bills, so I think we have a great chance of getting this through.”

Kulik said she is pushing for a hearing on the bill in front of the House Judiciary Committee, and she expects the House to

Expulsion, pg. 1 dents’ letter in a Friday phone call.

Cudd and Bonner said in the response they were thankful for students writing to them and appreciate the calls to “continue creating a respectful, peaceful, diverse and safe learning environment.”

“While certain racist speech may be protected by the First Amendment, racist comments run in absolute and stark contrast to the University of Pittsburgh’s values and mission,” the response said. “Our response has afforded due process to the student involved — as each of us would expect, should we be accused of a serious crime or conduct violation. On this front, we are moving as judiciously and expediently as law and fairness allow.”

The student letter also said the University should provide statements that directly address incidents of discrimination and harassment, as opposed to “automated” statements.

Cudd and Bonner said while the University was cooperating with local law enforcement agencies, Pitt needed to tread carefully about releasing details about any possible disciplinary proceedings involving Kozak, due to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The act prohibits

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The Pitt student leaders’ letter to administrators calling for the expulsion of Ethan Kozak. image via pitt black action society schools, in most cases, from disclosing information from a student’s educational record without consent from the student.

The student letter also asserted the Student Code of Conduct does not properly address students who “incite violence” against other students on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or certain other classifications — none of the conduct’s 40 violations specifically mention these classifications. To remedy this, the student letter called for the University to develop a “strict policy” for

these types of situations.

Cudd and Bonner said they were willing to meet with the student letter’s authors about ways to strengthen the University Code of Conduct, while remaining consistent with the First Amendment.

“In the coming year, we remain committed to doing just that — strengthening our Student Code of Conduct and seeking out new opportunities to discuss the destructive power of white supremacy, racism, sexism, gender discrimination, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of hateful lan-

July 10, 2019

Board of Trustees committee updates pittnews.com

vote on it by the end of the year. She added that time is being taken to properly revise the original bill so that its final passage can be ensured, as the bill has been sitting in committee after passing the Senate two sessions ago.

“We have had issues with the fourth amendment regarding due process,” Kulik said. “We want it to be fair, but we also want to ensure protection for victims of domestic violence. We need to give someone a fighting chance to get to safety.”

Before the event began, Sheykhet’s mother Elly spoke to the crowd. Voice shaking, she said her duty is to fix the system that failed her daughter.

“Domestic violence is real. If it happened to our daughter, it can happen to anyone,” Sheykhet said. “Changes must be done.” guage,” the student letter said.

Pitt senior Edenis Augustin, a signatory to the letter and former president of Black Action Society, said in an email he was glad the University responded quickly to the letter.

“I’m taking the time to process their response and how to move forward with the work that needs to be done,” Augustin said.

“I hope it leads to a smooth working relationship with administration.”

Brown, who also signed the letter, said he appreciated the administration listening to student concerns.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to discuss ways in which our University can continue to make black students feel safe, protected and valued at Pitt,” Brown said.

Jordan Fields, a senior political science major and one of the letter’s authors, wrote in an email that the signatories are working on a formal response to the administration and was hopeful that the response to the incident would lead to change on campus.

“I hope at the end of the day this leads to more discussions about how we as students can combat hate on campus,” Fields said.

City Public Safety Department spokesperson Cara Cruz said in an email that an investigation into Kozak was ongoing and declined to comment further.

2

Opinions

Editorial: Pennsylvania curbs gerrymandering, nation should follow pittnews.com

WANT TO BREAK THE GLASS CEILING? FORGET GENDER Julia Kreutzer

Senior Staff Columnist When asked what kind of presidential behavior Americans can expect next term, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., made a deliberate point to use female pronouns in her response during the June 27 Democratic primary debates.

“I will ensure that this microphone, that the president of the United States holds in her hand, is used in a way that is about reflecting the values of our country,” Harris said.

It made me weep like Lady Gaga in “A Star is Born.” Her statement radiated a profuse sense of hope, indicating the possibility of a brighter future for women in America. Even without explicitly focusing on gender, Harris managed to indicate that women are in this game to win it. That’s why Harris’ statement — a normalization and almost nonchalant glimpse at women in power — was so moving.

Questions regarding women in the White House have become prominent in the 2020 election, where female electability, or the continued debate as to whether women candidates can attract voters, has arisen as a pivotal issue among democrats. A fundamental contributor to this is our inherent focus on a candidate’s gender — either in an effort to bolster women in politics or preserve the current patriarchal hierarchy of men in power. As voters, we must have the courtesy and courage to judge them based on their platforms, not solely our perception of their ability to break the glass ceiling. By lending an attentive and respectful ear to all candidates, both male and female, we can act in an authentically feminist and genuinely democratic manner.

This obsession with female electability has manifested in two primary forms — first, the argument that it is “too risky” to nominate a female candidate and, alternatively, the belief that only a woman can save us from the current political climate.

With the result of the 2016 election fresh in our minds, the question of what made Hillary Clinton

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Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks Thursday, June 27, at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. al diaz/miami herald/tns so “unelectable” proves a double-edged sword for the female candidates of this election cycle. Political reporter Amy Chozick interviewed five of the women running for president and found the looming stain of the last election is a major hurdle that they’re being forced to jump over.

“These women have seemed stuck in a sort of political purgatory, firmly, frustratingly sandwiched between Hillary’s loss and the country’s (eventual?) realization that a woman can be president,” Chozick wrote. “Clinton’s defeat has, for the most part, been more of an albatross — a sign of ‘See? We told you the country wasn’t ready.’”

But a June 2019 study from the Reflective Democracy Campaign should put this “electability” argument to rest. It found that when women ran for office, they won at the same rate as their male counterparts. This was true both for white women and women of color. Statistically, a female candidate has as much of a chance of beating President Donald Trump as a man. In defense of the Democrats, it makes sense that some fear a woman would not win, as the only female major party candidate lost to this very opponent just a few years ago.

But consider the plethora of women who now hold other government positions and have been extremely successful. All of the leading female

candidates, including Harris, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Amy Klobuchr, D-Minn., and Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii., have complex and elevated platforms that have already gotten them relatively deep into the 2020 race. It is illogical to assume women cannot have political success in a presidential run.

Tom Smyth, writer for the satirical site McSweeney’s, points out the hypocrisy in using Clinton’s near win as an indicator that this group of women will face the same fate.

“Americans, excluding those 65.8 million who made Hillary Clinton the person with the second most votes ever, just aren’t yet ready to elect a woman president,” Smyth wrote. “That’s why I think we need someone like Joe Biden, who’s a shining example of electability, and who has only lost two presidential elections before this one. Or even Beto O’Rourke, a person who can really unite people of all shades of white, and who is another pro at getting elected.”

On the opposite end of this debate, some argue that female candidates are the only people who can garner real success serving in the executive branch — just because they’re women.

Farhad Manjoo, opinions columnist for The New York Times, made his plea for why “The Next

July 10, 2019

President Should Not Be a Man,” explaining that women are our best shot at making real change in feminist politics.

“Electing a woman as president would deal a smashing symbolic blow to the patriarchy.

How can even the most enlightened male candidate rebut that plain fact?” Manjoo said. “In 100 years, what will stand as the more appropriate response to the upheaval of the Trump years and of #MeToo — electing the first woman or electing a very woke man?”

It is a fair point coming from a ‘very woke man.’ Women have statistically gotten more policy, especially those aimed at benefiting women and families, enacted than their male counterparts. Female representation is absolutely necessary and indisputably important. The issue arises when we begin to favor electing a woman as a political statement over electing them as a testament to their commitments and breadth of experience.

This mentality feels like giving women a (long overdue) participation trophy over allowing them to meaningfully compete for our trust.

Neither of these polarities will offer tangible change in the country. Both overlooking female candidates and putting the nominees in a pigeon hole based on gender prevent the party from nominating the most qualified person to beat Trump.

Counting anyone out favors bias over logic.

I want a woman president. Female representation in politics, especially in a position of such influence, is critical for the continued progress of our democracy. Yet, there is something inherently anti-feminist about prioritizing a candidate’s gender rather than trusting their political competency, just as it is morally questionable and strategically improbable to argue that a woman would be unable to garner support.

I want a woman president, but I need a competent president, whoever that may be. Focusing on anything other than candidates’ abilities is not only a slap in the face to women who have spent their lives fighting to serve the country, but also hinders our ability to get the best person for the job.

3

Culture

Movie Blog: Can Netflix save the romantic comedy? pittnews.com

THORGY THOR TAKES OVER THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Elizabeth Martinson

Stars season three, Thor sought a way to bring together her love of classical music Synesthesia is a neurological trait that and drag performance together, leading causes people to experience one stimulus to the creation of her separate theatrical in multiple ways — for example, someone show.

For fans of classical music, the show, sees specific colors upon hearing a specific appropriately named “Thorgy and the sound. Thorgy Thor, a Brooklyn-based Thorcestra,” offered something very difdrag queen, doesn’t have synesthesia, but ferent from most PSO performances in she did incorporate a pseudo-experiment Heinz Hall.

The show included an eclectic based around it as part of her Pittsburgh selection of musical numbers ranging from show. While the symphony played behind romantic classics to current pop hits like her, Thor put brush to canvas and painted Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.” what she heard.

Going into the show, which combined Thor and her “Thorcestra” made their elements of drag culture with a symphony U.S. premiere in Pittsburgh alongside the orchestra, I had no idea what to expect.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on June Despite that, it really wasn’t what I ex27. Thor previously gained worldwide pected.

The “Thorchestra” was featured far fame through two appearances on RuPaul’s more than I anticipated and Thorgy Thor Drag Race. In both season eight and All herself far less.

Conductor Edwin Outwater introduced the performance by asking what would happen if you combine a drag show and classical music. “A Fifth of Beethoven,” the first single released from the 1976 Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and the first performance of the evening, answers that question. If you can imagine Beethoven’s music and disco had a love-child, then you know exactly what this song sounds like.

It provided the perfect opener for Thor’s show.

From the off you could tell that the PSO were enjoying themselves and the performance’s theatrical atmosphere. Most performances at Heinz Hall with the PSO are visually plain — the audience is there for an auditory experience, not a visual one — but “A Fifth of Beethoven” was accompanied by disco ball lighting and colored

spotlights shining up the back wall of the stage.

Part way through the opening performance, Thor herself came onstage to join the PSO as a violin soloist, putting her classical conservatory training on full display.

As with most drag shows, “Thorgy and the Thorcestra” contained elements of Thor’s personality through conversation with the audience in addition to the musical performances, and she used her comedy interludes to regularly lavish praise on the Grammy-winning PSO and Outwater.

Thor also took some time to explain the origin of the “Thorcestra” idea and how it come about.

The self-titled “queen of classical music” grew up playing viola, violin and cello and studied music at the University See Thorgy on page 5

per. They frequently invite their friends onto the podcast, usually other YouTubers or actors like James Allen McCune, best known for his role on “The Walking Dead.” Every episode has a ridiculous name that generally has nothing to do with the topic of each episode, such as “Try My Dad’s Mashed Potatoes” or “Lego Star Wars Will Make You Hate Your Brother” to make you laugh before you even start the episode. They employ inside jokes, like all of their friends being called “the boys,” that make you feel like you’re hanging out with your best friends.

Binge Mode: Harry Potter // Sarah Connor, Contributing Editor “Binge Mode” is a podcast series from The Ringer in which Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion examine a popular series book by book, movie by movie and/or episode by episode. So far, Binge Mode has dived into “Game of Thrones” and “Harry Potter.” As a lifelong

“Harry Potter” geek, you bet I listened to all 50+ podcast episodes of “Binge Mode: Harry Potter.” Rubin and Concepcion analyzed all seven books, eight movies and, as they put it, “the wider Potter cannon,” meaning they also discuss the new “Fantastic Beasts” films and the many additional pieces JK Rowling has added to the wizarding universe. The podcast is informative (it helped me find great discussion topics when I was in the literature class “Harry Potter”: Blood, Power, and Culture with Dr. Lori Campell-Tanner), and it is absolutely hilarious. Rubin and Concepcion do not shy away from dirty jokes related to wands and Patronuses, making the podcast entertaining for the fantasy nerd in all of us.

SAYER // Kyra Samuda, FTPN SAYER is a narrative science fiction podcast that details the aftermath of an asteroid hitting Earth’s Pacific Northwest. Heralding itself as the future of humanity, the organization

Ærolith Dynamics remakes the asteroid into an artificial moon named Typhon, the setting of the series. Outside of any government control, the organization recruits people from Earth to live and work on Typhon under the promise of “a better life among the stars.” To ensure that residents stay in line, the organization builds the titular character SAYER, a self-aware AI that monitors all activity. Narrated by SAYER, each episode is a stand-alone story cataloging the AI’s interactions with different people on Typhon, often involving residents undergoing harrowing tasks as employees of Ærolith Dynamics. Thinly veiling its scorn towards humans under a seemingly objective narration, SAYER’s coldness and dark sense of humor immerses the listener in Typhon’s dystopian society.

Staff Writer

STAFF PICKS: PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS

The Pitt News Staff

Podcasts have gained popularity recently, with many gaining widespread critical acclaim, such as the true crime podcast “Serial,” or even being adapted into television shows, like “Homecoming,” starring Julia Roberts. While podcasts like these have become mainstream, there is still a myriad of different podcasts out there, covering everything from comedy to science fiction. Here are some of our podcast recommendations for your listening pleasure: The Gus and Eddy Podcast // Zainab Hakeem, FTPN “The Gus and Eddy Podcast” is a comedy podcast hosted by comedians and YouTubers Gus Johnson and Eddy Burback, discussing anecdotes, memes and questions from their Twitter followers. Every week, they joke around in their studio made of cubicle blocks and ’80s patterns cut out of construction pa-

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July 10, 2019

Find the full story online at

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Thorgy, pg. 4 of Hartford’s Hartt School in Connecticut and at Purchase College’s Conservatory of Music. Thor graduated with a dual degree in violin and viola performance before moving to Brooklyn and entering the drag scene there.

The “Thorchestra” made its debut in Nova Scotia in 2018 after Thor expressed interest in the idea on RuPaul’s show. Thor reportedly heard from hundreds of people around the world all expressing interest in joining the “Thorcestra” and performing classical music in drag.

Thor used the performance to shed light on those forgotten by history such as Dame Ethel Smythe, a suffragette who wrote “Song of the Women” which became the official anthem of the English suffragette movement.

Falling at the end of Pride month, the performance paid tribute to LGBTQ+ history, musicians and composers, such as Aaron Copland, whose piece “Hoe Down” from the ballet “Rodeo” was performed.

Thor and the PSO performed Richard Rodgers’ “I Enjoy Being a Girl” to tell the

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Thorgy Thor and the “Thorchestra” performed at Heinz Hall on June 27. Emily Wolfe | contributing editor story of the Brunswick Four Minus One behind bars along with other suffragettes and their rendition of the parody, “I Enjoy including Emmeline Pankhurst.

Being a Dyke.” Vocalist Katy Shackleton Overall, the night was a celebration of Williams sang both versions for the audi- classical music, drag culture and Pride. It ence and added a tailcoat over her red ball brought together an audience of LGBTQ+ gown for the latter. individuals, allies and classical music fans The performance was a multimedia en- — although those groups are not necessardeavor and included pre-recorded video ily mutually exclusive. asides from Thor as well as short docuIn my opinion, conductor Edwin Outmentaries about some of the songs, such water stole the show. If you get the chance, as The Brunswick Four and “I Enjoy Be- you should go for his straight-faced, deading a Girl,” and Dame Ethel, the suffragette pan performance of the last verse of Macomposer who spent some time in Hol- donna’s “Vogue” alone. loway Prison and performed her anthem

July 10, 2019

The celebration of drag definitely took a back seat, with the exception of Thorgy Thor herself who went through multiple wardrobe changes, beginning with a Dolly Parton-esque pink sequined jumpsuit.

That being said, the first half of the performance included a walk-off consisting of audience members from four different categories — over-60, under-14, gayest and doesn’t want to be on stage. The four strutted their stuff to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” after Outwater’s unsuccessful attempt to set the performance to Johann Strauss’ “On the Beautiful Blue Danube.”

Unsurprisingly, the self-declared gayest audience member won the competition, although doesn’t-want-to-be-on-stage gave him a run for his money, opening up as the audience cheered her on.

The night ended with a traditional, drag show-esque performance by Thor — now dressed in a rainbow fringe dress with a cropped jean jacket — to Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ 2014 smash hit, “Uptown Funk.” Thor danced across the stage and strutted through the audience dancing on laps and thanking audience members for coming. A triumphant and strong end to a singular show.

5

Sports

4 Panthers sign with MLB teams pittnews.com

LYKE RESPONDS TO LOW PITTSBURGHER PLAYS WILLIAMS PITT SPORTS RANKINGS IN WIMBLEDON QUARTERFINAL Brian Gentry

Senior Staff Writer Pitt sports have struggled in recent years. A Jan. 9 victory for the men’s basketball team against Louisville ended a 690-day dry spell in ACC basketball wins, and the team finished just 3-15 in conference games overall — still an improvement over last year’s winless season in the conference.

But despite a decent football season and an outstanding volleyball season in which the Panthers had their highest ranking in program history, the Panthers were rated 137th of the NCAA Division I’s 295 sports teams in a ranking released by the Learfield IMG College Director’s Cup. This marked Pitt’s lowest rating in the last 15 years, and is a ranking based on an average of the top 20 programs at each school.

Heather Lyke, the University’s athletic director, responded to the rankings,

acknowledging the low ranking and suggesting the Panthers would focus on improving their performance to raise their rankings.

“I think it’s a very reliable indicator,” she told Pittsburgh Sports Now this week. “It does measure your top 20 teams and it measures based on success across the board and it’s based on NCAA participation … It’s something that we focus on and definitely aspire to improve.”

Yahoo Sports also recently rated Pitt in dead last out of all Power Five conference teams, and also wrote that the University’s sports teams are on a downward trend. The top team in both Yahoo Sports’ and the Learfield Cup’s rankings was Stanford.

As the Panthers look forward to the 2019-20 season, teams will seek to put past poor seasons behind them and improve both their performance and their rankings.

Pitt is ranked 137th out of the NCAA Division I’s 295 sports teams in Learfield IMG College Director’s Cup’s recent ranking.

Thomas Yang | visual editor

pittnews.com

Alison Riske of the United States plays a backhand in her Ladies’ Singles fourth round match against Ashleigh Barty of Australia Wimbledon 2019 on July 8 in London. matthias hangst/getty images/tns to the quarterfinal, stuck right with Williams Neena Hagen in the big baseline points. She only stumbled Senior Staff Writer Against all expectations, Pittsburgh native a handful of times on serve, when she double Alison Riske had 23-time grand slam cham- faulted facing break points.

“It’s no secret that Serena has an amazing pion Serena Williams on the brink of defeat in serve.

But Serena has an equally-as-amazing their Tuesday quarterfinal at Wimbledon. return, ” Riske said. “I’ve never played anyone The world no. 55 played some Riske-y tenthat has a return like Serena. That put a lot of nis to break Williams early in the third set, pressure on my serve.” blasting sharply angled returns past her oppoRiske actually thrived on pressure moments nent, who was slowed by an ankle injury. But throughout her run in the championships. She her lead was short-lived. Williams managed to played the tournament of her life and notched claw back and seal victory late in the decider — some huge wins along the way — including her as she often has in her 51 grand slam semifinal biggest career win over newly minted world no. appearances.

1 Ash Barty in the fourth round.

“I had to just button up and play hard,” WilThat match looked lopsided on paper, as liams, who’s going for her eighth Wimbledon does any match pitting the world no. 1 against title, said after the match. “She was playing her the world no. 55. Barty won back-to-back titles heart out.” at the French Open and The Birmingham ClasShe certainly was. This was the 29-year-old’s sic coming into Wimbledon, and many comfirst run to grand slam quarterfinal in a profesmentators named her this year’s Wimbledon sional career dating back to 2006, when she led favorite.

Peters Township high school to a Pennsylvania As Barty won the first set in 32-minutes, she girls’ state championship and won the singles looked primed to add to her 15-match winning championship. Riske, who seemed far from See Wimbledon on page 7 war weary after winning four matches en route

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Wimbledon, pg. 6 streak and secure a place in the quarterfinals.

But Riske had other plans on that balmy Monday afternoon — she wanted to add to her own five-match winning streak on grass.

In the second set, Riske began targeting Barty’s backhand with deep, flat groundstrokes.

She came to net 27 times, winning nearly threequarters of those points. Riske also broke Barty’s serve four times in the final two sets, converting 100% of her break point opportunities, an unprecedented number.

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The match went back and forth until the end, when Barty sailed a forehand wide on match point to let Riske march on at Wimbledon.

“I didn’t play a poor match,” Barty said.

“When I needed to, when the big moments were there, Alison played better. Tough one to swallow, but I lost to a better player.”

Riske’s win against Barty brought her 2019 grass court record to 14-1, better than most top 10 players. She credited her resilience and fighting spirit for getting her through a tough match with Barty.

“The biggest key for me has just been to battle from start to finish of every match that I’ve

been a part of,” Riske said.

And she’s needed every ounce of fight — her breakout run was perhaps the most laborious of all the quarterfinalists. All five of her matches lasted three sets, including a marathon match against Ivana Jorovic in the second round that ended 9-7 in the final set. She beat three seeds at this tournament, who were all ranked higher than her.

But when the post-Wimbledon rankings come-out on Monday, Riske will be guaranteed a place in the top 40, closing in on her highest career ranking of no. 36. As for what’s next? She’s getting married in two weeks, and she called her

July 10, 2019

nuptials a good omen for her performance on tour.

“I wish I could get married more often,” Riske joked after her win against Barty.

After that, it’ll be off to the U.S. Open, and Riske will see if she can replicate her Wimbledon run at a slam closer to home. But she said there was no better place to make her first real dent in a grand slam than at Wimbledon.

“The fact that it’s at Wimbledon, my favorite grand slam, the place that I had always dreamed to be in the last eight, they can’t kick me out now,” Riske said gleefully after her win over Barty. “I’m here to stay!”

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3BR apartment,

3408 Parkview Ave. Studios, 1‑2‑3 BRS Available June &Aug. Pet Friendly & Park­ ing. CALL NOW! 412‑455‑5600

5BR, 2BA, second

services

• EDUCATIONAL • TRAVEL • HEALTH • PARKING • INSURANCE

cen­tral air, washer/

dryer, water included in rent, available

8/1/19. $1,350/mo.

Call 412‑398‑6119.

Brand new remod‑

eled spacious duplex. and third floors

with wooden floors.

Laun­dry room in

apart­ment. Parking

avail­able. Skylight.

Front Porch. Back‑

notices

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

yard. $3200 + utilities.

Call 412‑871‑5657 LARGE, SOL‑

ID‑BUILD HOUSES FOR 2‑3 PEOPLE, each with spacious kitchen and living room, nice roomy

backyard, enjoyable front porch, some

R A T E S

Insertions

1-15 Words

16-30 Words

$6.30

$11.90

$17.30

$22.00

$7.50

$14.20

$20.00

$25.00

5X $27.00 $29.10

alongside seniors to

stu­dents to work as In­

covered porch, laun­

ship, light housekeep­

tives for the newspa­

campus. Driveway,

dry, and 3 full bath­

rooms. $2800 which

includes utilities. Call 412‑977‑9931

Employment

Comfort Keepers,

houses.

Workplace, is seek­ing

Recently renovated

4X

4 BR house. Close to

per room. Call

412‑692‑1770 to see

3X

6X $30.20 $32.30

Add. + $5.00 + $5.40

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

‑ starting August

25. Only $365‑$450

2X

(Each Additional Word: $0.10)

Deadline:

Employment Other

re­cent renovations

1X

a Post‑Gazette Top caring individu­als.

Caregivers work

July 10, 2019

provide companion­

ing, personal care ser­ vices. Flexible hours

available. If inter­ested call 412‑363‑5500

Summer Job‑‑Land­ scape and pool main­tenance.

Approxi­mately 10 hours/ week, $15/ hour. Ref­erences

required. Squirrel Hill, 412‑889‑8934.

side Sales Representa­ per. They will pro­vide advertising ser­vice to all Student, Univer‑ sity, and Clas­sified

Accounts, while also complet­ing assigned

office duties. Submit re­sumes/applica‑

tions to advertising@

pittnews.­com, or stop by our office at 434

William Pitt Union!

The Pitt News is

cur­rently seeking

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