7-17-19 (Summer Guide)

News

Students to face 2.75-7% tuition hike pittnews.com

Gillibrand discusses health care, labor rights pittnews.com

NEW FOOD STAND ADDS ASIAN TWIST ON CREPES TO OAKLAND Emily Wen

For The Pitt News When someone mentions crepes, they often think of the soft and sweet French crepe, filled with cream and strawberries, topped off with powdered sugar.

But with the June 27 opening of T-Swirl in Schenley Plaza, Oakland residents can try the Japanese crepe: a crispy and chewy crepe, folded neatly into a hand-held cone and decorated with either sweet items — strawberries, chocolate truffles or bananas — or savory items — such as crab meat or salmon.

Owner Tom Chen said the crepes look “beautiful” when you wrap them up.

“We have a lot of customers who, when they see it, don’t even want to eat it!” Chen said, chuckling.

From the 12 different sweet crepes, including matcha chocolate truffles and lychee romantic, to the two different savory crepes, spicy crabmeat and smoked salmon, the carry-to-go Japanese crepes appeal to a wide range of customers.

Before opening Pittsburgh’s two T-Swirl locations, Chen worked from 2010 to 2017 at Schenley Plaza’s Asia Tea House, which is owned by his father. While on vacation in Queens in New York City, Chen was introduced to Japanese crepes. Smitten by the crispy handheld dessert, he decided to contact TSwirl’s corporate office, and he opened a location in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood in December 2017.

Encouraged by the success of T-Swirl in Squirrel Hill, Chen started to draw plans to open a second Pittsburgh location. He said the manager of Waffallonia, which previously occupied T-Swirl’s location in Schenley Plaza, called to offer him the space. Waffallonia did not respond to requests for comment on why it vacated the space.

“It’s the location, and also it’s close to the student,” Chen said. “That’s good advertising for us too, so that people will know us.”

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T-Swirl Crepe’s Schenley Plaza location. Thomas Yang | visual editor Chen said that he expects business to be busier once students arrive on campus for the fall semester.

The location on campus, the novelty of Japanese crepes and the variety of crepes offered on T-Swirl’s menu are some of the reasons that some customers decide to buy a crepe from TSwirl.

One person that was drawn to T-Swirl is Joshua McDermott, a Pitt graduate student studying sociology. McDermott said he was walking by Schenley Plaza on a sunny Tuesday afternoon after teaching in Posvar Hall when the T-Swirl sign caught his eye.

“The waffle thing was too simple,” McDermott said. “This is more interesting. There’s more stuff.”

But the crepes appeal in particular to glutenfree consumers — the crepes are made with rice flour instead of regular flour, giving them their crispy taste.

Rachel Rudnicki, a Pitt senior psychology major, said she was relaxing in Schenley Plaza with friends when she decided to try a T-Swirl crepe.

“What caught my eye was ‘Gluten Free’, so then I was like ‘Oh, gluten free! Let me check it out, because it’s something I can actually eat,” Rudnicki, who has celiac disease, said. “And then I looked at the menu and it looked really appealing.”

Chen said gluten-free foods are more common now and one of the reasons he, as well as customers, are drawn to the Japanese crepe. But while the crepe itself is gluten-free, some of the toppings, including the custard, are not. Chen mentioned that he is currently working with the supplier on making the custard completely gluten-free.

Opening a storefront in Schenley Plaza also means staying close to family. Chen and his father Feng said they help each other when it comes to maintaining their respective food shops in the plaza.

“He helps me with the ordering for the store, because I don’t know English at all,” the elder Chen, a Chinese speaker, said in an email translated by his son. “I help him to give him the knowledge to start the new business.”

The father and son duo are just two of the

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steadily growing Asian businesses in Pittsburgh.

According to CBS Pittsburgh, the City’s Asian population increased by 28% between 2013 and 2017. Largely driven by an influx of foreign students and immigrants choosing to go to school or work in Pittsburgh, more Asian businesses are opening to meet the demand.

Kung Fu Tea, a national chain of bubble tea stores, was one of the businesses to recognize this growing trend and opened an Oakland food truck in May. Kevin Chu, the truck’s manager, said the growing Asian population was one of their target demographics in Oakland.

“There’s not enough Asian culture in Oakland, there could be a little bit more,” Chu said.

“So, every little bit counts.”

With the addition of the new T-Swirl location in Schenley Plaza and the new Kung Fu Tea truck, Oakland is slowly expanding its Asian-style eateries to accommodate the growing Asian population in Pittsburgh. When asked about whether or not he would open a third TSwirl location, Chen said he was considering another location within the next year or so.

“Yeah, that’s my plan,” Chen said.

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SOON, PICKLES HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE Vaibhav Gupta Staff Writer

A giant Heinz pickle balloon floating high over Downtown Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Bridge can only mean one thing: Picklesburgh has touched down.

The free, annual food festival, lasting from July 26 to July 28, celebrates much more than just traditional dill pickles — the celebration features international pickled dishes, artisanal cocktails with pickled ingredients, a selection of handcrafted foods from local restaurants and even demos on how to pickle at home. The pickle-themed festival was recently rated by USA Today as the nation’s best speciality food festival. This year, it’s got even more pickle-related fun in store than ever before.

According to Colton Gill, the digital and online content coordinator for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, which runs Picklesburgh, the festival is emblematic of the City and its history as home to the H. J. Heinz Company.

“To the City of Pittsburgh, Picklesburgh represents the history and heritage of the City while highlighting what’s currently putting Pittsburgh in the spotlight around the world,” Gill said in an email. “Picklesburgh attracts around 100,000 fans each year, with everyone from the pickle-curious to pickle fanatics in attendance.”

Gill added that this year, Picklesburgh is going to be the largest it has been since it began in 2015. The festival will double in size, taking over Fort Duquesne Boulevard between Stanwix and 7th streets in addition to the Roberto Clemente Bridge. The increase in space will allow more vendors the opportunity to provide samples and sell their specialties to attendees.

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This year’s Picklesburgh will go from July 26 to July 28 on Roberto Clemente Bridge and surrounding streets.

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One of the vendors attending the festival is Aunt Carol’s Gourmet Dips, a Pittsburgh-area company that started nearly 12 years ago. According to Lynn Grimes, a sales representative at the store, Picklesburgh offers a unique experience to display the store’s special pickle-flavored dips to the public.

“We are one of the original vendors at Picklesburgh. It has been growing since the past four years, now they have taken it partly off the bridge and onto the streets,” Grimes said. “During the festival, we hope to see a bigger customer base and, hopefully, show our signature dips.”

According to Gill, the festival’s size isn’t the only big change coming this year — the annual pickle juice drinking contest has also expanded. As always, contestants will compete to be

crowned the mayor of Picklesburgh and receive a $500 cash prize.

“One of the most popular parts of the festival is the contest where thirsty pickle fans compete to see who can drink a quart of pickle juice the fastest, with last year’s winner setting a festival record of just over six seconds,” Gill said. “This year’s contest will be expanding to all three days, with 10 preliminary rounds over the course of Friday and Saturday and the winner of those rounds competing in an ultimate drink-off on Sunday.”

Gill said Pittsburghers should attend Picklesburgh because it presents not only an opportunity to experience the City, but to also have fun while exploring Downtown.

“There’s no better way to experience summer in the City of Pittsburgh than at a pickle festival held on one of our

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iconic bridges in picturesque Downtown,” Gill said.

Albert Tanjaya, a rising senior computer science major, said Picklesburgh offers an amazing summer experience to get to know the City and its food culture.

“Picklesburgh is such an iconic thing to do in Pittsburgh over the summer. That’s why I am interested to go for two things,” Tanjaya said. “The food, because who doesn’t want to try a bajillion pickles, and also the iconic Heinz pickle pin from Picklesburgh.”

Tanjaya said Pickesburgh also provides an opportunity to also explore the City with friends.

“I would encourage all my friends to attend at least once, this is why I’m here in Pittsburgh,” Tanjaya said. “It is a very fun event with all the vendors and activities going on.”

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Opinions

Column | Summer, the flaming garbage pile of seasons pittnews.com

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NO TRANSFORMATION OR 5 CLASSIC NOVELS WEIGHT LOSS REQUIRED TO BRING TO THE BEACH FOR ‘SUMMER BODIES’ Anne Marie Yurik Staff Columnist

Summer is not just the season for rising temperatures, family vacations and getting roped into buying lemonade from a little kid’s lemonade stand. Summer can serve as an unwelcome catalyst for body image insecurities and anxiety.

Most people have probably heard someone else in their life talking about getting swimsuit-ready or working out to achieve their summer bodies. The idea that a person needs to change their body in order to wear less clothing — a swimsuit, short shorts, tank tops — is not only potentially triggering to people who are currently battling an eating disorder, but it also perpetuates the idea that only certain bodies can be swimsuit bodies.

Cultivating an environment where body shaming is not tolerated or accepted is essential, especially during the summer months, when people of all ages focus on achieving the “perfect” summer body or getting swimsuit-ready.

Even though it is easy to get wrapped up in the idea that only certain shapes and sizes can wear swimsuits or stereotypical summer clothes, all bodies are swimsuit bodies. Nobody needs to alter, change or conceal their natural shape simply because it is summertime.

As social creatures, we look to each other and our surroundings to determine our opinions and actions. The instinct to compare and contrast what

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we are seeing in the world and apply it to ourselves is a double-edged sword.

Comparison culture affected me severely when I began using apps like Instagram and Facebook. I constantly found myself waiting to find a body type that looked like mine and never seeing it. I began to hate my body because I thought it was atypical and strange.

But now that I realize 91% of women report being unhappy with their bodies, I can see that I am not the only one who felt disconnected from my body and disappointed with how it looked. Even though most women already feel discontent with their bodies, negative body image increases as summer comes into full swing, according to anad.org.

“Advertising for the summer season has, over the years begun to promote an unrealistic and unhealthy standard for women to achieve the perfect bikini body, which is represented as being very tan, thin and toned,” Kristen Fuller wrote in an article on anad.org.

The beauty standards that we possess today are not only demoralizing, they are unattainable. Although many would chalk up body discomfort to someone not having enough self discipline in order to get the body of their dreams, the unattainability of the bodies we see everyday says otherwise. Only 5% of women naturally have the body type that today’s standards consider acceptable, so even being in the best shape of your life likely won’t be enough.

See Yurik on page 6

Leah Mensch Opinions Editor

The Goodreads Popular Beach Read Books ranking has gone live, and there is only one thing to do with this list: print it out, crumple it in a ball and recycle it. It’s high time we leave “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Gone Girl” and “Confessions of a Shopaholic” at home. Opt for a more practical and classic beach read this summer. These are five timeless books that absolutely must make it into your beach bag.

1. “Heart of Darkness,” Joseph Conrad Whether you’re snoozing on plush sheets and a down pillow or your foldable cot has sand in the sheets from the last beach vacationers, it can be difficult to sleep away from your own bed. Seriously.

Science confirms that people don’t sleep as well their first few nights in a bed that isn’t theirs. The right hemisphere of the brain remains slightly active as an evolutionary instinct, in case the vacation spot isn’t so vacationy.

This is where “Heart of Darkness” comes in handy. Crack it open and read about imperialism, colonialism and what happens when “civilized” people leave society. All told through British white men narration and point of view, by the way. I promise you’ll be asleep by page three.

2. “The Sun Also Rises,” Ernest Hemingway Hemingway’s syntax and sentence structure is simple, unlike your beach vacation, probably. It’s a nice break from reality.

This novel is about really masculine

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dudes travelling to Spain to watch a bullfight, though when you finish this book, you probably still won’t really know what it’s about. It doesn’t really matter though, because your entertainment needs will be filled. A quarter of the book is about tension between men fighting for certain women, and the rest consists of multiple characters getting drunk with each other and telling their friends to go to hell. The story was published in 1926, but this beach read is timeless.

3. “Crime and Punishment,” Fyodor Dostoyevsky Step aside, Agatha Christie. Everyone loves a good murder mystery on the shore of the beach, but instead of trying to figure out who murdered who on a remote island, we’re switching it up this year. “Crime and Punishment” cuts the fluff and gets right to the point — the murder goes down on the third page. After that, you spend the remaining 700 pages solving the mystery portion of this book, which is how to pronounce all of the characters’ names — Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov, Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikov, Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov, Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin and Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladov, to name a few.

4. “Moby Dick,” Herman Melville Ever gone fishing with your uncle? It’s boring. It’s tiring. And nothing really happens.

Find the full story online at

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Yurik, pg. 5 These expectations affect not only women but also men of all shapes and sizes. A vast majority of high school- and middle school-aged boys — about 90% — exercise with the goal of bulking up.

The desire to workout, not necessarily to be healthy but to change your body, depicts how men struggle with body image too.

Male body image issues relate back to the way men are portrayed in the media as well. Lack of diverse body representation coupled with summer’s rising temperatures means that many feel uncomfortable in their skin, despite summer’s implied promises of relaxation and a natural tan.

Rather than fostering unrealistic expectations for bodies, people should begin to shift their expectations — not only for others but also for themselves.

Instead of telling yourself that you need to lose 5 pounds or tone your abs before you can wear a swimsuit, it is important to engage in body positive talk.

Body positive talk involves focusing on what you like about your body. You can

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Many people attempt to change their bodies over the summer months to get swimsuit-ready. Thomas Yang | visual editor also acknowledge your body’s abilities without focusing on areas you want to improve — like telling yourself that it’s strong and capable enough to allow you to do what you need everyday.

Although simply saying “go out and buy a bikini” or “love yourself ” is easier said than done, some things we can do

to boost our body image during the trying summer months are to use positive phrasing about ourselves as much as possible and work to reject the body-shaming trend.

Rejecting the body shaming trend for me meant looking beyond my appearance. I needed to appreciate who I was

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first before I could begin to accept the body that encased me. I began to focus on my hardworking attitude, organizational skills and loyalty to my family and friends instead of my hips, thighs and belly.

Everytime I looked in the mirror and felt ashamed, I made a point to remind myself that my body is what got me through the day. My body allowed me to study, talk to my family, walk in the City, sit with friends and explore new places.

Despite working on being body positive for almost three years, I will have moments when I’m jumping and my body jiggles or I’m sitting and my thighs spread across the chair and I feel embarrassed. Instead of accepting these reactions, I tell myself that who I am is not predicated on what I look like, and then I remind myself of all that my jiggly body and thick thighs allow me to do.

Buying those shorts you always wanted but didn’t think you would look good in or that bikini you think you’re too big for won’t come easy, but this summer, we all should begin to open ourselves up to the fact that any person can wear what they want when they want.

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Culture

Staff Picks: Summer soundtracks pittnews.com

FANDOM CULTURE FINDS A PLACE IN PITTSBURGH Isabella Colaianni For The Pitt News

As one of the major cities in the country with over 300,000 who call it home, Pittsburgh’s fandom culture is incredibly diverse.

These fandoms are celebrated in several ways — reading comics, participating in cosplay, watching films and attending comic cons.

Once just a place where comics could be sold and dealt, comic con events have become an explosion of pop culture where people can come together to celebrate comics, films, science fiction, superheroes and every other fandom universe imaginable.

Pittsburgh is one city at the forefront, and

a variety of cons are held in the City every year.

This summer, two of the comic cons Pittsburgh is hosting are Steel City Con and Wizard World. Steel City Con is Pittsburgh’s annual comic con, held at the Monroeville Convention Center. This year, it will run from August 9 to 11, with celebrities such as George Takei and Paul Reubens in attendance for Q&A panels and photo ops. Tickets for the event run from $23 for a Friday oneday pass to $230 for a VIP package, which gives attendees an opportunity to meet one of the celebrities and admission to the exclusive 30th anniversary party.

Another con taking place in Pittsburgh

this summer is Wizard World, which will be held July 26 to 28 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. This con operates in 14 cities across the country and has previously been in Pittsburgh in 2015 and 2016, but this year it’s making a comeback with about 100 vendor tables and celebrity guests Zachary Levi (“Shazam!”), Jewel Staite (“Firefly”), Lesley-Ann Brandt (“Gotham”) and many others. Tickets for this event start at only $15 for general admission and can reach $259+ for VIP packages.

Jerry Milani, the public relations manager for Wizard World, said that the variety of dimensions of pop culture present at the con serves as an opportunity for fans to learn

about things they might not even know they enjoy.

“We try to bring all of pop culture together in one place so fans can be immersed in it,” Milani said in an email. “You might be attending the show to meet Zachary Levi because you love “Shazam!.” But on the way, you might run into someone cosplaying as Shazam, or an artist with a unique interpretation on the character, or an exhibitor with a “Shazam!” item you’ve never seen, and finally you get to meet Zachary [Levi] to cap the experience.”

One of those who will be in attendance at Wizard World is Wayne Wise, a comic See Fandomon page 8

THE WHATS AND WHERES TO FASHION’S LATEST Justin Gardner For The Pitt News

Many fashionable individuals regard the fall/winter fashion season as the pinnacle of style, citing its rich colors, layers and diverse textures. Yet, as July brings forth summer’s peak, it is important to remember the potential these months hold for fun and exciting fashion statements. It is a time of cookouts and trips and music festivals — opportune moments for bold, colorful fits.

However, for many college students in Pittsburgh, capitalizing on the spring/summer fashion season may still seem difficult.

Shopping for clothes can be an expensive endeavor, and it can be difficult to pinpoint en vogue clothing items. These challenges are amplified by the fact that Pittsburgh isn’t a

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mecca for fashion. But projecting the fashion-forward image you want this summer is possible to achieve in a cost-effective manner.

Enclosed is a brief list of current fashion trends and a couple of affordable places to find them in Pittsburgh. These items, colors and prints can add a bit of zest to your wardrobe, while the stores mentioned won’t lighten your wallet by too much.

Animal Prints Wearing animal prints is a simple way to add tremendous character to an outfit. They are eye-grabbing and have intricate patterns.

They are also extremely versatile, and they can be worn with or on various pieces. It can be worn on a shirt, pants or skirt with a simple complementary item. Animal prints

also work well in matching top and bottom pieces.

For a more subtle statement, animal print accessories like purses or fanny packs can be worn with warm summer colors. And while this trend is primarily associated with women’s fashion, men can also incorporate these patterns into their closet for a striking, unabashed look. Animal print button down shirts and shorts are simple ways to incorporate the trend.

In essence, animal prints are a way to exude confidence at your favorite events. So, next time you go clothes shopping, do not shy away from the leopard, snake or tiger prints.

Mixed Prints There is often a pressure in day-to-day

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life to wear clothes that match cleanly and to color coordinate clothing with precision.

Wearing mixed prints is a current trend that undermines some of these pressures. It is predicated on combining different patterns into the same look and not shying away from a bit of dissonance. Differing floral patterns, stripes of varying size or monochrome pattern mixes exemplify this trend. They put a refreshing spin on tried-and-true fashion.

Clothing can be more personality-driven and less like pieces of a puzzle. A few recommendations for mixing prints are to match prints of similar tones, to utilize classic prints and to not fear being a little outrageous. Finding clothing stores with distinct and fashionable pieces is helpful in building See Fashion on page 9

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Fandom, pg. 7 enthusiast and adjunct professor at Chatham University. At the event, Wise will be doing a comics academia panel presenting some teachings from his course, comics and popular culture. Wise has been a regular at comic cons for several years as a teaching panelist, fan, artist and even vendor for the comic book store he’s worked at for the past 22 years, Phantom of the Attic Comics.

Nestled on South Craig Street between Pitt and Carnegie Mellon’s respective campuses, Phantom of the Attic Comics sells comics, graphic novels, T-shirts, action figures and other comic-centric merchandise.

With a convenient location for a comic book store, most of the business the store receives is from sporadic college-aged customers and older middle-aged regulars with more of an income. However, Wise elaborated on how certain franchises, such as direct graphic novel adaptations like “The Walking Dead,” drive sales, while others, like Marvel, do not.

“The movies don’t drive sales the way most people think they do. The Marvel mov-

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Phantom of the Attic Comics on South Craig Street. Thomas Yang |

visual

ediotr

ies — millions of people go see them, but millions of people don’t walk in here to buy comics,” Wise said. “Part of that is that you get introduced to these characters in the movies and it’s a very different world and continuity than what you read in the books.

Things that did drive sales — “Watchmen.”

When the “Watchmen” movie came out — that’s a graphic novel — you see the movie and here’s a book you can buy.”

While Phantom of the Attic Comics may be the go-to for comic-based fandoms, other

fandom cultures in the Oakland neighborhood can be found right at the University of Pittsburgh with organizations like Pokemon Go Oakland, the Fantasy Studies Fellowship and Project Potter. Project Potter is a club that operates during the school year and brings together individuals who love community service as much as they love the “Harry Potter” series.

Quincey Johnston, the secretary on the executive board for Project Potter, said after the “sorting hat ceremony” in the begin-

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ning of the school year, meetings are held bi-weekly — one day dedicated to a service activity, such as a fundraising table, and one day the following week spent doing a social activity like playing trivia or doing brain teasers. The fundraising money collected by Project Potter has gone to Our Clubhouse in the past. The group will also be working with the Homeless Children’s Education Fund this year.

“It’s the satisfaction of community service if you’d like to make a difference in the community while also taking something that a lot of people can relate to and a lot of people have a connection to,” Johnston said. “It’s a bunch of people who love ‘Harry Potter’ and just want to make a difference in the community.”

“Harry Potter” fans and comic book buffs alike have found Pittsburgh to be a place where they can celebrate the things they enjoy the most, which is why Milani feels that it’s a great city for events like comic cons and other organizations that appreciate pop culture.

“Pittsburgh has a vibrant pop culture scene,” Milani said. “That other great events can be held in the region and all offer fans something they love is fantastic.”

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Fashion, pg. 7 the wardrobe for this look.

One of these stores is the Avalon Exchange, a vintage clothing store in Squirrel Hill for buying, selling and trading clothes.

Like several other resale shops, it has a large selection of high quality items for low prices.

Avalon Exchange maintains a diverse selection by hosting a mix of high-end fashion and lesser-known brands.

“We’ve gotten really cool Gucci and Chanel and stuff like that,’’ said Aaron Valentic, an assistant manager in training at the store.

Yet Valentic made sure to note that Avalon Exchange is not brand-obsessed. The curators will buy Brioni and no-name brands alike. He described the environment of Avalon Exchange as prioritizing individuality and fun, embracing eccentricity and not taking itself too seriously.

“It’s like we’re creating a mini block party,” Valentic said.

Lightheartedness is at the core of many summer fashion trends. It is reflected in the current season’s eccentric prints, but also in its bright colors and the interesting cut of its

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clothes.

Short Shorts (Men’s Fashion) ’80s nostalgia in fashion has been a recurring theme over the past couple of decades.

One of the most recent iterations of this is the increased popularity of high-cut shorts.

They make a straightforward outfit more distinct, and their style can be accentuated with warm colors or a cool design. They can be the centerpiece of an outfit, or a subtle flex of fashion acumen. Regardless, short shorts are a good option in any casual setting.

Bike Shorts (Women’s Fashion) Bike shorts are another trend that has resurfaced from a past decade, having initially attained popularity in the ’90s. It is perhaps the most comfortable trend of the year, due to the shorts’ simplicity, low weight and relatively soft materials. At their core, bike shorts are athletic wear, fitting well with sneakers and athletic tops. However, they also can work seamlessly with heels and sandals.

What is most important to recognize is the somewhat muted tone of bike shorts. They are less likely to be the loud centerpiece of an outfit when compared to other items on this list, but that can be advantageous, because their subtlety lends itself to adaptability. Bike shorts can be integrated with a variety of out-

fits and are worth buying because you can get a lot of use from them.

Neon Green Neon green has arguably been the color of 2019 thus far. It has experienced a surprising amount of staying power since its rise to popularity early this year. It has proven to fit the theme of summer fashion, yet it simultaneously stands apart from the traditional summer palette. For this reason, do not be afraid to wear it with other summer colors such as orange, red, yellow and blue. Doing this will prevent your look from becoming monotonous. Wearing neon green with a little nuance is the difference between simply jumping aboard a trend and using a trend to reinvigorate your image.

Zed’s is a family-owned Pittsburgh thrift store in South Side that owner Zack Edgar (known an Zed) refers to as “a smorgasbord of current fashion.” The influences of the store and its items are rooted in ’90s nostalgia, vintage hip-hop culture, vintage sports memorabilia and streetwear — all of which are extremely relevant in current fashion.

Another apparent influence of Zed’s is the City itself. This is especially visible in the store’s extensive collection of Steelers, Pirates

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and Penguins memorabilia. These various pieces of culture are personal to Zed and give his business an intimate feel.

“We like to give [Zed’s] a homey vibe.

Some people say it looks like a big bedroom from back in the day,” he noted.

Simultaneously, the store has many items at the intersection of streetwear and high fashion. Brands such as Yeezy, Supreme and Off-White are the most popular examples.

They tend to be the most expensive items, but still sell for much cheaper at Zed’s compared to retail prices.

Overall, Zed’s is an affordable place to find shirts, sneakers and jerseys for the summer. And while most of the clothes are in men’s sizes, Zed considers his store to be unisex.

“I wouldn’t pigeonhole it into men’s fashion,” he said about his intended customer base.

Many of the graphics and designs in the clothes are meant to speak to a wide range of people and tap into the collective nostalgia of teenagers and young professionals alike.

“I always want people to just come here and find something they genuinely like, or something that’s nostalgic for them,” Zed said.

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Sports

Column: The 6 biggest winners of the 2019 NBA offseason pittnews.com

column

FEDERER FALLS SHORT WHERE IS PITT’S 2018 MLB DRAFT IN WIMBLEDON EPIC CLASS NOW? Michael Nitti Staff Writer

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer congratulate each other after their historic singles championship match at Wimbledon on Sunday. Djokovic prevailed, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6, 13-12, to win his fifth championship. laurence griffiths/ pa wire/zuma press/tns

Neena Hagen

Senior Staff Writer Every time 16-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic sets foot on Centre Court at Wimbledon, he pictures a grueling match in vivid detail — one where he’ll emerge the victor.

“I always try to imagine myself as the winner,” Djokovic said.

But neither he nor any screenwriter in Hollywood could’ve envisioned a more epic Wimbledon final than the one on Sunday afternoon, when Djokovic pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history.

He saved two match points on Roger Federer’s serve at 8-7 in the final set, ground out four more service holds to reach Wimbledon’s first ever final set tiebreak and won

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the match, 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6 and 1312(3), three minutes shy of the five-hour mark.

“It could have easily gone [Federer’s] way,” Djokovic said after foiling Federer and his Centre Court entourage.

It certainly could have, and in the eyes of Federer’s legion of fans, it should have.

Triumphing at Wimbledon as a 37-year-old after defeating his two greatest career rivals, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, in the finals and semifinals, would have been Federer’s greatest accomplishment to date — and he came agonizingly close to lifting the trophy for a record-extending ninth time. In fact, turn on the TV and blur out the score box, and it would look like Federer was running roughSee Hagen on page 11

With the heat of summer in full force, the only sport in season is America’s pastime: baseball. Although the Pittsburgh Panthers baseball team is in their offseason, a handful of past Panthers are working their way through the minor league system, including the five players that were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft.

RHP R.J. Freure The earliest of the Panthers taken in the 2018 draft, relief pitcher R.J. Freure was scooped up by the Houston Astros in the sixth round. After signing, Freure was assigned to the Astros Low-A affiliate in Troy, New York, as a member of the Tri-City ValleyCats, foregoing the Astros’ Rookie League team, a rare feat for a new draftee.

The Astros’ decision to have Freure skip Rookie ball paid off, as the right-hander pitched to a 0.98 ERA in 11 games, striking out 29 batters over 27.2 innings pitched.

This season, Freure was promoted to the Middle-A level, becoming a member of the Quad Cities River Bandits in Davenport, Iowa. In 15 games, Freure has a 3.69 ERA with 87 in 63.1 innings pitched.

Of those 15 games, 11 of them have come as a starting pitcher, something Freure did only once in his 48 games played for the Panthers. Having just turned 22, Freure is on a good track to reach the major leagues within the next couple of years.

RHP Matt Pidich Two rounds after Freure was drafted last June, the Cincinnati Reds took relief pitcher Matt Pidich with their eighth-round pick.

After enjoying a solid final season with the

July 17, 2019

Panthers, Pidich struggled with the Billings Mustangs, the Reds’ Rookie League team. In 18 games out of the bullpen and one game as a starter, Pidich registered a 6.46 ERA in 30.2 innings pitched.

This season, things took a turn for the better for the Panthers’ former ace. Pidich was promoted to the Dayton Dragons, the Reds Middle-A affiliate. In his 25 games out of the bullpen, Pidich has a 2.32 ERA while striking out 47 batters over 42.2 innings.

At 24-years-old, Pidich is rather old for a player at his level, but his success following his conversion from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher may benefit him in accelerating his track to the big leagues.

RHP Derek West The only Panther to decide to not sign an MLB contract and return to college after being drafted last June was pitcher Derek West.

West’s choice paid off this year when he was selected by the Houston Astros in the 14th round in the 2019 draft, 14 rounds higher than in 2018 when he was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 28th round.

In his last season at Pitt, West thrived as the ace of the staff, striking out 82 batters in 68.1 innings to go along with a 3.82 ERA. Joining Freure in the Houston Astros organization, West also was sent straight to LowA to join the Tri-City ValleyCats, skipping the Rookie League.

This summer, West has a 4.91 ERA in four games out of the bullpen for the Valley Cats, striking out four batters in 7.1 innings pitched. At some point, West will look to reunite with Freure down the line.

Find the full story online at

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Hagen, pg. 10 shod over his opponent. He played the better match in just about every way. Looking at the stats, Djokovic’s win seems implausible to the point of absurdity.

Federer, who is, at this point, the nearundisputed greatest tennis player of all time, won more points in the final (218-204). He outclassed Djokovic on serve in every department: more aces (25-10), fewer double faults (6-9) and a higher win percentage on both his first serve (79%-74%) and his second serve (51%-47%). And even though Djokovic is the best returner of all-time, Federer won more receiving points (79-64) and broke serve four more times.

Numbers like these, for any player, typically indicate a straightforward, three or four set victory — Federer dispatched with Nadal in a four set semi-final, having won only nine more points. So what went wrong for the 20time slam champ in the final?

“One shot, I guess,” Federer said, referencing the match points. “Don’t know which one to pick.”

Tennis matches like these are considered marathons, but unlike actual marathons, not every mile — in this case, not every point —

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is created equal.

Djokovic, who has a way of winning even when he’s losing, failed to match Federer’s vigor throughout most of the final, but came up with the goods when he really needed it.

Down 3-5 in the first set tiebreak, he reeled off four straight points to seal the opener.

After his game deserted him in the second set, losing it 6-1, he roared back to clinch the third set in another tiebreak.

Djokovic needed nerves of steel just to stay in the match, much less win it. Still, he benefited from his opponent’s nervy play during crucial moments. Federer hit an uncharacteristic number of unforced errors during the tiebreaks, sailing several groundstrokes long and dumping a couple easy volleys into the net. In the fifth set, his nerves manifested in safer shots — forehands with diminished pace, volleys popped up — that Djokovic took easy advantage of.

Two match points down, Djokovic pushed Federer’s second serve down the middle, drawing a forehand error. One saved.

On the second, he calmly flicked a passing shot cross court when Federer rushed to net off a mediocre approach. On break point that same game, Federer flipped a forehand to the middle of the court. Djokovic hit back ag-

gressively for a winner, and, just like that, the final set was back on serve.

Federer was no doubt the better player in the fifth set — he won more points and created more break chances, just like in the rest of the match — but he failed to capitalize on his numerous opportunities.

“I thought most of the match I was on the back foot,” Djokovic said. “I was defending.

He was dictating the play. I just tried to fight and find a way when it mattered the most, which is what happened.”

A few important points, it turns out, decide a lot of tennis matches. It’s a game of inches, as the cliche goes. A slightly crisper shot from Federer on match point or a slightly weaker return from Djokovic could have drastically changed the outcome of the match. Tennis players can’t afford to get nervous or sulk after missed opportunities. Even 30 second mental lapses, especially in tight contests, can cost a player the match.

While Federer has undoubtedly capitalized on many opportunities throughout his career, he has a worrying pattern of failing to close out tight matches. Djokovic has escaped defeat on two other occasions in epic fashion — saving two match points against

July 17, 2019

Federer at the U.S. Open in 2010 and 2011.

In the 2008 Wimbledon final, widely known throughout the tennis world as the greatest match ever played, Federer failed to convert numerous break point opportunities against Nadal in the fifth set, handing his great rival the victory.

Federer, surely, has long forgotten these slip-ups, even though they’ve cost him grand slams. But they could weigh heavily in the final margin of the Big Three — Federer, Nadal and Djokovic — who are currently embroiled in a three-way race for the greatest player of all time distinction. Djokovic, who just notched his 16th slam, now stands within four of Federer’s all-time record, and Nadal sits even closer at 18. A victory on Sunday would’ve put Federer six ahead of Djokovic and three ahead of Nadal — certainly not a trivial difference.

But if Federer has proven anything this fortnight, it’s that he can still duke it out with the best players in the world, even at the ripe old age of 37. Federer may have a few more wrinkles and a bit less hair than he did 10 years ago, but his game is every bit as lethal.

And as the tennis tour gears up for the U.S. Open next month, his opponents need to watch out.

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