The Pitt News 11-25-14

Vol. 105 Issue 78

@thepittnews

Modern molecules: Chemistry in the 21st century

Tuesday,November 25, 2014

Pittnews.com

#PITTHIJABCHALLENGE

Kathy Zhao Staff Writer

Thanks to two Pitt professors, chemistry students may have an excuse to whip out their smartphones during future study sessions.

According to a University press release, assistant chemistry professors Geoffrey Hutchison and Daniel Lambrecht received an award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation through the Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences this month for their project, entitled “Creating an Open Quantum Chemistry Repository.”

The project’s goal is to create an online and mobile-ready database for chemical structures and computed properties of molecular compounds that will serve as an interactive and modern way to help students learn about the 3-D structure of molecules.

According to Hutchison, as any chemistry student can attest, one of the biggest challenges to learning chemical structures is that students draw 2-D diagrams of molecules when the real shapes are 3-D. Read the rest online at Pittnews.com.

Michelle Varkey, a senior majoring in neuroscience, takes part in the Pitt Hijab Challenge hosted by the Muslim Student Association. Nate Smith | Staff Photographer

Forget pitas, hummus with a side of politics Lauren Rosenblatt Staff Writer The University will now offer an alternative hummus option on campus, one it hopes won’t leave a bitter taste for Pitt’s Students for Justice in Palestine.

As part of the Boycott Divestment and Sanction (BDS) Movement, which the internationallybased Palestinian Civil Society organized, the student group is avoiding products made by companies that support the Israeli Defense Forces, according to its president Hadeel Salameh.

Sabra hummus, which was previously the only hummus option Pitt offered in its dining facili-

ties, is on the BDS Movement’s list of products to stay away from.

By buying Sabra hummus, the club believes consumers are funding the Israeli Defense Forces, which have been in conflict with Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic organization, and Gazan civilians over the summer. Students for Justice in Palestine argue that if the University were to stop purchasing Sabra hummus in addition to students’ boycotting the company, then less funding would reach the Israeli army. After several meetings with the student group, Sodexo and Pitt’s Dining Services decided to provide an alternative option to Sabra for students who wish to boycott the company. The alternative,

Asmar hummus, became available at Pitt on Nov. 14. Sabra products will also remain on shelves at the University.

“Our job is to tell students about BDS, and it’s up to [them] whether [they] want to boycott or not,” Salameh, a senior and majoring in English writing and studio arts, said. “We’re just spreading awareness.”

The group bases its argument against purchasing Sabra hummus on the Strauss Group, an Israeli food company and of one Sabra’s joint owners, which had come out in support of the Israeli Defense Forces in a statement on its web-

Sabra

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SABRA site. The statement has since been removed.

Representatives from the Strauss Group declined to comment on the company’s support for the Israeli Defense Forces.

Other than Sabra, the BDS Movement’s website cites major corporations such as HP, Volvo and Caterpillar as supporters of the Israeli Defense Forces.

Members of Students for Justice in Palestine said they want the boycott to cultivate a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territory.

According to Pitt spokesman John Fedele, Asmar hummus, the new, Lebanon-based alternative, is comparably priced and will be positioned next to the Sabra hummus in University dining facilities, including Quick Zone.

“This will allow students freedom of choice, so that those who choose to boycott the Sabra product can do so, without impinging on the rights of fellow students to make whatever choice they feel is appropriate,” Fedele said.

Salameh said the group is happy with the new offering, but its boycott is not yet over.

November 25, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com “Having an alternative offering was step one. Step two, for us, is getting the University to only buy the alternative and discontinue its purchases of Sabra from Sodexo,” Salameh said.

The meetings between the student group, Sodexo and Pitt’s Dining Services began at the end of October. Salameh said the group has not yet decided on any future plans for the boycott and will continue meeting with the University to finalize its plans. The group is still in discussion with the University to accomplish its second goal.

Pitt will now offer both Sabra and Asmar hummus. Harrison Kaminsky | Assistant News EdiTo bring Asmar hummus to campus, the Panthers for Israel, said she had heard rumors in the politics behind the boycott of Sabra prodgroup worked with Jim Earle, assistant vice that students were in contact with Sodexo about ucts,” Rothman said. chancellor for business, via email, and met with removing Sabra hummus but was never told Ronnie Debiec, a sophomore chemistry Abdou Cole, the general manager of Sodexo anything officially as a student leader. major, said he understands where the group is at Pitt.

“I don’t have a problem with Sodexo offering coming from, but would miss Sabra hummus “A university is a place committed to the an alternative brand, but I don’t think it [would if it were removed completely from campus free exchange of ideas, not a place that tries to be] fair to remove Sabra products as one of the dining locations. silence opposing views,” Fedele said. “While the choices,” Rothman, a sophomore studying busiDebiec said he may try the other brand, but food service is not usually the venue in which ness, said. he would always feel more comfortable with these kinds of debates occur, it nonetheless can Rothman said it would be wrong for the Uni- Sabra. reflect the free speech aspect of the institution.” versity to prioritize interests of one group over “I realize that a boycott is a really good way The student group is expecting backlash another, as it would be if it followed through to further their cause. However, I think that it is a from the change but is determined to keep with Students for Justice in Palestine’s goal to very hard thing to do,” Debiec said. “It would be fighting. eliminate all Sabra products from campus. hard to convince everyone to try the alternative Samantha Rothman, president of a Pitt’s “It would be wrong for Sodexo to get involved instead of the brand name.”

The Pitt News Crossword, 11/25/2014

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ACROSS 1 Quizmaster’s request 7 Enjoy the sun 11 Four times a day, in an Rx 14 Whodunit plot element 15 Aunt Bee’s grandnephew 16 Verse starter?

17 Geometry subject 19 Portfolio holding, briefly 20 Upset 21 Cards with pics 22 Cuban bandleader __ Prado, “King of the Mambo” 24 Western tie 26 Haughty look 28 Vertical window dressings 32 LPGA garment 34 “Do it, __ will!”

35 Lose one’s cool 36 Bud 37 Where many pioneers headed 41 U.K. record label 42 More than enough 44 Scoreboard letters 45 Initial stage 47 Carrier based in Kathmandu 51 Autumn stones 52 “What __?”

53 “Never needs sharpening” brand 55 Certain Ivy Leaguer 56 Senator Cochran of Mississippi 60 Special forces weapon 61 Place for some exiled prisoners 65 Sneaker part 66 Work on film 67 Carol opening 68 ’60s antiwar org.

69 Knocks 70 Stacked like Tupperware DOWN 1 Music boosters 2 Brief legal plea 3 Rating symbol

12/3/14

By Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

4 Place offering two-ounce servings 5 December 24, e.g.

6 Send an amended 1040, say 7 Swampy spots 8 Calcutta Tech grad on “The Simpsons” 9 Respectful title 10 “That’s yours now” 11 Eccentricity 12 Memo leadoff 13 Cameron of “Bad Teacher” 18 Much-admired one 23 Significant stretches 25 Not fooled by 26 “Fine by me” 27 Hosp. diagnostics 28 Rides during chukkers 29 Cringe 30 Parents’ selection 31 Polish partner 32 Wing measurement 33 Farmers’ market veggie

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

38 River to the Caspian 39 What we have here 40 Singer Braxton 43 Pub hardware 46 Plants with stinging hairs 48 “Time After Time” singer 49 Take it easy 50 Promiser’s caveat

12/3/14

53 Inner workings 54 Tommy Hilfiger rival 55 Works on a sub 57 Quizmaster, e.g.

58 Get in on the deal 59 Like purple hair 62 Child expert LeShan 63 Something in the air, perhaps 64 Laudatory work

November 25, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

EDITORIAL

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OPINIONS

Cosbyʼs allegations reflect reality of rape culture

We revered Bill Cosby. He was a father figure, a neighborhood hero and an icon in the mass consumption of black television.

We associated his image with laughs, ornate sweaters and Pudding Pops. We admired his unwavering commitment to moral values.

It turns out we were wrong.

Darker shades of the entertainer’s glorified past have reclaimed national attention in the last few weeks, though they didn’t garner a footnote in his nearly 500-page biography published this September. As these obscene details emerge, our pleasant memories dissipate as we attempt to grasp Cosby’s connection to an ongoing ailment of our society — sexual violence.

Within the past few weeks, mainstream media has stirred public horror at a string of lingering sexual assault allegations against Cosby. Sixteen women have shared accounts accusing the 77-year-old comedian of sexual assault or rape, in some cases preceded by drugging, between 1965 and the mid-2000s, according to The Washington Post.

As our generation grapples with how to address sexual assault, a horror we barely had a name for in political discourse prior to

the 1970s, this news rings even more shrilly.

While there has been a rise in reports of sexual assault since the ‘70s, the percentage of reports is still dismal. Only 40 percent of rapes are reported, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, while only three out of 100 rapists face imprisonment.

Cosby’s lawyers and media relations personnel have denounced the claims, calling them fantastical and decades-old. Conversely, the women’s reasoning for keeping quiet or not pushing harder in earlier lawsuits overlap: They were hesitant to take on a powerful celebrity, or they were too traumatized to defend their claims before an unbelieving audience.

We’ve seen this scenario before.

It’s an all-too-familiar narrative that has shaken college campuses and drawn a magnifying glass over how they address sexual assault. It’s come in waves of prominence, ranging from the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State to the ongoing rape accusations at the University of Virginia.

A common thread connects all of these cases: We’re more inclined to rescue the accused than to empathize with the accuser.

We have a problem with shame. Institu-

tions cautiously give any credence to claims, including sexual violence, which may undermine their reputation.

Quick to demand evidence, we’re eager to believe the accusations are false. In reality, only two to eight percent of reported rapes are false accusations, according to the National Center for the Prosecution of Violence Against Women.

We shouldn’t be so eager to shirk blame and protect our image that we fail to seriously consider claims of sexual violence. Why were these claims against anyone from Cosby to Sandusky previously reduced to mere paragraphs, or buried records, when they should have warranted headlines?

We can retain the innocent-until-provenguilty judicial procedure. But let’s discard the social and cultural attitudes that trigger skepticism of accusations before compassion, understanding and an urgency to help accusers.

We don’t want to live in a world where we shame women who come forward with accusations of sexual assault. Let’s not cloud the victims’ stories anymore.

We have allowed such indifference out of

convenience. A pedestal of fame and fortune allowed an accused sex offender to acquire a television contract just this year. A university’s prestige and reputation have a higher priority than the number of students who come forward saying they were raped on campus.

With today’s technology, it’s becoming more difficult to escape the whirlwind of public outcry on social media that surrounds any scandal. The usual arsenal of public-relations maneuvers to defeat accusations of criminal activity miss their mark.

We should use professional and social media to seek justice. An onstage crack by Hannibal Buress on Oct. 16 calling Cosby a rapist prompted an uproar on Twitter, drawing levels of awareness that weren’t even possible a decade ago.

But, fortunately, today it is possible. We can hold leaders and institutions accountable for their actions through a plethora of media.

Cosby’s alleged actions over the past few decades can’t be changed, but our attitude toward the gravity of sexual abuse can. We can work to ensure that victims everywhere can live in a society that respects them and their rights.

SIMON SAYS

Let’s better understand diversity and its value at Pitt Simon Brown Columnist

Four years ago, I received my much-awaited acceptance to Pitt. With my ‘safety school’ secured, I prepared my calculus of college acceptance. I was expecting a painful decision among school choices in April.

I never had to make that decision. I got rejected from my two other schools, both private, elite colleges. I had been planning an extensive list of universities, both private and public, from mid-tier to Ivy League, as students increasingly do today. But my mother cautioned me: “Why would you apply to other public universities, where you would pay almost twice what you would pay in-state at Pitt? What public university could give you a better education?”

Her words were well-placed, especially since she was footing most of the bill.

Like many other Pennsylvania students, I came to Pitt because I ‘had to.’ It was the only cost-effective, national university with the infrastructure to support my academic interest. In my case, that was philosophy. For others, it’s biomedical engineering, neuroscience and the list goes on.

But Pitt’s obligation as a state-related institution to educate Pennsylvanian students, has diminished in recent years, paralleling the diminishing financial support from the commonwealth.

Chancellor Gallagher has articulated a positive vision for the University as it leaves behind its history as a ‘regional college’ and ascends to the ranks of ‘national universities.’

Specifically, he sees “diversity” as a value common to universities with global aspirations but severely lacking at Pitt.

Chancellor Gallagher’s prioritization of this principle deserves praise, but he has to

make sure that “diversity” within the student body embraces socioeconomic diversity, both in rhetoric and in practice. If the guiding principle only includes geographic and racial diversity, then the University risks abandoning its obligation to working families and their children in Pennsylvania.

The term ‘diversity’ is fraught with ambiguity. It means nothing on its own, and it only gains any significance when applied to a certain metric: ‘racial diversity,’ ‘gender diversity,’ socioeconomic diversity.’ When these metrics go unspecified, the term can bear contradictory implications. Chancellor Gallagher’s praise for the expanding geographic representation within Pitt’s incoming student body, spanning 46 states and 21 countries, says nothing about the financial, racial or even linguistic backgrounds of these students.

If a white, upper-middle-class student from the Philadelphia suburbs encounters

a white, upper-middle-class student from the San Francisco suburbs, I doubt either encountered ‘diversity’ in any meaningful way.

This ambiguity belies the purported benefits which ‘diversity,’ writ large, brings to the campus community. Indeed, some colleges’ purported ‘diversity’ on one level mask another level of homogeneity — even exclusion.

A recent Pitt News article featured a prospective freshman who is considering New York University over Pitt, because of NYU’s significant population of students who identify as a racial minority. Her preference proves admirable and mature. Students should seek out friendships and relationships with peers from different backgrounds, who have had different experiences of the world. Racial identities strongly inform those distinct experiences of our society. Without a doubt,

Simon Says

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November 25, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

FROM PAGE 3

SIMON SAYS there is a pedagogical benefit she could receive at NYU which she could not so easily with the 16 percent of minority students at Pitt.

Unfortunately, that diverse experience in the heart of Manhattan comes with a hefty price-tag. The yearly tuition with room and board at NYU is about $66,542 — with little chance of full-need aid. When one adds in the astronomical cost of living in Lower Manhat-

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tan and Brooklyn, it’s hard to imagine students from low-income families choosing NYU over a less costly competitor.

If the administration wants diversity that spans all relevant demographic metrics, it must not follow the path trod by NYU. We can enjoy the diversity and prestige of a national university without the attendant tuition. To succeed in this financial balancing act, however, Pitt will need to rebuild its relationship with the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

With a new, education-friendly governor in Harrisburg, that reconstruction is more pos-

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sible now than ever.

But we must make sure that the rhetoric of geographic expansion does not undermine our good graces with the state government.

Chancellor Gallagher sees geographic and racial diversity as intertwined efforts, explaining to the to the Board of Trustees, “The numbers tell you what you would expect: That Pitt, like the Pittsburgh region, is less diverse than many other regions or institutions.”

We can start increasing diversity, but we don’t have to stray far from the ‘Pittsburgh region’ to find it. We can begin by increasing our

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T P N S U D O K U

institutional affiliation with under-resourced and predominantly black public schools in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Mayor Peduto has drastically increased efforts to attract immigrant communities to replenish Pittsburgh’s aging population.

Pitt can succeed in fostering a diverse community worthy of a ‘global institution.’ We can only do so, however, if we remember that our immediate community, the Pittsburgh region, invites racial and socioeconomic diversity itself.

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November 25, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT PREVIEW

‘Gatherings’ explores common peace in worship and art Elaina Zachos For The Pitt News

Becky Slemmons in her finished dress. Photo courtesy of Becky Slemmons

In January 2011, a woman clad in an asymmetrical patchwork dress approached the Agape Christian Fellowship Church of Pittsburgh in Larimer County. Adjusting her scarf, she entered the church and stayed for the service.

Once the ceremony was over, the woman drove back to her studio. There, she added more textile puzzle pieces to her dress, because she was inspired by what she observed at the service.

In the following weeks, she repeated this ritual, visiting the Shaare Torah Congregation in Squirrel Hill and Scientology Pittsburgh in South Side .

These are only three of the 100 religious ceremonies that she attended, which prominently included Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Episcopal and Orthodox Jewish.

This is all part of “Gatherings,” the 13-month art project with which soonto-be Pitt professor of studio art Becky Slemmons challenged herself.

From August 2010 through September 2011, Slemmons visited 100 places of worship in Pittsburgh and documented her experiences. “Gatherings” culminated in a multi-media art exhibit at 707 Penn Gallery in Downtown. The exhibit opened last Friday and runs through Dec. 31.

Slemmons began by wearing a simple white dress to a service at the Pittsburgh Church of the Brethren. She then sketched drawings inspired by the ceremony. Once the ceremony ended, she returned to her art studio and added details to the dress, influenced by what she experienced at the service.

She repeated this ritual for 99 other religious places of worship in Pittsburgh.

Slemmons also documented her project by snapping 48 self-portraits wearing the dress. Using a video camera, she stitched together a short film of

her leaving and returning to her house in the dress, with her dog Zoe always happy to greet her.

Slemmons was surrounded by religion and inspired by art at a young age.

Her mother was a part of the Church of the Brethren, and Slemmons grew up attending a Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio, on a weekly basis.

“There was no such thing as not going on Sundays,” Slemmons said.

At the same time, Slemmons knew she wanted to be an artist. She eventually went on to art school as an undergraduate and then studied medical illustration for her graduate degree in 2008.

The next year in June 2009, Slemmons moved to Pittsburgh with her husband. She was intrigued by the variety of religious sites the city had to offer.

Pittsburgh, which Pitt’s own Paula Kane, an associate professor within the Department of Religious Studies characterizes as “a more traditional religious town than many other towns of its size,” was the ideal place for Slemmons to develop and present “Gatherings.”

“I kept driving by all these amazing buildings,” Slemmons said. “So I got really curious.”

Slemmons decided to entertain her curiosity by embarking on “Gatherings .”

“Gatherings” was an ambitious project, and it certainly put Slemmons, a woman who describes herself as adventurous, outside of her comfort zone.

“I wasn’t sure I would like it, because you’re definitely entering a place where you’re not a part. But you can be the outsider and not know a lot of things, so there’s a freedom in that too,” Slemmons said.

“Gatherings” was curated by Murray Horne of the Wood Street Galleries. Horne allowed Slemmons’ artistic freedom to arrange her exhibit — he

Gatherings

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November 25, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Slemmons’ work installed in Berlin. Photo courtesy of Becky Slemmons

FROM PAGE 5

GATHERINGS simply supplied her with 707 Gallery’s intimate space.

“I thought the piece would fit inside the gallery in a very harmonious way,

which I think has happened,” Horne said.

The piece fit so well into the gallery that it led one visitor, a woman whom Slemmons met at a synagogue during the project, to comment that “the space itself is gathering us together.”

“What’s interesting to me about

‘Gatherings’ is that it ’s a terrific example of process,” Horne said.

The full process of Slemmons’ work is evident in her exhibit, from her visits to worship sites to the evolution of her dress. Her work is recorded in a meticulously detailed step-by-step process.

“She starts from nothing, and after 13 months, you get a really interesting sociological perspective of the current population of Pittsburgh,” Horne said.

Slemmons is very much a person who believes in approaching life from multiple perspectives. Through this exhibit, she encouraged people “to think about what it would be like to be open to experiencing things that you haven’t

experienced before.”

She also found a similar peace among religious beliefs and wanted to explore the relationship between the rituals of making art and attending services.

“You leave the rest of the world behind you ... in a different place that’s a little bit removed. I feel like you do that when you go worship,” Slemmons said. “You have to get rid of a certain thing, or process it and find peace with it. It’s so similar to when you go into a studio to work.”

Slemmons elaborated on this point, adding that both attending services and making art are meditative processes.

Both religious ceremonies and the ceremony of art-making, Kane said, are rooted in the process of creation.

“All [religions have] been art creators. If the religion has a principle of creation, then they’re usually making art to honor that creative process,” Kane said. “The artist gets to steal a little bit of that creative energy of the Creator. So an artist assumes a fair amount of godlike ability to make things.”

November 25, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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Hof fm s Abby e Pitt New h For T

Sometimes, the stir-fry station at 360 Degrees in Market Central just doesn’t cut it.

Pitt students are constantly on the hunt for the next best meal, and Asian eats can provide a nice shake-up to the average person’s diet.

Walking down Forbes Avenue, restaurants ranging from Panera Bread to Noodles & Company can be located and easily accessed by hungry students in a hurry. Basically, anything that you would expect to appear on a college campus is within walking distance from residence halls and academic buildings.

But if you’re feeling adventurous, one swift right turn onto Oakland Avenue between Forbes and Fifth avenues will transport you into an alternative universe of ethnic cuisine served from five local Pittsburgh eateries.

The first storefront on the left is Sushi Boat. Out of the five restaurants, Sushi Boat is the most comparable to any other Japanese eat-in or take-out restaurant. For example, a typical meal may consist of edamame ($3.55) or wakame salad ($7.50) to start, followed by a spicy salmon roll ($4.50) and California

roll ($3.25). It’s just your typical week- night feast — nothing too fancy.

The next stop on Oakland Avenue is Sushi Fuku (“fuku” means lucky in Japanese) — also known as the Chipotle of Asian-inspired cuisine. When you walk into the restaurant, the first thing that catches your eye is the way that everything is set up. For visual aid — and in case you have never stepped foot in the Pitt mecca of Sushi Fuku — I’ll take you on a step-by-step ordering journey.

First, enter Sushi Fuku and secure a spot in the probably packed line. Next, turn your attention to the three computerized screens that display the various options available to order. For maximum fullness, I suggest getting a bowl and filling it with a protein, some veggies and toppings and then a drizzle of sauce or flavored mayo. Bowls range from $6.15 to $8.25, depending on what protein you select. The sushi rolls are also delicious — and a terrific bargain. Although most sushi spots give customers six to eight pieces per roll, Sushi Fuku offers 10-piece rolls with prices between $6.15 and $10. Finally, pay for your delightful meal, and take a seat at one of t h e

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tables.

Next is Oishii Bento, or “the yummy lunchbox,” as translated from Japanese — and Oishii surely deserves this title. Although the location is small, the food makes up for it in flavor. Before my journey to Oishii, I did some research and found that the chicken katsu bento is arguably the best thing on the menu, so of course I had to try it. The chicken is described as a Japanese-style chicken cutlet and is tossed in a tonkatsu sauce. For about $9, I received an entire cutlet, a large portion of white sticky rice, two dumplings, kimchi (spicy pickled cabbage) and a side salad.

Overall, the experience and the food were worth the wait caused by the lunchtime rush.

Directly next to Oishii Bento is Chick’n Bubbly, a newer restaurant that serves a variety of Korean-style chicken bites and bubble tea. Pick from your choice of chicken wings, drumsticks or both, tossed in either a sweet and spicy sauce or a soy garlic sauce. Chick’n Bubbly offers snack size for $5.99, small for $10.99, medium for $18.99 and large for $28.99 — now you have something to munch on no matter the time of day. An array of sides are also featured on the menu, such as french fries and pickles, but let’s be honest — students mostly just

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show up for the wing-and-bubbly combo.

To go with your spicy meal, Chick’n Bubbly offers milk teas, green teas and slushies.

This restaurant is more of a lunch or snack destination than a dinner stop.

The last stop on our Asian-fusion tour of Oakland Avenue is Szechuan Express.

Just as Sushi Boat is your typical Japanesestyle eatery, Szechuan is very similar to any local Chinese-style restaurant. From classic wonton soup to steamed dumplings and Kung Pao chicken, Szechuan has it all — and for a very affordable price. Full vegetable meals cost anywhere from $4.73 to $6.11, pork and chicken dishes all cost $6.38 and beef and seafood options cost $6.60. The menu is endless, so I’d recommend making multiple Szechuan runs before your time at Pitt comes to a close.

From Chinese to Korean to Japanese cuisine, one street in Oakland houses a burst of diverse eating options that shouldn’t be overlooked.

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November 25, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

SPORTS

BASKETBALL

Panthers beat Chaminade to advance in Maui Chris Puzia Sports Editor

It came down to one of Jamie Dixon’s coaching pillars: rebounding.

After a rocky start on its trip to Maui, the Pitt men’s basketball team recovered to beat Chaminade 82-68 in the first round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational Monday night as it outrebounded the Silverswords rebounds.

Playing in its third of four quarterfinal games through Monday, Pitt won behind the efforts of Michael Young, who scored a career-high 27 points.

The Panthers lost their first game of the season to Hawaii Friday night by a score of 74-70. Dixon, Pitt’s head coach, worked as an assistant coach at Hawaii in 1992-94 and 199899, but could not beat the Rainbow Warriors.

However, he beat the Silverswords Monday to move on to the next round of the tournament, which will continue Tuesday.

Redshirt sophomore Chris Jones scored a career-high 19 points on Friday, but he followed that up with zero points on Monday.

Pitt appeared to want to exploit Chaminade’s lack of depth

early, feeding the ball to sophomore forward/center Young.

The Silverswords only have three forwards on their roster and, like Hawaii, played with at least three guards on the floor most of the game, causing some matchup problems for the Panthers.

Pitt outrebounded Chaminade 51-17, and senior center Derrick Randall contributed 21 rebounds of his own, setting a new tournament record.

Several members of Pitt’s freshman class logged meaningful minutes in the game. Guard Cameron Johnson played 22 minutes and scored nine points. Forward Ryan Luther chipped in three points in 11 minutes as well.

But early on, the game was reminiscent of the loss to Hawaii. Pitt led 18-17 with nine minutes left to play in the first half before guard Josh Newkirk sparked a quick 8-0 run to open up a six-point lead.

After taking a 42-31 lead into halftime, the Panthers maintained their double-digit lead for most of the start of the second half, extending it to a high of 18.

Kuany Kuany and Kevin Hu led Chaminade in scoring with 12 points each.

Pitt moves on in the tournament to play in the semifinal James Robinson helped lead Pitt to a win on Monday Heather Tennant | Staff Photographer Tuesday night at 10 p.m. EST on ESPN.

FOOTBALL

Pitt in the NFL: McCoy helps Eagles to another win Alex Fischbein Staff Writer

Week 12 of the NFL season provided a lot of offense Sunday. The game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans was no exception.

Former Pitt running back LeSean McCoy and the rest of the Eagles bounced back from a horrible loss in no time. The first play of the game set the tone for the Eagles this week. Josh Huff returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and then McCoy helped lead the offense with one of his best performances of the season. McCoy scored his only touchdown in the second quarter, which gave the Eagles a 13-point lead. The Eagles are now 8-3, and they look forward to a Thanksgiving day game against their bitter rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.

McCoy ended the game with 130 yards and an average of 6.2 yards per

carry. He is now third overall in the league for rushing. The only two players that are above him are DeMarco Murray of the Dallas Cowboys and Le’Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There was a close and exciting game going on in San Diego when former Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald and the St. Louis Rams traveled to play the San Diego Chargers. The Rams were trying to gain another win to get back into the playoff race, and the Chargers needed a win to keep up with the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. The game came down to the very end, and the Chargers won after a late interception sealed the contest and sent the Rams to a 4-7 record.

Donald, a rookie, continued to make his case for defensive player of the year.

He finished with four total tackles, two of them for a loss, and one sack. After this game, Donald now has 31 combined

tackles to go along with five sacks. Donald is now tied for fifth in sacks among all defensive tackles, and he is tied for first overall in tackles for loss with 14.

Former Pitt defensive back Darrelle Revis had a solid game for the New England Patriots as they rolled over the Detroit Lions with a score of 349. The Patriots dominated the entire game as Detroit’s struggles continued on offense. Revis was a big part of the reason that the Lions’ offense couldn’t get much going. “Revis Island” may not be as feared as it used to be, but he is still making it hard on receivers that try to run routes on his side of the field.

Revis finished the contest with two tackles. He also led the secondary in pass deflections with four, and he played a big role for the defense that didn’t even allow one touchdown. He now has 37 combined tackles to go along with two interceptions and 13 pass de-

flections.

Former Pitt defenders K’Waun Williams and Jabaal Sheard chipped in a little with the Cleveland Browns’ thriller of a win over the Atlanta Falcons. Williams, a rookie, had six tackles and one hit on the quarterback while Sheard ended with one tackle. This win improved the Browns’ record to 7-4, and it keeps them in the very tight AFC North division race.

Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did not play in the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the division rival Seattle Seahawks. This marked the first time Fitzgerald has sat out in the last 110 games, and it was only the fifth time in his entire career that he missed a game. He was sorely missed, as the Cardinals couldn’t get any kind of flow on offense, and they ended the game with only three points in a 19-3 loss to the Seahawks.

November 25, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Just Desserts Pitt teams continue to compete over break

9 Chris Puzia Sports Editor

While most students return to their respective homes for Thanksgiving break, the athletes on varsity sports still continue their business as usual. The break for Pitt sports will be highlighted by the football team’s game at Miami on Saturday, in which the team plays a big game with postseason ramifications.

Here’s a rundown for which Pitt sports are active over the break.

Football

Paul Chryst and the Pitt football team travel to South Beach for their season finale against the Miami Hurricanes (6-5, 3-4 ACC) on Saturday at 7 p.m. Although the game is important for both teams, it will have major implications for the Panthers, who need to win in order to gain bowl eligibility. The Panthers finished the regular season 6-6 in each of Chryst’s first two years as head coach, and heading into the final week of this season, the same fate is the best case scenario for the Panthers (5-6, 3-4 ACC).

Pitt won its last game against Syracuse to snap a three-game losing streak, but the team lost standout running back James Conner to a hip injury during the game.

It’s unclear whether Conner will be able to play on Saturday, and Freshman Chris James filled the void against Syracuse, by running for 122 yards on 19 carries and earning his first career 100-yard game in the process.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Wrestling head coach Jason Peters. Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor

Women's Basketball Head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio and the Panthers play two games over the break, the first is on Wednesday at 2 p.m. against Radford. The Highlanders (1-2) have lost this season to Virginia and Youngstown State. However, Pitt dropped to 2-2 on the season after losing its last game against No. 23 James Madison, 80-64. Senior point guard Brianna Kiesel scored 25 points in the losing effort.

The Panthers also play Sunday against Loyola (Md.) at 2 p.m. The Greyhounds lost their first three games of the season, and Pitt will try to create a small winning streak coming out of the holiday break.

Men's Basketball Pitt will play its second game of the Electronic Arts Sports Maui Invitational in Hawaii on Tuesday after it beat Division II Chaminade in the first round on Monday. The second game will be against either BYU or San Diego State. The No. 16 San Diego State Aztecs entered the game as the favorites, having already knocked off then-No. 25 Utah this season.

But the favorite to win the tournament comes in Pitt’s potential next game if it beats its second-round opponent. Arizona enters the tournament ranked No. 2 in the country, as head coach Sean Miller’s squad returns plenty of talent from last year. The tournament championship game is on Wednesday in the Lahaina Civic Center in Maui. Pitt lost its game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 74-70 on Friday as a tune-up before the tournament.

Both second-round games will be on ESPN and ESPN2.

Other Upcoming Schedules None of Pitt’s other active sports compete over Thanksgiving break, but the teams will still prepare for upcoming competitions. The wrestling team has its next dual match Dec. 5 against Maryland. Three of Pitt’s first five matches came against opponents ranked in the top 25, but the Panthers face a Terrapins squad that finished 9-8 last season next.

The next swimming and diving tournament comes in the AT&T Winter National Championships, running from Dec. 4 to Dec. 6 in Greensboro, N.C. Both the men’s and women’s teams performed well at the Pitt Invitational, finishing first.

For the men’s and women’s track and field teams, the next meet comes in the Golden Flash Gala in Kent, Ohio, on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. The team competed in the Pitt Blue-Gold meet on Nov. 22 and Nov. 23.

Women’s basketball coach Suzie McConnell-Serio. Heather Tennant | Staff Photographer