Best of Pitt

Class: Introduction to Performance

Notorious for being one of Pitt’s easiest and most enjoyable classes, Intro to Performance is a favorite among Pitt students. The class fulfills the creative expression requirement and gives students a chance to show off their acting skills in front of their fellow students. This is the class to take if you think you can be the next Tom Cruise.

Editors’ pick: Women and Journalism

Class to sleep through: Introduction to Psychology

Almost every Pitt student ends up taking Introduction to Psychology to fulfill one of the natural sciences general education requirements. And when you’re packed into an auditorium with 500 other students, it’s naturally the most slept-through class. Walk through a Psych class in David Lawrence Hall — especially in the morning — and you’re bound to find numerous students dozing and drooling on friends’ shoulders.

Editors’ pick: Introduction to Film

Classroom: Austrian Room

Not many classrooms have two chandeliers for decoration, but the Austrian Room in the Cathedral of Learning does. As one of the building’s many Nationality Rooms, students often get excited when they see a class in room 314 on their schedule. The long table in the center of the room can make teaching awkward, but taking a class in this room is still something all Pitt students should experience.

Editors’ pick: University Honors College classroom on 35th floor

Place to hang out on campus: Cathedral of Learning

Pitt’s signature building is also where its students like to chill the most. The first floor of the Cathedral is often compared to Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series, so it’s no surprise that studying, eating and sleeping frequently take place in the Cathedral’s spacious setting. Located centrally on campus, the building is also a prime spot for students to hang out between classes.

Editors’ pick: Einstein’s Bros. Bagels in Posvar

Student organization: Pitt Pathfinders

There’s no better way to display your love of Pitt than to show a bunch of prospective students around the amazing campus and brag about its amazing features. That’s the job of the Pitt Pathfinders, who serve as tour guides to the thousands of high school students considering attending Pitt. Students love them, and so do parents.

Editors’ pick: Campus Women’s Organization

Pitt NCAA team: Men’s Basketball

Pitt Men’s Basketball has become one of the nation’s elite programs under coach Jamie Dixon. A lot of buzz exists around the 2012-2013 Panthers, with towering Steven Adams and James Robinson joining a deep, talented roster. Although the team struggled last year, students have high expectations for this year’s team.

Editors’ pick: Wrestling

Club sports team: Quidditch

Not only is the Pitt Quidditch team the students’ pick as best club team on campus, they are also the self-proclaimed “sexiest team in Quidditch,” according to the team’s Facebook page. Founded in 2009, the team’s recent achievements include placing second in the 2011 Midwest Cup and 2011 Northeast Regionals. Most recently, the team reached the quarterfinals of the 2011 World Cup. You can find them practicing out on the Cathedral of Learning lawn on Sundays.

Editors’ pick: Ultimate Frisbee

Way to confuse freshmen: Corner of Fifth Avenue and Forbes Avenue

Obviously, experienced students know Fifth and Forbes avenues do not intersect. But as the two most well-known streets on campus, it is easy enough to inform unassuming freshmen that the location they seek is on the corner of the only two streets that they have likely ever heard of. In those first weeks in Oakland, any freshmen is susceptible to this ploy.

Editors’ pick: Antoon’s and Sorrento’s have $5 pizzas all day

Tradition: Sweet Caroline

Played between the third and fourth quarters of Pitt Football games at Heinz Field, Neil Diamond’s hit gets the entire stadium on its feet, “reachin’ out.” So even if the football team is sure to lose the game, “Sweet Caroline” is a time when students can put the hopelessness aside for a few minutes. Unfortunately, the tradition also leads to a majority of students leaving after the song ends.

Editors’ pick: Victory Lights

Fraternity: Phi Delta Theta

Founded in 1848, the “Phi Delts” came to Pitt in 1918 and were reinstated as a member of the Interfraternity Council in 2006. The brothers believe in the virtues of leadership, knowledge, citizenship, integrity, and brotherhood. The house is one of the largest on campus and helps in Greek Life’s pledge of $300,000 to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Editors’ pick: Pi Kappa Phi

Sorority: Chi Omega

The women of Chi Omega enumerate more than 5,000 nationally and are one of the largest sororities at Pitt. The sisters’ “Make-a-Dish” philanthropy event is one of the most popular at Pitt and annually provides the sisters with enough money to donate to “Make-a-Wish” to make someone’s wish come true.

Editors’ pick: Sigma Delta Tau

Free thing: Buses

From Downtown to Shadyside and from Bloomfield to South Side, there are plenty of activities to find across Pittsburgh. Being able to get around for free makes these activities even better. Flaunting a Pitt ID in front of the neighboring Duquesne students is also fun, since they have to pay $2.50 every time they step on a bus.

Editors’ pick: Therapy dogs on Tuesday nights at the Cathedral of Learning

Reason to skip class: Sleeping

What’s better than an 8 a.m. biology lecture? Sleeping. Simply wake up long enough to text a buddy to take down the notes for you. Then, relax back into the cozy warmth under your sheets.

Editors’ pick: Explore a new part of Pittsburgh

Bus route: 10A

The main bus along the Pitt shuttle line is the staple of transportation around campus. Whether you need to work out at Trees, head back to Panther Hall or stumble your way to a party on a Thursday night, the 10A will get you there.

Editors’ pick: 75

Scandal: Bomb threats

One hundred and forty-five. A number that will forever live in infamy. So many questions remain after a freaky spring semester, but for now, Pitt students are reluctant to say “bomb” while on campus. Pitt students know that they have each other’s backs. Like Kelly Clarkson said, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Editors’ pick: Todd Graham fleeing the football program

On-campus job: Pitt Pathfinders

They love Pitt so much that they are trained to walk backwards for the rest of their lives. They wake up early in the morning and put on those cool blue-and-gold striped polos just to show off Pitt’s campus to high school students and their families, who are in search of the perfect fit for college. It is the Pathfinders’ job to let these families realize that Pitt is the place to be.

Editors’ pick: The Pitt News

Reason to call TeleFact: Lost

If you ever get on the wrong bus and find yourself in an unfamiliar place, you know who to call. TeleFact knows everything from directions and food joints to the number of touchdowns Larry Fitzgerald scored at Heinz Field. TeleFact comes in handy when you need a quick and reliable way to prove a fact to your friends.

Editor’s pick: Which is cheaper, Antoon’s or Sorrento’s?

Way to pay for tuition: Parents

The financial burden we all know as tuition is a pretty hefty bill. So who better to ask than your parents? They pay for your tuition, and you leave them alone for eight months out of the year. That’s a pretty fair deal.

Editors’ pick: Sperm and egg donations

Thing to do on a Friday night: Drink

There’s nothing like relaxing after a long week of school with a beer or glass of wine. Pitt may not be on the list of top party schools in the nation, but that doesn’t mean the students don’t like to have a good time. With several bars and numerous parties on campus every Friday night, Pitt has a respectable college party scene.

Editors’ pick: Pitt Arts

University department: English

For obvious reasons, Pitt is known across the world for its science departments. But apparently, the teachers Pitt students like the most are the ones who frequently make them write papers. The English department, located on the 5th floor of the Cathedral, works hard to make sure students are getting the most out of their major by sending emails about internship opportunities, workshops, events and more.

Editors’ pick: Linguistics