Pitt students earn school a visit from Stephen Colbert

By Gwenn Barney

Pitt students can pull out their American flags and throw on their Colbert Nation T-shirts. This… Pitt students can pull out their American flags and throw on their Colbert Nation T-shirts. This fall, comedian Stephen Colbert is visiting Pitt.

Thursday night on his satirical show, “The Colbert Report,” Colbert announced he will visit Pitt as part of the prize for four Pitt students who won his “Colbert Super PAC Super Fun Pack” treasure hunt.

Pitt students Dan Stough, Daniela Aizpitarte, Ben Zaczek and Justine Buchman teamed up to follow the clues on the treasure map included in the Colbert Super PAC Super Fun Pack. Colbert sold 1,000 of the packs, which included comedic PAC-related materials in addition to the treasure map.

The team of four followed the map, which Stough described as “ridiculous” during his appearance on the show last night, and had their journey end in former president and Colbert hero Ronald Reagan’s hometown of Dixon, Ill.

In Dixon, they were the first team in the nation to find an email address for Colbert and claimed victory in the hunt. In addition to Colbert visiting Pitt on an as-yet-unspecified date in the fall, the Pitt team also won the true “treasure”  a 101-year-old sterling silver antique turtle-shaped bell.

Stough went on the show to claim his prize.

“It’s great for attracting women, if you’re into getting it on with a female turtle,” Colbert said jokingly.

Stough revealed to Colbert on the show that the winning team hailed from Pitt, meaning Colbert’s future destination would be Pitt’s Oakland campus. Colbert threw his hands up upon hearing the news and said, “Woo-hoo! It’s in driving distance!”

Read Tuesday’s issue for more information as it becomes available.