Campus in Brief

Students tricked into taking a break from studying

Lisa Cunningham, Staff Writer… Students tricked into taking a break from studying

Lisa Cunningham, Staff Writer

The Pitt Program Council hosted Halloween Boonanza in the Assembly Room of the William Pitt Union Monday.

Four psychics were on hand to do numerology, palm readings and tarot card readings.

Students decorated pottery and topped pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies with things like icing and candy corn.

The room was decorated with cobwebs, spiders and ghosts, while Halloween music, such as the “Monster Mash,” played.

Throughout the day, a costume contest was held, with a prize to be decided soon.

Students also cakewalked and played musical chairs. The winners received Halloween-themed DVDs such as the “Exorcist.”

Lauren Saladoff, the leisure learning director of the Pitt Program Council, said that it was just an event to help get everyone into the Halloween spirit and to give students a break from classes.

Greeks treat kids to happy Halloween

Leigh Remizowski, Staff Writer

Pitt’s upper campus became an alternative Halloween experience for both children of the Pittsburgh area and students Monday night.

Haunted Hill, sponsored by the Inter-Fraternity Council, transformed the ground floors of three fraternities’ houses – Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Zeta Beta Tau – into haunted houses.

Kids were also able to go door-to-door and collect candy from Pitt students in Sutherland Hall East.

“We invited students from areas that aren’t safe to trick-or-treat and enjoy candy on Halloween,” said John Alkland, vice president of IFC and a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

A carnival, complete with a jumbo-sized basketball hoop, food and spooky music was set up outside Sutherland Hall. Pitt athletes were available for photo-ops in the lobby.

Pitt teaches international students how to stay safe in the cold

Mallory Womer, Staff Writer

The Office of International Services presented a program yesterday designed to acquaint international students with Pittsburgh winters.

“Winter in Pittsburgh” taught several important “how to’s” to both graduate and undergraduate students.

The topics of the program ranged from how to avoid dry skin to how to keep an apartment warm in winter while still saving on the heating bill.

Vijay Venkatraman, a student ambassador with the Office of International Services, is in his second year at Pitt. Originally from the tropical climate of southern India, he had never seen snow before coming to the United States.

“This really does help people to be much more prepared,” Venkatraman said. “It helps students that come from warm climates that have never seen winter.”

The Office of International Services has hosted this program for the last five years, according to Jamie Rayman from the office. Approximately 30 people were in attendance.

University gets green award

Mac Booker, Staff Writer

Pitt will announce today that a University building will be the first educational building in Pennsylvania to be awarded “gold” status by the United States Green Building Council.

“Gold is the third-highest level,” said Taryn Holowka, of the USGBC. “It goes certified, silver, gold and platinum.”

The McGowan Institute Laboratory building on the South Side will be the only building belonging to a college or university, and one of only two laboratory buildings with this designation in Pennsylvania. There are 13 gold-level buildings in the state.

There are no platinum buildings in Pennsylvania, and only 13 in the United States.

“They have very specific requirements,” Pitt Associate Vice-Chancellor Madelyn Ross said. “It’s quite strenuous.”

Holowka said that the awarding of levels of certification is based on a point system. Points are awarded for such things as air quality, water efficiency and recycled content in building materials.

USGBC Trustee Rebecca L Flora will present the gold certification to Chancellor Mark Nordenberg at 10 a.m., at the 3025 Carson St. site. A tour of the facility will follow.