The Panther Card: Your wingman and jovial friend

Tuition rates are rising. Everything comes with a fee. You’re paying far too much money for a cramped dorm room and potential roommate drama. As a student, it’s not hard to feel that your school is taking advantage of you.

Except when it comes to your Pitt ID. 

 You already know that your Pitt ID, or Panther Card, is how you use your meal plan and get into your room if you live on campus. And you’ve probably been told that it doubles as a bus pass and can be used as a debit card with Panther Funds. 

But it’s so much more than that — your Pitt ID is your wingman, your gal pal, your carefree shopper, your studious study partner and a jovial friend. 

For dates

 Say you meet a lovely lady or charming man during O-Week — take them to Phipps Conservatory. Phipps is a large greenhouse in Schenley Park, and it’s barely a ten-minute walk from the Cathedral. There’s the Summer Flower Show and the seasonal Butterfly Exhibit — and the best part is, you get free admission into Phipps with your Pitt ID during the school year.

 Afterwards, buy your date a smoothie from Nicola’s Garden in the Schenley Cafe, which is in the basement of the William Pitt Union. Since you’ll be using your Dining Dollars, it’s basically already paid for. 

 Or, you can add a little class and take your date downtown to a show in the Cultural District.

 Alumni fund Pitt Arts, which offers “Arts Encounters” — students can attend shows like the opera, ballets, galleries and theaters for free. With Arts Encounters, you also get a free meal and a chance to talk to the artists or complete a workshop.

 Though Pitt Arts’ “Cheap Seats” program, you can buy discounted tickets to off-Broadway shows, shows at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Opera and more. But you will need your Pitt ID to sign up for these events or buy discounted tickets. 

 To get downtown, use your Pitt ID to catch any 61 or 71 Port Authority bus. After the show is over, take the T to the bottom of Mt. Washington and ride up the incline to see a classic view of the city at night where you can take some very Instagram-worthy pictures. Not to mention you get to take both the T and the inclines for free, too, with your Pitt ID. 

 For shopping

 If Mom and Dad don’t want to load up your debit card but are willing to set you up with some Panther Funds, you can always just use your Funds to buy a Visa gift card at 7-Eleven. But you don’t need to work the system to make the most of your parents’ investment. There are plenty of community vendors around Pitt’s campus that accept Panther Funds. Eating out, grocery shopping and late-night runs to Rite Aid have never been easier.  

But if the shopaholic in you craves options, hop onto a free Port Authority bus over to the South Side or the Waterfront. These areas are set up as small centers surrounded by a variety of shops, like Forever 21, Target, Marshalls and Urban Outfitters. The shopping hubs offer plenty of opportunities to indulge in some real retail therapy, although they don’t accept Panther Funds. 

 For studying

 If you don’t feel like using that hour in between classes to study, don’t just spend it watching Netflix, either. Head down Forbes Avenue to the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History. The Natural History Museum has the third-largest dinosaur collection in the world, and the Art Museum often features traveling exhibits. The best part is that admission into both these museums is free. And if you do decide to hit the books, take a seat and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere for studying.

If you’re studying late at night, you’ll need your Pitt ID to get into Hillman Library or the Cathedral of Learning, so don’t forget it at home! After you finish studying, wait for a shuttle in front of the Cathedral of Learning or William Pitt Union. The shuttles run until nearly 3 a.m., whereas Port Authority buses stop running around 1 a.m. So don’t forget your Panther Card — it’s your key to late night study sessions.

 For friendship

 You’re going to be on a college budget, so planning free or cheap things to do with friends will become a habit. Grab some friends and head down to the North Shore and check out contemporary art museums like the Andy Warhol Museum or the Mattress Factory, which features installation art. With your Pitt ID, you can get into both of these museums for free.

Similarly, the Carnegie Science Center offers $2 off admission for college students. This museum features hands-on science exhibits, an OmniMAX theater and a planetarium where you can see laser shows — the most popular being Midnight Floyd, shown on Friday and Saturday nights. 

 Lots of locations offer student discounts, too. Ask at the ticket window at movie theaters for a student discount. During the winter season, there’s an ice skating rink at PPG Place — located Downtown, right next to Market Square — that offers a student discount on Wednesdays.

 To make the most out of your first year at Pitt, utilize your Pitt ID to the fullest — it’s your passport to our city.

List of places to use Panther Funds (full list online)

Food/Drink

·      Any coffee cart on campus

·      Tapingo

·      Vending machines on campus

·      Quickzone

·      Schenley Café, Cathedral Café, Peterson Event Center Food Court

·      Oakland Bakery

·      7-11

·      Bruegger’s Bagels

·      Chipotle

·      Coldstone

·      Dunkin’ Donuts

·      Five Guys

·      Fuel and Fuddle

·      IGA

·      Giant Eagle (Shadyside, there’s even a Pitt shuttle that’ll go there!)

·      Hello Bistro (Forbes Ave, E. Carson St)

·      Jimmy John’s

·      Little Nippers

·      Noodles&Co.

·      Pamela’s

·      Panera

·      Pizza Romano

·      Primanti’s

·      Qdoba

·      Quaker Steak and Lube

·      Sorrento’s

·      Subway

·      Sushi Fuku

·      The O

·      The Porch

Stores

·      University Store on Fifth (bookstore!)

·      The Pitt Shop

·      Pittsburgh Panthers Team Store (Peterson Event Center)

·      Maggie and Stella’s

·      CVS

·      Rite-Aid

Services

·      Laundry

·      Athletic Ticket Office (Peterson Event Center)

·      O’Hara Lot and Soldiers and Sailors parking garage

·      Supercuts

·      Verizon Wireless

·      The Tanning Pitt (for services not including tanning beds)

List of Places to use Dining Dollars

·      Any coffee cart on campus

·      Market Central

·      The Perch

·      Market to Go

·      Quickzone

·      Schenley Café (basement of the Union)

·      Cathedral Café (basement of the Cathedral)

·      Peterson Event Center Food Court

Oakland Bakery

Free with your Pitt ID

·      Public transportation (including buses, the inclines and the T)

·      Andy Warhol Museum

·      Mattress Factory

·      Carnegie Museum of Natural History

·      Carnegie Museum of Art

·      Carnegie Public Library

·      Soldiers and Sailors Memorial museum

·      Phipp’s Conservatory

·      Ticket to any Pitt sporting event (except football or men’s basketball)

Anna Tomani primarily writes about college and social issues for The Pitt News.

Write to Anna at aet29@pitt.edu.