Comedians crack up campus
By Luke Stambaugh | Staff Writer
September 14, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
In the middle of his comedy act, Pitt alum Jesse Irwin asked the audience if anyone had attended Latin religious school. “I went to Latin religious school, and I’m going to sing a quick song for you from Latin religious school,” Irwin said. “If you recognize the song, please sing along.” Irw...
Films Challenge Existing Perspectives
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
September 14, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
The theater screen faded to black. Afterward there was no scuffling of feet, no whispers or laughter. Instead, the audience remained relatively quiet as several panelists took their seat at a table on the stage. Elizabeth Miller waited until after Gwen's Girls Executive Director and panel moderator...
Pitt faculty, grads present political support for unions
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
September 13, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
As grad students and faculty gathered outside Chancellor Patrick Gallagher’s door in the Cathedral of Learning Tuesday afternoon, a Pitt police officer cut a path to the front and addressed the crowd. “Who’s in charge here? Where’s your leader?” he asked the people clutching signs and came...
Pitt professors teach what they write
By Zoe Pawliczek | Staff Writer
September 13, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Few students enjoy buying textbooks for their classes, but Olivia Raymond was eager to purchase her elementary statistics textbook last spring knowing its author would also be her professor. “I was happy because I figured that the class would closely follow the book, so the book would be more rel...
SGB introduces resolutions on DACA, state funding
By Madeline Gavatorta | For The Pitt News
September 13, 2017
Filed under Student Government, Top Stories
Pitt Student Government Board introduced its first two resolutions of the year Tuesday, calling on elected officials to support both DACA recipients and state funding for Pitt. The first resolution was a call for the University and lawmakers to support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals pr...
Bands compete for Fall Fest opener
By Madison Hook | For The Pitt News
September 12, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News, Top Stories
The crowd hushed as INFLUENTIALJ strode onstage, mic in hand, while his original music video projected onto the wall behind him — featuring eye-catching scenes of the performer throughout Pitt’s campus dressed in an electric blue suit beside the bright red doors of Heinz Chapel. The rapper ma...
Students watch Irma from afar
By Rachel Glasser | News Editor
September 12, 2017
Filed under News, Top Stories
Catalina Acebal remembers when Hurricane Wilma blasted the doors of her grandparent's home open in 2005. Her father and her grandpa rushed to push the family’s piano against the doors, stacking a few tables on top and taping the doors shut. “For me it was like, I had no school, I was like ...
Local leaders address sexual assault
By Luke Stambaugh / Staff Writer
September 12, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
When Alexandra Hope Erickson took her own life during her senior year of high school, her friend Maggie Kennedy couldn’t comprehend it. “I felt like I couldn't breathe. Numb and empty, I shook and I wept and I clung to my family and friends,” Kennedy said. “How could she be gone?” Er...
Near and far: Pitt students’ diverse origins
By Anandhini Narayanan | Staff Writer
September 12, 2017
Filed under Campus, City, Top Stories
At Audrey Jonas’ high school, students celebrate “Tractor Day” — a day in which students drive their farm tractors to school and spend time marveling at the assortment of tractors in the parking lot. Jonas grew up in Bernville, Pennsylvania, which has a population of about 1,000 residents. “Trac...
Rival fans flock to Happy Valley for Pitt vs. PSU
By Grant Burgman | Staff Writer
September 10, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Stephen Fastuca gallivanted around the tailgate grounds surrounding Beaver Stadium dressed head-to-toe in Penn State attire. He wore blue and white suede dress shoes and Penn State-colored pants, topping his outfit off with a giant Penn State belt buckle on his waist and a Nittany Lions fedora on his h...
All in a day’s work: Students prepare ‘Annie’ in 24 hours
By Caroline Bourque and Salina Pressimone | The Pitt News Staff
September 10, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Maddie Dillen ventured into the theater on Friday night with a mixed look of confusion and excitement as she searched for a few familiar faces. Having attended only one meeting so far for the Musical Theatre Club, she didn’t know what to expect, but she was ready to find out. “It’s a kin...
Suspects invade, rob Oakland home
By Rachel Glasser | News Editor
September 10, 2017
Filed under Crime, Top Stories
Pitt police issued a crime alert after three men robbed a home on Dawson Street early Saturday morning. The suspects — a white male, African-American male and Hispanic male — entered the house on the 3400 block of Dawson Street through a back door at approximately 3 a.m. The African-American male bran...
Party in the parking lot: students talk tailgating
By Janine Faust and Caroline Bourque | Assistant News Editor
September 7, 2017
Filed under Campus, GameDay, Top Stories
For Keith Miller, the best part of tailgating is giving out food to strangers and listening to “dad music.” “I’ve got a huge grill that barely fits in my SUV that I bring to games, and I always share the hot dogs and hamburgers that I make with people passing by,” Miller said. “And I like the ...
Lawmakers add legislation to “It’s On Us PA” campaign to combat sexual assault
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
September 7, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Gov. Tom Wolf expanded the “It’s on Us PA” campaign Wednesday, announcing legislation aimed at ending sexual assault in schools across Pennsylvania. Joined by college students in the Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Wolf and state lawmakers announced six new bills focused on improving reporting for s...
Public and professional writing program major-ly expands
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
September 6, 2017
Filed under Campus, Top Stories
Jonathan Frye knew he wanted to write when he came to Pitt, but he also wanted to leave with skills to find a job. “I always wanted to be an English major, but the ones at Pitt seemed to be more education or storytelling focused,” he said. “I didn’t see how I could apply that to the career I want...
Students receive access to stream portable cable television
By Rachel Glasser | News Editor
September 6, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Campus Television is now portable and pocket-sized at Pitt. Comcast Corp. partnered with the University to bring on-campus residents Xfinity on Campus, a service that allows students to watch and record live television and thousands of Xfinity On Demand shows on their laptops, mobile devices or persona...
Southwestern restaurant spices up Schenley Plaza
By Rachel Glasser | News Editor
September 6, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
The style of food at Robert Sayre’s new restaurant has confused some passersby. “We’ve had to convince Pittsburgh that it’s a New Mexican restaurant, not a ‘new’ Mexican restaurant. So that’s been a bit of a struggle at times,” Sayre said with a laugh. Sayre is the owner and head ...
Pitt partners with UPMC to hire new vice chancellor for new position
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
September 6, 2017
Filed under Campus, Health, Top Stories
In partnership with UPMC, Pitt hired Kristin Davitt Tuesday as the University’s inaugural vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and president of UPMC’s Medical and Health Sciences Foundation. Davitt’s position will have her acting as leader of the Medical and Health Sciences Foun...
SGB maps out plans for the year ahead
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
September 6, 2017
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
Pitt’s Student Government Board held their “first real public meeting” for students Tuesday, according to President Max Kneis. “Last week was just introductory,” Kneis said. ‘“And while I know most of you are here for allocation requests, hopefully you get something else out of this....
Peduto discusses local, national politics on campus
By Kirsten Wong | Staff Writer
September 6, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
With the news cycle, the Trump administration is capturing most of the public’s attention, and Mayor Bill Peduto sees a path for cities to bring about change. “We are living in interesting times right now,” he said Tuesday night. “Changes that are happening in this world will happen at the ...
Students make safety pocket-sized
By Jaime Weinreb | For The Pitt News
September 5, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, News, Tech Science
Knowing to call 911 for help is common knowledge, but it was an impossible task for senior Annmarie Stockinger when she was sexually assaulted in Tower C during her first year at Pitt. Fear rendered her powerless. She could not even try to dial three simple numbers. “I was holding my phone t...
Union supporters convene at cookout
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
September 4, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Abby Cartus figured celebrating Labor Day surrounded by fellow union organizers and supporters was a good way to kick off the academic year. “Everybody’s just here to chill out and reconnect after being away for the summer,” Cartus said. “Then we’ll buckle back down on organizing.” Ca...
International students adjust to life at Pitt
By Rose Luder | Staff Writer
September 4, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Violet Jiao is no stranger to culture shock. When she first came to the United States, the openness of the people she met and their willingness to casually converse took her by surprise. “They were so different from my people. In my country, no one will suddenly talk with a stranger on the street,” ...
Contestants compete for ‘Idol’ fame
By Rose Luder | Staff Writer
September 4, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Kanti Kasa’s mother spent time singing on Broadway and raised Kasa to do the same. But unlike her mom, Kasa — who was born with the name Deliylah Johnson — doesn’t want to be on a stage in New York. Her goal is to take the stage in front of the world. Kasa and hundreds of other hopefu...
Students put fresh spin on Asian pop
By Janine Faust and Caroline Bourque | Assistant News Editors
August 31, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Lynn Urbina still remembers the first music video that hooked her on K-pop — “Sherlock,” by the popular group SHINee. She was struck not just by the music video’s aesthetic — which featured the band, looking like Sherlock Holmes, peering around corners with magnifying glasses— but also the...
Swipe right in: Market goes automated
By Caroline Bourque | Assistant News Editor
August 31, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Gone are the days of waiting in line for an employee to manually take students’ IDs in order to sign them into Market Central. The dining hall received a futuristic face-lift over the summer, greeting students in the new semester with a self-swipe system at its entrance. Market implemented this ...
Pitt students, professors respond to Stephen Foster statue
By Rachel Glasser | News Editor
August 31, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
When Laurence Glasco traveled to China in 1989, a Chinese band played for the group of visiting Americans and struck up a medley of Stephen Foster songs. “I said to them, ‘Gee, you know, you don’t really hear Stephen Foster songs anymore in America,’” Glasco said. “They were just dumbfou...
Thai Hana temporarily closed until violations resolved
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
August 31, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
The Allegheny County Health Department issued a consumer alert for Thai Hana and Sushi Bar Tuesday. According to the ACHD, the presence of roaches, flies and bags of rice infested by moths were among the reasons for issuing the alert for the restaurant located on the 3600 block of Fifth Avenue. ...
Student organizers react to admin’s union oppositon
By Kirsten Wong and John Hamilton / The Pitt News Staff
August 30, 2017
Filed under Administration, Campus, News, Top Stories
Rachel Coombs was conducting research in a biology lab in late July when she found herself enraged by an email from Pitt Provost Patricia Beeson. Coombs, a Ph.D. student studying biological sciences, read Beeson’s letter outlining the Pitt administration’s opposition to the grad student union eff...
Men move in: Holland Hall goes co-ed
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
August 29, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Rosina Roccamo has only lived in Holland Hall for about a week and has yet to exchange words with a guy on her floor. “I know it’s gone co-ed, but it’s not, like, super co-ed,” Roccamo said, looking around at her fellow Holland Hall residents scurrying past her curbside perch in the quad. ...
SGB welcomes new students
By Nolan Roosa | Staff Writer
August 29, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
After filing into Nordy’s Place in matching navy t-shirts Tuesday night, Student Government Board President Max Kneis and his fellow board members had to quiet down the room, packed to the brim with students. At SGB’s first meeting of the academic year, board members and committee chairs intro...
Students sing karaoke’s praises
By Luke Stambaugh | Staff Writer
August 28, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
Walking down Atwood Street on a Tuesday night, Oakland residents may feel a certain energy radiating from the Garage Door Saloon as a line covers the block and a familiar mix of singing voices and screams pour out of the windows. “Karaoke nights are great because normally shouting the lyrics to ‘Piano Man...
Pitt grads create food truck tracker
By Janine Faust | Assistant News Editor
August 28, 2017
Filed under Campus, City, News, Top Stories
Paul Landry is a foodie on the move who likes food on the move. That’s why he found himself driving from his home near the Pittsburgh International Airport to Shadyside one evening in 2013 in pursuit of a specific food truck. “The neighborhood I heard the truck was in was where I stayed when I attended Pit...
Pitt’s vice chancellor for communications leaves University
By Rachel Glasser and Janine Faust / News Editors
August 28, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
Susan Rogers — who was appointed Pitt’s vice chancellor for communications just 18 months ago — is no longer employed by the University of Pittsburgh, a spokesperson confirmed Monday. After this story was first published Monday evening, Joe Miksch — the University’s director of media r...
Superheroes, sewing and script: Pitt clubs find creative ways to serve
By Grant Burgman | Staff Writer
August 28, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
With the addition of three new service clubs at Pitt, students can dress up, write letters or sew — all while giving back to the local or international community. These clubs offer creative alternatives to your typical volunteer opportunities, allowing students to help those in need in uncommon way...
Lanterns light the way for legacies at Pitt
By Rachel Glasser and Janine Faust | News Editors
August 28, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Alka Patel, alumna and keynote speaker at Pitt’s lantern night ceremony, said she was sure the young women in the audience were feeling a number of emotions — excitement, nervousness and maybe even a little bit of fear. “Or perhaps that’s just the mothers in the room,” she said with a laug...
Transgender working group pushes gender inclusivity, education
By Caroline Bourque | Assistant News Editor
August 28, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Before joining Pitt’s transgender working group, Kate Shindle knew little about the obstacles to building gender-neutral restrooms. “It’s not just as easy as saying that, ‘We need a gender-neutral restroom somewhere,’” Shindle, a senior biology major, said. “It’s also like, ‘Where...
Expanding the dialogue: The Year of Diversity in Review
By Caroline Bourque | Senior Staff Writer
August 23, 2017
Comedian Scott Blakeman walked onto the William Pitt Union Ballroom stage in early April and immediately launched into a bit about Jewish-American culture. “Hillary Clinton claimed she was part Jewish during her presidential campaign,” he said. “I looked it up, turns out it’s true. She ha...
Totality in Tennessee: Pitt scientists witness, document historic eclipse
By Lexi Kennell / Culture Editor
August 22, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, News, Tech Science
As the Pitt Shadow Bandits gradually filled their weather balloon with helium, a symphony of worried gasps escaped from the crowd of spectators as they heard a loud pop and saw the balloon’s deflated remains spread out on the lush Tennessee grass. “Do they have enough helium for another?” someone in the cro...
Pitt students choose classes
By Luke Stambaugh
August 22, 2017
As the fall semester approaches, students across campus are hastily making their final tweaks and last minute changes to get their schedules to be perfect — or as close to perfect as possible. The process of choosing classes usually starts with research. Students sift through course descriptions...
Q&A: Departing law and engineering deans
By John Hamilton | Editor-in-Chief
August 21, 2017
Filed under Administration, News
Two Pitt deans announced their resignations during the summer months, giving the University two positions to fill by the start of the 2018 academic year. Gerald Holder — dean of the Swanson School of Engineering — announced his intent to return to the faculty in May, following two decades in the...
Oakland organizations brace for potential budget cuts
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
August 21, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Scattered on the walls throughout the Carnegie Museum of Art’s galleries are small red, white and blue stars with small texts accompanying each. The nearby plaques explain the reason for the stars existence — to highlight the impacts of federal funding on museums and the importance of museums...
ICYMI: What you missed over the summer
By The Pitt News Staff
August 21, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
-May 1 - Pitt names Kathleen Blee as new dean of Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. -May 16 - Defeating Councilperson Darlene Harris and Reverend John Welch, Mayor Bill Peduto wins the Democratic primary for mayor with nearly 70 percent of Democrats’ votes. -May 24 - Allegheny County police arrest director of Pitt’s counseling center Ed Michaels on charges of possessing child pornograph...
Councilman Gilman talks district, student issues
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
August 21, 2017
For many of the thousands of new and incoming Pitt students, this fall in Pittsburgh will be their first. It’s an experience that City Council Member Dan Gilman shared with them many years ago. “Whether I’m a native depends on how original you go,” Gilman said, laughing. “We moved to Pittsburgh...
GALLERY: Summer in Pictures
By Pitt News Staff
August 21, 2017
Filed under Culture, News, Visual
In case you missed it this summer, a lot of things have happened in Pittsburgh. These are some of our favorite photos from the past few months. ...
GALLERY: Pittsburgh Prayer for Peace
August 19, 2017
Filed under City, News, Visual
In the wake of the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Mayor Peduto's office organized "A Prayer for Pittsburgh: A Prayer for Peace" rally in front of the city-county building yesterday. A variety of faith leaders and government-affiliated personnel were featured as speakers. ...
City to install bike lanes on portions of Forbes and Bigelow
By Janine Faust / Senior Staff Writer
August 14, 2017
Filed under Campus, City, News, Top Stories
The city of Pittsburgh will begin installing bike lanes Tuesday on portions of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard, two years after a Pitt administrator was killed while biking in the area. The city is adding bike lanes in both directions on Forbes from Bigelow Boulevard to Craig Street and along ...
Gallery: Redbull Flugtag takes over the North Shore
By John Hamilton and Jordan Mondell / Pitt News Staff
August 5, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
Homemade aircrafts, 46 in total, launched off a 22-foot platform into the Allegheny River Saturday. Most crafts took a nosedive straight away, but a few got enough air to soar a short distance down the river. Red Bull's Flugtag brought crowds to the North Shore and Point State Park as teams displayed...
Red Oak Cafe closing within the week
By Janine Faust and John Hamilton / Pitt News Staff
August 1, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Red Oak Cafe is closing on Aug. 4, according to Ray McNevin, a manager and chef at the Oakland restaurant. McNevin said new owners from Virginia are taking over on the 8th. They will rename and redo the restaurant, he said. Remembering Red Oak The breakfast and lunch cafe is popular, in part, for its vegan and ve...
World War II-era B-17 bomber will soar over Pittsburgh this weekend
By John Hamilton and Lexi Kennell / Pitt News Staff
July 31, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
Listening to the sound of four revving engines muffled by ear plugs, passengers on the B-17 crawl into the nose turret of the WWII-era bomber, seeing stretches of land and Pittsburgh landmarks appear and disappear before them. The Liberty Foundation — a nonprofit group based in Oklahoma — is offe...
Pitt engineers to take flight over the Allegheny at Red Bull Flugtag
By Henry Glitz / News Editor
July 31, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
As July ends and back-to-school chores loom, one group of Pitt engineers is getting busy preparing for a completely different kind of challenge: building and piloting an aircraft to fly over the Allegheny River. The self-styled Roc-ettes, a team of five students and recent graduates from Pitt’s ...
Pitt administration comes out against grad student union
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
July 28, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Administration, News, Top Stories
Speaking on behalf of the University, Pitt Provost Patricia Beeson came out against a graduate student union Thursday, claiming that a union would not be in the best interests of students. Beeson’s letter is the first direct criticism the administration has levied against the unionization efforts, which formally began in January of 2016. The University is now officially no...
Three students OK after one dropped vial with cyanide derivative
By John Hamilton/Editor-in-Chief
July 20, 2017
Filed under Campus, Health, News, Top Stories
Three Pitt students are OK after one dropped a vial containing a cyanide derivative in a Chevron lab Thursday morning. The 5 ml vial shattered on the 11th floor of the building at around 10:15 this morning, according to Pitt spokesperson Joe Miksch. Three students were treated by paramedics after...
Oakland’s businesses adapt to fewer students in summer
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
July 18, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
The warm summer sun beat down this week as business owners across Oakland opened their doors for a day mostly like any other day. The only difference was a conspicuous lack of their main customers — students. Mid-July is undeniably a relatively quiet time of the year in Oakland. With just a few summer...
35th annual Vintage Grand Prix continues Oakland tradition
By Kirsten Wong | Senior Staff Writer
July 18, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Speeding around the 90-degree turn at 60 mph, the bustling race track swarmed with bright-colored vintage sports cars rushing to the finish line. Sitting on the edge of Flagstaff Hill, crowds cheered on their favorite vintage car racers for the 35th annual Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix as the ca...
Pitt increases tuition, budget
By Caroline Bourque | The Pitt News Staff
July 17, 2017
Filed under Administration, Campus, News, Top Stories
Pitt trustees voted Monday to increase in-state tuition by 2.5 percent and out-of-state tuition by three percent, along with an increase to the University’s operating budget. In-state students enrolled in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences will see their tuition increase by $442, while ou...
Interactive crime map July 5 – July 11
By The Pitt News Staff
July 12, 2017
Wednesday, July 5, 2017 11:45 a.m. 3700 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police assisted City police with a retail theft. 3:58 p.m. 3800 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police arrested a non-affiliated individual for recklessly endangering another person, tampering ...
Peduto, community members kick off revitalization
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
July 11, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
As Mayor Bill Peduto stepped out the back door of his official car into the rain in Uptown last evening, people from the community queued in front of a local Middle Eastern food truck turned and gathered around him. Peduto’s arrival signaled the beginning of a community meeting billed as a chan...
Pitt extends winter break for upcoming school year
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
July 11, 2017
Filed under Campus, News, Top Stories
Pitt’s Student Government Board announced Saturday that University administrators will be extending winter break by several days for the 2017-2018 academic year. The announcement, which SGB made in a post on its Facebook page, was accompanied by an academic calendar showing a break between semesters lasting from Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, to Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. Last year...
Pitt Smart Living project hopes to ‘democratize,’ incentivize transportation
By John Hamilton | Editor-in-Chief
July 11, 2017
Filed under News, Tech Science, Top Stories
A Pitt research project is attempting to “democratize” and incentivize public transportation in Pittsburgh using public information screens and a mobile app. The Pitt Smart Living project is currently in the pilot phase, according to Alexandros Labrinidis, the Pitt computer science professor leading th...
Interactive crime map June 28 – July 4
By The Pitt News Staff
July 5, 2017
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 12:59 a.m. 12 Melba Pl., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police issued a citation to a male student for disorderly conduct. 7:06 p.m. 200 Atwood St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police issued a citation to a non-affiliated individual for carrying an open container of alcohol in...
Trustees elect new members, rename Pennsylvania Hall
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
July 5, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
Pitt’s Board of Trustees elected four new members, approved construction projects and renamed Pennsylvania Hall at their June 30 meeting. Pennsylvania Hall — which has held that name since its construction in 2004 — is now named K. Leroy Irvis Hall to honor K. Leroy Irvis, a Pitt alumnus and ...
Pitt remembers professor, jazz icon Geri Allen
By Grant Burgman / Staff Writer
July 5, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Geri Allen, who made a profound impact on both the jazz genre and her students at Pitt, died of cancer on June 27 in Philadelphia. She was 60. Born and raised in Detroit, Allen studied at Howard University before going on to earn her Master’s degree in ethnomusicology at Pitt in 1982. Allen spent the n...
Pitt Law dean Carter to step down, leaving Pitt a second dean position to fill
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
June 30, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
The dean of Pitt’s law school, William M. Carter Jr., is stepping down to return to teaching full-time, becoming the second Pitt dean ending their tenure next spring. Carter's decision comes soon after engineering dean Gerald Holder announced in May he will step down and return to the faculty. Carter and Holder will leave their positions ...
Interactive crime map: June 21 – June 27
June 30, 2017
Wednesday, June 21 12:36 a.m. Semple St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police arrested a non-affiliated individual for simple domestic assault. 10:59 a.m. 4199 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police arrested a non-affiliated individual using a warrant. 4:43 p.m. 3700 Forbes Ave, ...
Auditor’s concerns with PSU partially apply to Pitt
By Janine Faust / Senior Staff Writer
June 27, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
The Pennsylvania auditor general harshly criticized Penn State after a recent audit, raising some concerns that apply to other state-related universities, including Pitt. In his 112-page audit report, Auditor General Eugene Depasquale cited several issues including skyrocketing tuition, a lack of transparency, a decrease in in-state enrollment and an...
Interactive crime map: June 14 – June 20
By The Pitt News Staff
June 27, 2017
Wednesday, June 14, 2017 3:39 p.m. 3800 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police arrested a non-affiliated individual using a warrant. 5:14 p.m. 3700 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police issued a citation to a non-affiliated individual for panhandling. 7:41 p.m. 200 Atwood ...
Two burglaries in two days at the same Bates residence
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
June 27, 2017
Filed under Crime, News, Top Stories
Pitt police issued a crime alert Tuesday after responding to two burglaries at the same residence on consecutive days. The burglaries occurred in the 3600 block of Bates Street — one Monday at approximately 3 p.m. and the second Tuesday at 2:13 a.m., according to the alert. In Monday’s burglary, a suspe...
Sanders criticizes GOP health care bill at Pittsburgh rally
By Lexi Kennell / Contributing Editor
June 25, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
If the 1,600 people at Saturday’s health care rally take Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ advice, Republican senators’ phone lines will be busy all week. The former presidential candidate, along with several other speakers, told the ralliers to urge senators — specifically Pennsylvania Sen. Pat T...
Grad students continue push for union
By Janine Faust | Senior Staff Writer
June 20, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News
Some Pitt graduate students have been buckling down these past six months on something other than master and doctoral degrees. The Graduate Student Organizing Committee — a group that advocates for the formation of a graduate student union on Pitt’s campus — has been garnering support for un...
Q&A with new UHC dean Brian Primack
By The Pitt News Staff
June 20, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
Brian Primack, a Pitt alumnus and professor in the School of Medicine, gained another title earlier this month when Pitt named him to replace Edward Stricker as dean of the University Honors College. In anticipation of the beginning of his tenure, set to start July 1, The Pitt News asked Primack to discuss his pla...
Oakland locals weigh in on bus rapid transit
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
June 20, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Community members and local activists gathered Monday night to talk about new bus stops, or as city employee Justin Miller called them — “upgraded transit experiences.” The replicas of the Bus Rapid Transit system’s proposed new stops sat on the side of the room as Miller, an employee of Pittsb...
Beta Bites, Peter’s Pub receive consumer alerts
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
June 20, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Oakland restaurant Beta Bites received a consumer alert Tuesday, joining Peter’s Pub as the second local restaurant to receive the designation from the health department in June. Oakland eatery Beta Bites received a consumer alert from the county health department Tuesday. The restaurant, which...
Interactive crime map June 7 – June 13
By The Pitt News Staff
June 14, 2017
Wednesday, June 7, 2017 7:58 a.m. McKee Pl, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police assisted city police with a report of a domestic incident. 1:49 p.m. Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic 3811 O'Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police assisted UPMC security with an assault. 7:55 p.m....
Pittsburgh celebrates two controversial Prides
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
June 13, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
When Pittsburghers gathered for the city’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade Sunday, they probably expected the marchers to toss candy and wave rainbow flags — but they got their fair share of political chants slung their way as well. The circumstance of two parades came as the result of fundamental disagree...
Pitt announces finances, top employee earners
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
June 13, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
Pitt’s annual financial disclosure, which it released last month in compliance with the Right to Know Law, revealed a pay structure with University athletics once again at the top. The University, which legally qualifies as a non-profit organization exempt from tax, nevertheless must still file a publi...
Michaels dismissed from Pitt after child pornography possession charges
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
June 12, 2017
Filed under Administration, Campus, News, Top Stories
Edward Michaels has been dismissed from Pitt, according to a University spokesperson, after he was charged with possessing child pornography on May 24. Michaels is the former director of Pitt’s counseling center, a position he held since June 2015. Immediately following his arrest, Pitt placed Mi...
GALLERY: Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Pride 2017
By The Pitt News Staff
June 11, 2017
Filed under City, News, Visual
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Interactive crime map May 30 – June 6
By The Pitt News Staff
June 7, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017 3:22 p.m. 3900 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police issued a citation to a non-affiliated person for disorderly conduct and violating a city ordinance. Wednesday, May 31, 2017 4:01 a.m. 200 Chesterfield Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police arrest...
Pitt considers closing Titusville campus
By Caroline Bourque | Staff Writer
June 6, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
Pitt is considering several options to deal with a lack of steady enrollment at Pitt-Titusville, including shuttering the branch campus, mainly due to a lack of steady enrollment, according to a report released last Thursday. University officials released an analysis listing more problems than possible sol...
Pittsburgh reacts to Trump climate decision
By Henry Glitz and Kirsten Wong | The Pitt News Staff
June 6, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
When President Trump invoked Pittsburgh in his decision to exit the Paris Climate Agreement last Thursday, he left many Pittsburghers baffled. “I’m appalled that the President used my city to justify his unacceptable decision,” Mayor Bill Peduto said in a press release the same day Trump ma...
University names Brian Primack new UHC dean
By Janine Faust | Staff Writer
June 6, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
Pitt announced researcher and medical doctor Brian A. Primack as the new dean of the University Honors College Monday. Primack will succeed Edward Stricker as the third Bernice L. and Morton S. Lerner Chair and dean of the UHC, beginning July 1. Primack’s primary responsibilities as dean will be...
Interactive crime map: May 24 – May 29
By The Pitt News Staff
May 31, 2017
Wednesday, May 24, 2017 8:51 a.m. Robinson St Ext, Pittsburgh, PA. Pitt police responded to an individual's report of the theft of three traffic cones. 1:02 p.m. Nordenburg Hall 111 University Pl, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police assisted county police with a warrant arrest. 1...
Pitt lab investigation ends on mixed note
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
May 30, 2017
Filed under Health, News, Top Stories
A new report from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare has declared an end to the investigation into alleged animal cruelty in laboratories affiliated with Pitt. The report, cited in a letter last Monday from Axel Wolff — OLAW’s director of compliance oversight — to George Huber, Pitt’s vice provost for research conduct and complianc...
Pitt researchers develop HIV detector
By Janine Faust | Staff Writer
May 30, 2017
Filed under Health, News, Top Stories
Pitt researchers have moved the world one step closer to finally fully curing HIV. Scientists in the University’s Graduate School of Public Health announced Monday in the medical journal “Nature Medicine” that they’ve created a more accurate, quicker and less costly test for detecting how much of t...
Students react to counseling center director’s arrest
By John Hamilton and Henry Glitz | The Pitt News Staff
May 30, 2017
Filed under Administration, News, Top Stories
In the six days following the counseling center director’s arrest, Pitt students responded to the latest controversy at the center, while the University has largely stayed quiet and given little additional information. Allegheny County police arrested Edward Michaels, 67, of Wilkinsburg, last Wedne...
Getting Thrifty: the key to living on a student budget
By Rose Luder | Staff Writer
May 30, 2017
It’s almost the weekend, which means it’s time to make weekend plans. Living on an urban campus in a city like Pittsburgh, students have what feels like a limitless variety of options to choose from. There are numerous places to eat out with a group of friends, and this weekend alone, a popular band co...
Savoring Schenley Park: the story of a green space
By Grant Burgman | Staff Writer
May 30, 2017
Whether you’re headed over the bridge from Schenley Plaza to go for a run, play some frisbee or relax in the grass, the first thing you’ll see when you cross looks like an imposing glass castle. The building is Phipps Conservatory — a vast greenhouse filled with local and tropical plants. The conse...
Pitt’s political clubs: left, right and in between
By Grant Burgman and Henry Glitz | The Pitt News Staff
May 30, 2017
As political protests and marches rocked campus last fall, Pitt’s campus political organizations reacted and changed with the rapidly shifting political landscape in Pittsburgh and around the country. Politically-minded students of all ideological allegiances became more involved and, in some cases, formed completely new groups. The Pitt ...
Fun under 21: Pittsburgh nightlife for all ages
By Janine Faust | Senior Staff Writer
May 30, 2017
CLUBS Cruze Bar This LGBTQ+ friendly nightlife staple is located in the heart of the Strip District and is home to a large dance floor and state-of-the-art sound and lighting system. Cruze is well-known for its inclusiveness as well as its high-energy atmosphere, and a few times a month it opens its d...
Meet your new Student Government Board
By Caroline Bourque and Janine Faust | Senior Staff Writers
May 30, 2017
Filed under News, Student Government, Top Stories
Made up of nine elected positions, 30 appointed positions and an array of committees, Student Government Board’s purpose is to advocate for the needs of the student population, according to their website. Additionally, SGB is responsible for allocating the $160 student activity fee paid by all full-time students. The Pitt...
Bus ways and bike lanes: Navigating Pittsburgh without a car
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
May 29, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, City, News, Uncategorized
Madeline Rigatti’s black boots press forcefully on the steel pedals of her orange Salsa Vaya, propelling the 25-year-old up a short, steep hill by her house. “I used to hate that hill,” Rigatti, who started commuting by bike in college 5 years ago, said. Weather permitting, Rigatti comm...
Pitt counseling center director charged with possessing child pornography
By John Hamilton / Editor-in-Chief
May 25, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Administration, News
The director of Pitt’s counseling center — Edward Michaels — was arrested Wednesday on charges of possessing child pornography. Allegheny County police arrested Michaels, 67, of Wilkinsburg, on charges of possessing child pornography and criminal use of a communications facility. According t...
Interactive crime map: May 17 – May 23
By The Pitt News Staff
May 24, 2017
Wednesday, May 17, 2017 12:18 a.m. LIS Building 3471 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police responded to a report from an affiliated person of harassment by communication. 2:56 a.m. 100 Robinson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police arrested a non-affiliated person for po...
Pitt CHREC engineering lab reaches for the stars
By Janine Faust | Senior Staff Writer
May 23, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, Campus, News, Top Stories
Pitt engineering students now have the chance to work on projects that are literally out of this world. The National Science Foundation’s Center for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing, also known as CHREC, transferred its headquarters from the University of Florida to Pitt this January. ...
Man electrocuted in North Oakland
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
May 23, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
A man died Tuesday morning on North Neville Street in North Oakland when he accidentally came into contact with a utility wire. Matthew Blackburn, 46, of Jefferson Hills, was working in a cherry picker vehicle washing the windows of an apartment building on the 500 block of North Neville. The platfo...
Fitzgerald, Wagner push city lead issues
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
May 23, 2017
Filed under City, News, Top Stories
Several developments over the last few weeks have shown that Pittsburgh’s issues with lead pipe contamination in public water are far from over. Despite the end of the Democratic mayoral primary last week decreasing its visibility, a report last week from County Controller Chelsa Wagner, a bill in the...
Man sentenced for homicide of Pitt administrator
By Henry Glitz | News Editor
May 18, 2017
Filed under Crime, News, Top Stories
More than a year and a half after a fatal crash led to the death of Pitt faculty member Susan Hicks, the man who pleaded guilty to causing the crash received his jail sentence this Thursday. David Witherspoon, 51, who plead guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and drug offenses when court...
Interactive crime map: May 9 – May 16
By The Pitt News Staff
May 17, 2017
Tuesday, May 9, 2017 12:46 a.m. Atwood St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Pitt police assisted city police with a retail theft 2:13 p.m. Hillman Library 3960 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Pitt police responded to a report of an indecent exposure. 2:17 p.m. Benedum Hall 3700 O'Hara St...
Peduto wins in lopsided primary, claims ‘mandate’
By John Hamilton and Henry Glitz | The Pitt News Staff
May 17, 2017
Filed under 2. Featured, City, News
Democrats in Pittsburgh voted Tuesday for the incumbent — Mayor Bill Peduto — to be their party’s nominee for mayor, likely giving him four more years as the city’s chief executive. Peduto beat out challengers Rev. John Welch and Councilwoman Darlene Harris, getting 69 percent of the vote ...